Sacred Geography of the Ancient Greeks

Jean Richer is Chevalier des Palmes academiques et des Arts et des Lettres, and he is Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur. His published books include Gerard de Nerval et les Doctrines esoteriques; Delphes, Delos et Cumes; and Iconologie et Tradition.

• List of Maps Foreword Translator's Preface Preface Chapter 1. Theory of Alignments 1. Delphi: Apollo and Athena2. The Meridian of Delphi: Tempe-Delphi-Sparta-Cape Taenarum3. Bassac, Tegea, Corinth4. From Crete to Hyperborea5. Leucas6. The Four Temples of Hermione7. The Oracle of Ptoon8. The Apparently "Abnormal" Orientations of Temples: Bassae, Delos Chapter 2. Interpretation of the Alignments. The Zodiacal Wheel Centered on Delphi. A Text of Plato's 1. Cephallenia or Aries2. "Cow-eyed" Hera. Olympia3. Gemini and Sparta4. Cancer and the Moon5. Leo, the Solar Sign6. Athens, Delos, and the Sign of Virgo7. Libra, Harmonia, and Thebes8. Scorpio or the Eagle9. The Land of the Centaurs: Chiron the Sagittarian10. Capricorn and Hyperborea11. Aquarius12. Pisces. Cassiopeia13. A Text of Plato's Chapter 3. The System Centered on Delos 1. The Zodiacal Division2. The Signs3. Delphi and Delos4. Delphi and Sardis Chapter 4. An Anatolian System Centered on Sardis 1. The Omphalos of Sardis2. The Zodiacal Wheel Centered on Sardis: the Signs3. The Three Zodiacal Wheels of the Aegean Chapter 5. The Constellations, Return to Delphi. Demeter, Artemis, and Athena 1. Ursa Major: Artemis, Brauron2. Ursa Minor3. Return to Delphi: the Agrenon4. Demeter-Gemeter5. Artemis6. Brauron, Ephesus, and the Cave of the Bear7. Athena Chapter 6. The World Axis and the Planetary Lines. Symbols of the Pole 1. The Gateways of the Solstices2. The Descent of Souls: from Taenarum to Delphi3. The Ascent of Souls: from Delphi to Olympus4. World Axes and Planetary Lines in the Systems of Delos and Sardis5. The Nonzodiacal Constellations and Symbols of the Pole6. The Boar, Symbol of the Pole; the Oath on the Boar Chapter 7. The Zodiacal Division of Attica and the Mysteries: Agrae and Eleusis 1. The Zodiacal Division2. The Mysteries: Agrae and Eleusis3. An Unusual Monument Chapter 8. Zodiacal Wheels as Keys to Decoding. The Gods and the Zodiac 1. The Homeric Hymn to Hermes2. Hermes and Athens: the Charites; Cephalus3. The Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite4. Hephaestus. Scorpio. The Journey of Sacrifices.The Sacrifices. Sexual Magic5. Poseidon, the Horse-god, and the Sign of Gemini Chapter 9. The Cult of Zeus. Sardis, Delphi, and the Oasis of Siwa. A System Centered on Ammoneion 1. Sites of the Cult of Zeus2. The Sardis-Delphi-Ammoneion Triangle3. Myths and Monuments Confirming the Existence of this System4. The Legend of Ammon and the Ritual of the Oracle Chapter 10. The Calendars of Heracles. Guardians of the Signs 1. Heracles and the Peloponnese: the System Centered on Phlius2. The Ancient Guardians of the Zodiac ("Hesiodic Guardians")3. Heracles and Omphale4. A More General System. The Directions of Space5. Vestiges of an Earlier Zodiac in the Legend of Heracles; the Sign of the Boar6. Heracles and Apollo Chapter 11. The Astral Significance of Greek Myths and Heroes 1. Myths and Rites of the Spring Equinox2. Castor and Pollux3. Helen and Cancer4. The Cancer-Capricorn Axis: Zeus and Typhon5. Orion and the Taurus-Scorpio Axis6. Cadmus and Harmonia or Scorpio and Libra7. Perseus, Solar Hero and Champion of Athena8. Bellerophon, Corinth, and Lycia9. The Heroic Deeds of Theseus10. The Heroes of Sagittarius Chapter 12. The Revelation of the Lion of Julis 1. The Lion of Julis2. The Coins of Kea, the Dog and the Dog-days, the Bull3. The Alpheus or Taurus, the Elaphe4. Aristaeus5. A Significant Rectangle6. A Rectangle Centered on Sardis Chapter 13. Fixed Symbols of the Signs, Directions, and Seasons. The Loves of Zeus 1. The Fixed Symbols of the Directions of Space: the Cycles of Four Animals2. The Loves of Zeus Chapter 14. Double Symbols. Syncretic Forms. Fighting Animals, Dynamic Symbols of Seasonal Variations. The Calendar of Xanthus 1. Double Symbols2. A Syncretic Form: the Hippalectryon3. Other Syncretic Forms4. Associations of Zodiacal Symbols5. Dynamic Symbols of Seasonal Variations6. The Calendar of the Acropolis of Xanthus Chapter 15. Shield Devices. The Commons Origins of Blazons and Monetary Symbols. The Complementarity of Opposites. Plaques from Delphi. Study of Vases 1. Shield Devices2. The Complementarity of Opposites. The Lesson of the Vases3. Symbolic Scenes Showing Zodiacal Oppositions: Plaques Found at Delphi4. Zodiacal Aspects on Vases. Principles of Interpretation. Oppositions and Squares5. The Vases of Exekias6. Images of the Solstices and the Equinoxes onVases7. A Corinthian Aryballus of Astrological Design8. Symbolic Formulas Chapter 16. The Horoscopic Meaning of the Armlets of Shields Chapter 17. Greek Temples: Sculpted Pediments and Zodiacal Geography. The Structure of Sanctuaries 1. Corfu and Athens2. Temples of the Delphic System3. Delphi: the Pediments of the Temple of the Alcmaeonidae4. Delos: the Pediments of the Temple of the Athenians5. The Pediment of the Hydra at Athens6. Temples in the Phlius System: Tegea and Calydon7. Bassac8. Olympia9. The Temple of Hera at Samothrace: the Structure of the Sanctuary and the Pediment; Victory and the Ship Chapter 18. Greek Temples of Asia Minor. The Decor of the Temple of Assos in the Troad 1. Didyma and Bassae2. The Decor of the Temple of Assos in the Troad3. Conclusions4. Symbolic Formulas Chapter 19. The Delphic Oracle and Colonization. Animal Guides. The Trojan Horse 1. The Oracle and Significant Alignments2. Animal Guides3. The Trojan Horse Chapter 20. Zodiacal Imagery at Mycenae. The Great Uranian Goddess. The Inquiry Continues 1. Zodiacal Imagery at Mycenae2. The Great Goddess3. The Handles of Hydrias4. The Inquiry Continues Abbreviations Notes Index