Approaching Country Sanctuaries

Although rising poleis in the Hellenistic period in Asia Minor frequently invested in established sanctuaries that were located far away from their urban centers, a line of inquiry to approach this phenomenon has yet to be developed. Investigations of such country sanctuaries until now have largely focused on questions of cultural identity or local autonomy in the face of shifting political landscapes. Yet the factor of human geography in this relationship is seldom problematized, even though long an object of study for the Archaic Greek world. A gap thus remains concerning country sanctuaries in Hellenistic Asia Minor and how they should be interpreted with regard to evolving urban systems. The aim of this chapter is to produce a framework of analysis that takes into account the complexities of the situation. Prior research on the phenomenon of ‘extra-urban’ sanctuaries in Archaic Greece and relevant studies in Asia Minor are taken as point of departure, raising significant aspects that need to be addressed. To understand the dynamics, however, theories drawn from other disciplines – spatial memory, ‘rational rituals’,1 network theory, and regional identity – are introduced that will help illuminate important factors regarding matters of motivation, agency, and impact behind the tightening relations between city and sanctuary. Taken together, the previous research, theories, and alternative models, inform the main domains of investigation defined in the framework of analysis, discussed in the final section of this chapter.