Ronald S. Stroud - Böcker

Excavations conducted by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens in the Sanctuary of Demeter and Kore on Acrocorinth, 1961-1975, produced more than 170 inscribed objects of stone, bronze, bone, lead weights, pottery (graffiti and dipinti), clay pinakes, magical lead tablets, and in a mosaic. In this new Corinth volume, Ron Stroud presents all of these inscriptions, and he relates them to an overall interpretation of the activities, secular and religious, attested in this shrine during its long period of use from the 7th century B.C. until the end of the 4th century A.D. Where possible, Stroud also draws out their implications for and contribution to the history of ancient Corinth, the worship of the goddesses Demeter and Kore, and the practice of magic-especially in the Roman period. This is the final publication of the inscribed objects from the sanctuary, excluding loomweights and stamped amphora handles, which will be included in a later publication.

The first publication of a complex and well-preserved Athenian law of great interest to historians. Discovered in the Agora Excavations in 1986, this hitherto unknown law rivals in importance that of the law on silver coinage of 375/4 B.C., which was published by the author some twenty years ago. In addition to the complete text, translation, and notes on readings, the author, a superb epigrapher, provides commentary on the many parts of this document, which contributes significant new information on the history, law, economy, topography, and public finance of Athens in the Classical period. The first section of the volume includes an expert analysis of the layout of the inscription and useful notes, while the major portion of the text is devoted to detailed commentary on the law, its purpose, and implementation. The historical setting of the law is well-illuminated in the final section. The authors analyses of this important inscription provide a solid foundation for new avenues of research.

When the Roman tourist Pausanias visited Corinth around A.D. 160, he saw many shrines and buildings high up to the south of the city, on the slopes of Acrocorinth. This booklet describes excavations at one of these, the Sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone (Kore). The details of religious rites revealed are of particular interest since the cult of the two goddesses, also celebrated at Eleusis, is one of the most mysterious in antiquity, and no literary testimony exists to explain what may have happened behind the high walls. Terracotta dolls, ritual meals of pork, and miniature models of food-filled platters hint at a vigorous religious tradition associated with human and agricultural fertility.