Sanctuaries and Their Functions
Learning Objectives
By the end of this section, you will understand what sanctuaries were and their religious importance, the various functions of sacred spaces in ancient society, purification practices and religious pollution, and the differences between Greek and Roman approaches to sacred spaces.
What is a Sanctuary?
A sanctuary was a holy area located in a town or city that contained one or more temples and altars to the gods. Famous examples include Olympia and the Acropolis in Athens.
Click each function to explore its importance:
Housing temples and altars for religious ceremonies
Providing ritual cleansing before worship
Serving as centres for festivals and gatherings
Storing wealth, offerings, and sacred objects
Sacred Space and Purification
Sanctuaries had a freshwater source at the entrance so that Greeks could wash their hands and feet. This was crucial to avoid religious pollution of the holy sites, which would discourage favour from the gods.
🔄 Interactive: Types of Religious Pollution
Click each type to explore why it caused miasma:
🔄 Interactive: Greek vs Roman Approaches
Whilst both cultures valued sacred spaces, they approached the concept of sanctuaries differently. Click each card to explore:
Focused on purity and divine favour, with elaborate purification rituals and community festivals.
Emphasised state religion and pax deorum (peace of the gods) to maintain divine favour for Rome.
Temple Functions Within Sanctuaries
A temple was dedicated to a specific god and housed a cult statue of that deity. Temples gave gods a residence on earth, which was important for gaining favour in their eyes.
Crucially, only priests were allowed into temples. The general public worshipped at the altar outside the temple, not inside the building itself.
Follow a worshipper's visit to a Greek sanctuary - click each stage:
Click a stage above to follow the worshipper's journey
