Mancini, L., Edilizia di culto presso gli ethne dell'Epiro. Architettura
e paesaggi del sacro alla periferia nord-occidentale della Grecia,
Quasar, Roma, 2021.
Lorenzo Mancini's latest work offers a comprehensive study of the
architecture of sacred buildings in the region of ancient Epirus, which
corresponds to the area between present-day southern Albania and
north-western Greece. As the A. specifies in the introduction (pp.
22-23), the title is indicative of the chronological period examined
which coincides with the presence of ethne (tribal groups often reunited
in federal political structures) and, therefore, spans from the end of
the Classical period to Octavian's victory at Actium, fought at the
southern borders of Epirus. Although the focus of the volume is on the
architectural and monumental aspects of Epirote sanctuaries and cult
sites, with a special attention towards the architectural decoration,
the A. demonstrates his deep and wide-ranging knowledge of these topics,
discussing a large number of archaeological, epigraphic, literary and
iconographic evidence, supported by a solid and extensive bibliography.
The familiarity with the material is evident and confirmed by Mancini's
academic background, comprising many years of fieldwork with the
Archaeological joint Mission at Phoinike of the University of Bologna
and of the Archaeological Institute of Tirana, directed by S. De Maria
and Sh. Gjongecaj and from 2017 by G. Lepore and B. Muka. In fact, this
volume is preceded by Mancini's PhD dissertation at University of
Bologna, focused on sacred architecture in the indigenous sites of
Epirus, and by various in-depth articles on some aspects of Epirote
sacred landscapes and public architecture (Mancini 2013; Mancini 2017;
De Maria, Mancini 2018; Mancini 2019; Mancini 2020). The book is
organised by regional areas, according to the traditional division of
Epirus into Molossia, central-southern Epirus (corresponding to
Thesprotia, Cassopea and Ambrakia and Corcyra's territories), and
Chaonia. Within these three sections, a concise historical background is
provided for each region and its related ethnic groups, delving into
their institutional development and mythical-religious imagery.
Furthermore, a synthesis of the pantheon of deities and of some minor
sites of worship are given for each tribe, based on various types of
evidence which, although sometimes fail to lead to conclusive
interpretations, are still discussed in-depth. Subsequently, within the
aforementioned regional division, sites with monumental evidence of
buildings identified as part of a cult place are dealt with in dedicated
chapters. These chapters are structured in the form of catalogue voices,
which include a topographical framework, a brief history of previous
studies with bibliography, an analysis of the archaeological evidence
and hypotheses regarding chronology, reconstruction and functional
interpretation. In the first section, much space is given to the
analysis of the oracular sanctuary of Zeus at Dodona with its naiskoi
and their debated interpretation (chs. I.3.1-I.3.6). The length of these
chapters confirms the overwhelming amount of evidence compared to other
sites in Epirus, which has sometimes had the unfortunate result of
monopolising the debate about Epirote religion (Piccinini 2012). Through
a first-hand re-analysis of the evidence on the field, together with new
graphic documentation, the A. successfully proposes reasonable
hypotheses regarding the identification of the titular deities of these
small temple-like buildings and to question their function, despite the
fact that some scholars still refer to the well-established, but
outdated, interpretation proposed by D. Evangelidis and S.I. Dakaris
(Evangelidis, Dakaris 1959; Dakaris 1971). Considering the function of
these cult buildings, usually identified as naiskoi, the A. finds
evidence for a wider range of potential uses, discussing them in more
detail in chapter IV.3. He examines previous interpretations as temples
(Dakaris 1971), temple-thesauroi stressing the hypothetical correlations
between architecture and ethnic groups (Quantin 2008, 20-29; Piccinini
2016, 264-265) or as polyfunctional rooms used for reunions or banquets
(Emmerling 2012, 201-210). Even if the data is insufficient to get to
determining results, the latter use is investigated in relation to
Naiskos by the A., who presents some convincing evidence that ritual
feasting could have taken place in this building, perhaps by élites
representative of tribal organization or an amphictyonic association
(pp. 493-494). It would have surely been intriguing to hear the A.s
opinion on the recent volume on Dodona by D. Chapinal-Heras in which is
also present a discussion of these buildings and their function as
treasuries, archive rooms or dining places and an attractive but
insufficiently documented proposal of attribution to the three main
ethne of Epirus (Chapinal-Heras 2021, 71-72). Unfortunately, the two
volumes were published more or less contemporaneously. In the second
