The history, monuments and topography of ancient Lebadeia in Boeotia, Greece

The northwestern Boeotian town of Lebadeia is known primarily in both the ancient sources and modern literature as simply the site of the oracle of Trophonius. Yet, a survey of the ancient sources and extant remains reveals that the town once housed a federal sanctuary, hosted a pan-Hellenic festival, was represented within the Boeotian confederacies, issued coinage and received Roman patronage. While the federal and foreign involvement in various aspects of the town has been noted, there has been no attempt to explain this situation nor to explore its ramifications for the political and economic history of the region of Boeotia. The aim of my research is to gather and integrate all available information on ancient Lebadeia in order to proffer a more comprehensive and coherent picture of this long-ignored town. To do so, all literary and epigraphic references to Lebadeia or any of its monuments have been collected and analyzed, as well as all extant remains. In addition, accounts of early travellers to the town have been consulted since they may have noted ancient features or monuments that are no longer discernible today. By integrating the information from all these sources, I have been able to explore such topics as the town\u27s borders and ancient economy, its Classical plan, the religious and civic institutions, political history, routes to and from the town, and external relations. Particular attention has been paid to the Lebadeian sanctuary of Zeus Basileus. Not only is a large proportion of the extant epigraphic texts from Lebadeia concerned with this sanctuary, but its temple is one of the few recognizable ancient topographic features. Moreover, since the sanctuary was almost certainly a federal one, I contend that its foundation, development and eventual abandonment coincide with various periods of Boeotian political history