Divine Interiors
Mural Paintings in Greek and Roman Sanctuaries
Distributed for Amsterdam University Press
Mighty marble facades, sculptures, and wall paintings played an important role in the decoration of Greek and Roman temples. While the official temples, which were connected with a city or a state, usually had a simple but solemn appearance, the more popular buildings were true multi-colored expressions of religiosity. Scenes from the life of the revered deity, portraits of the supporters and practitioners of the cult, and renderings of plants and animals could transport visitors to these shrines to different worlds. The wall paintings displayed differences in style and taste, but they had the same basic look everywhere. It is striking to see the similarities between temples that were widely separated in the vast Greco-Roman world.
Introduction
1. Paintings Described in Ancient Texts
Greek Temples
Roman Temples
Literary Descriptions of Temple Decorations
The Temple of Juno in Carthage
A Temple in Liternum
Conclusions
2. Paintings Found in Public Temples of the Greek World
3. Paintings Found in Public Temples in Roman Italy
Republican and Imperial Temples in Rome
Republican Temples in Italy
Imperial Temples in Italy
Public Temples in Pompeii
The Temple of Apollo in Pompeii
Conclusions
Appendix: The Portico of the Temple of Apollo in Pompeii
4. Paintings in Provincial Roman Temples across the Alps
Britain
The Low Countries
Germany
Switzerland
France
The Iberian Peninsula
The Balkans
Conclusions
5. The Eastern Half of the Empire and North Africa
6. Painted Shrines Dedicated to the Roman Emperor
Three Centres for Imperial Cult in Herculaneum
The Macellum in Pompeii
Imperial Cult in Misenum
Silvanus and Caracalla in Ostia?
Hercules and Marcus Aurelius in Sabratha
The Severi in Bulla Regia
The Tetrarchs in Luxor
Conclusions
7. Roman Shrines Housing Non-Roman Cults
Shrines for Isis
The Temple of Isis in Pompeii
Isis in Rome?
A German Outpost: Mainz
Mithras and His Grottoes
Rome
Ostia
Other Mithraea in Italy
Mithraea Across the Alps
Mithraea in the East: Huarte, Dura Europos and Caesarea
A Private Shrine to Sabazios in Pompeii
Other Shrines for 'Small' Cults
Conclusions
8. Dura Europos: A Case-Study
Bel or Allat?
Bel and Zeus
Zeus Theos
Adonis
Gadde
The Synagogue
The Church
Conclusions
9. Final Remarks
Wall Systems
Figural Elements
Location of Wall Paintings
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index of Ancient Text Sources
Index of Names, Places and Subjects
Colour Plates
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