section, the discussion of the construction of identity through a shared
pantheon is particularly noteworthy. In the case of Thesprotia and
central-southern Epirus, it translates into the acquisition of
underworld imagery and deities (chs. II.1.4-II.1.6). At the centre of
the debate is the Nekyomanteion sanctuary and especially the structure
near the village of Mesopotamos, which has traditionally been identified
as the oracular site cited by Homer in the Odyssey. Nevertheless,
following the intuition of D. Baatz, an increasing number of scholars,
including the A., now refute this hypothesis in favour of an
interpretation of the building as functional to the process of
production and storage of agrarian resources (pp. 252-253). Although
there is limited evidence to support the existence of a sanctuary of the
dead, the A. does not shy away from a careful analysis of the evidence
related to chthonic cults, in particular numismatic and coroplastic
finds, emphasising the risks of automatically identifying the recipient
of worship based on iconography or architectural models, as female
protomes or oikos buildings are often correlated to Kore-Persephone
without substantial data. Nevertheless, underworld nuances are
cautiously referred by the A. to some evidence from the Acropolis A of
Dymokastro (ch. II.4.1), in particular some thirty fragments of a
life-size statue recognised as a Ludovisi-type Hermes (possibly a cult
statue); a fragment of an animal which is speculatively viewed as a
three-headed Cerberus; the residential-like plan of the Oikos N which is
a frequently recurring layout in chthonic sanctuaries. In the third
part, dedicated to the region of Chaonia, the A. tackles the question of
the emergence of the sanctuary of Asklepios at Butrint, which stands out
as the only cult place in the region whose material and monumental
evidence are sufficiently know for both the Hellenistic and Roman
period. In the absence of stratigraphical data, the traditional dating
of the first phase of the sanctuary to the late 4th or early 3rd century
BCE relied on the chronology of some movable finds (Melfi 2012, 24-25)
and on the terminus ante quem given by the dedicatory inscription of the
theatre (232 163 BCE). The A., recalling a recent study by him, N.
Aleotti and A. Gamberini (Aleotti, Gamberini, Mancini 2020), confutes
this dating in favour of a new chronology of the material to the 2nd
century BCE. Together with the careful analysis of the archaeological
remains of the sanctuary buildings, supplied with a new plan of the
temple of Asklepios and its mosaic pavements (p. 447), the A. proposes
to postdate the establishment of the sanctuary during the late 3rd
century (p. 420), even in the chronic uncertainty of stratigraphic data.
Another issue is represented by the function of the so-called shrine of
Asklepios, a small quadrangular building divided in two rooms, which
Ugolini classified as pronaos and naos. Although it has been
convincingly identified by M. Melfi as a thesauros where the sanctuary's
offerings and valuables were stored (Melfi 2007), this interpretation
can only apply to the last roman Imperial phase because the
archaeological data is insufficient to reconstruct the Hellenistic
aspect of the building, as the A. himself has to begrudgingly admit (p.
442). Lastly, a substantial section serves as conclusion of the work. It
consists of seven chapters where the A. provides a synthesis of the
major themes of his work in chronological order, demonstrating how
difficult it is to recognise elements in the architecture of sacred
structures which are specific to the Epirote building culture. This is
mainly due to the scarcity of evidence and its diverse nature which do
not allow to reach conclusive explanations, with the risk of frustrating
the reader. Nevertheless, the A. successfully meets the challenge of
highlighting both the connection between Epirote architecture and the
contemporary Mediterranean koine and its original and lively aspects
developed in a much wider context of self-representation during the
Hellenistic period. Some cautious cues are given towards the political
and social history of the region which will be hopefully examined in
depth in future studies. Moreover, the volume publishes new and detailed
graphic documentation, which is the precious result of the A.s
experience on the field, and a rich catalogue of architectural elements
for which the A. proposes an indispensable chronological serialization
which will be helpful, together with the volumes on civic buildings in
Epirus and architectural decoration in Chaonia (Rinaldi 2020; Podini
2014), to anyone dealing with Epirus public architecture. In the light
of his value of reference work for both scholars and students, an index
of places and names at the end could have been an appreciated
supplement. In short, the volume is a significant addition to the
scholarship of sacred architecture in Epirus and, generally, of the
political, social and identity aspects related to religious evidence.
