When a construction site is a place of worship: construction and religion in Greece (5th-2nd century BC)

Résumé En

Are temple building sites representative of Greek construction habits ? More than architectural characteristics, this article will consider the administrative, social, and practical aspects of setting up a construction site in a place of worship by referring to inscriptions of various kinds, notably the 525 or so accounts from Delphi, Epidauros, and Delos (5th-2nd century BC). By comparing these construction projects with others associated with civic buildings, we can see that the same procedure was adopted for both types of architectural projects. This is hardly surprising since the affairs of the gods were essentially managed by men chosen by the city. The funding arrangements were also similar, except that they primarily mobilised sacred funds rather than public ones. The characteristics of the workforces also seem to have been the same in both cases. The work practices of craftsmen do not seem to be influenced by their piety. From a material perspective, however, sponsors and workers needed to organise the space and timing of the building work taking into account how it would encroach upon the sanctuary, any particularly sacred areas, and the ritual calendar.