Precinct and Praxis: Cultic Ritual and the Built Environment in the Greco-Roman World

Precinct and Praxis: Cultic Ritual and the Built Environment in the Greco-Roman World develops a theoretical framework for understanding the interplay between the religious built environment and the ritual practices that take place within its confines in the ancient world. The focus is on mithraea, temples of Mithras, located in the geographical region around Rome, and on the sanctuary of Eleusis and the mystery cult associated with it. In situ analysis provides the empirical data requisite for illustrating and grounding the theoretical foundation of the dissertation. Detailed, quantitatively-grounded, documentation of these religious complexes and the ritual practices that they support \u27materialize\u27 the theoretical model and reveal deep interconnections between the sacred and the profane in the ancient world