Moreover, the numerous prompts, albeit cautious, towards the political
and social history of the region, such as the considerations about a
Ionian-Adriatic koine for architectural decorations or about the
influence of Rome in the maintenance and transformation of sacred
complexes (pp. 516-518), open the path for further discussion. More
in-depth investigation of the many aspects implied by the study of
sacred landscapes may combine the archaeological analysis with an
anthropological view of the landscape and its perception in order to
come closer to an exhaustive picture of the Epirote religion and cult
places and their relation with the social, economic and political
reality. This could mean to take a further step towards comprehending
the reasons behind the preference for some deities, the spatial
distribution of sanctuaries, the diffusion and use of some mythical
narratives and the cultural interactions between ethnic and political
groups. In doing so, Mancini's volume represents an extremely useful
reference work and a solid foundation for any scholar interested in
approaching these topics in Epirus.
References
- Aleotti, N., A. Gamberini, and L. Mancini. 2020. ‘Sacred places, territorial economy and cultural identity in northern Epirus (Chaonia)’. In Boundaries Archaeology: Economy, Sacred Places, Cultural Influences in the Ionian and Adriatic Areas, edited by E. Giorgi, G. Lepore, A. Gamberini, 45-63. Heidelberg: Propylaeum.
- Chapinal-Heras, D. 2021. Experiencing Dodona: the development of the Epirote Sanctuary from Archaic to Hellenistic times. Berlin-Boston: De Gruyter.
- Dakaris, S.I. 1971. Archaeological guide to Dodona. Ioannina: Cultural Society “The Ancient Dodona.”
- De Maria, S., and L. Mancini. 2018. ‘Territori e paesaggi sacri nella Caonia ellenistica e romana’. In Politics, Territory and Identity in Ancient Epirus, edited by A.J. Dominguez, 193-246. Pisa: Edizioni ETS.
- Emmerling, T.E. 2012. Studien zu Datierung, Gestalt und Funktion der „Kultbauten“ im Zeus-Heiligtum von Dodona. Hamburg: Verlag Dr. Kovac.
- Evangelides, D., and S.I. Dakaris. 1959. ‘Το ιερόν της Δωδώνης Α. Ιερά Οικία’. In Αρχαιολογική Εφημερίς, 1-194.
- Mancini, L. 2013. ‘Templi, thesauroi, “temples-trésors”. Note sull’edilizia templare non periptera nei santuari dell’Epiro ellenistico’. In Ocnus 21: 75-99.
- Mancini, L. 2017. ‘ΘΕΣΠΡΩΤΙΚΑ ΙΕΡΑ. Il contributo del paesaggio sacro alla conoscenza di un ethnos epirota’. In Annuario della Scuola archeologica di Atene e delle missioni italiane in Oriente 95: 205-225.
- Mancini, L. 2019. ‘L’architettura templare nei santuari dell’Epiro’. In Dodonaios. L’oracolo di Zeus e la Magna Grecia. Catalogo della mostra, Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Reggio Calabria, (8 marzo-9 giugno 2019), edited by C. Malacrino, K. Soueref, L. Vecchio, 181-188. Reggio Calabria: Kore.
- Mancini, L. 2020. ‘Il “rovescio” del Continente. Paesaggi inferi d’Epiro tra fonti letterarie, miti contemporanei e realia’. In Acheruntica. La discesa agli Inferi dall’antichità classica alla cultura contemporanea, edited by R.M. Danese, A. Santucci, A. Torino, 31-66. Urbino: Argalia Editore.
- Melfi, M. 2007. ‘The Sanctuary of Asclepius’. In Roman Butrint. An Assessment, edited by I.L. Hansen, R. Hodges, 17-32. Oxford: Oxbow Books.
- Melfi, M. 2012. ‘Butrinto: da santuario di Asclepio a centro federale’. In I processi formativi ed evolutivi della città in area adriatica, edited by G. de Marinis, G.M. Fabrini, G. Paci, R. Perna, M. Silvestrini, 23-30. Oxford: Archaeopress.
- Piccinini, J. 2012. ‘Rethinking Epirote Religion. A Survey of Recent Scholarship on Epirote Cults and Sanctuaries’. In Annuario della Scuola archeologica di Atene e delle missioni italiane in Oriente 90: 318-326.
- Piccinini, J. 2016. ‘Renaissance or decline? The shrine of Dodona in the Hellenistic period’. In Hellenistic sanctuaries. Between Greece and Rome, edited by M. Melfi, O. Bobou, 152-169. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Podini, M. 2014. La decorazione architettonica d’età ellenistica e romana nell’Epiro del nord. Bologna: Bononia University Press.
- Quantin, F. 2008. ‘Recherches sur l’histoire et l’archéologie du sanctuaire de Dodone. Les oikoi, Zeus Naios et les Naia’. In Kernos 21: 9-48.
- Rinaldi, E. 2020. Agorai ed edilizia pubblica civile nell’Epiro di età ellenistica. Bologna: Bononia University Press.