The Epigraphic Evidence of the Sanctuary of Apollo Amyklaios

Abstract

Amyklaios is not great in quantity, 1 but significant. The aim of our work 2 is to re-examine the inscriptions of the sanctuary and to find those which are published but we no longer know where they are located. The second aim is the collection and classification of the literary sources about the sanctuary and its operation.The sanctuary of Apollo Amyklaios was one of the most important cult centres of the Lacedaimonians. From Thucydides it is known that the sanctuary was a place for the erection of stelai with texts of political significance (Thuc. V.18.10), such as the stele with the text of the Peace of Nikias in 422/1 BC (Thuc. V.23.4-5). The sanctuary and the festival of Hyakinthia were also chosen by Lacedaimonians as the venue for the exchange of the oaths with the Argives for the proposed treaty of 420 BC (Thuc. V.41.3). The same sanctuary is considered by Matthaiou and Pikoulas as the place for the erection of the stele inscribed with a list of contributions to sparta (IG V1, 1 + SEG XXXIX 370) either in money or in kind, made both by cities and individuals during the Peloponnesian war. 3 Inscriptions that could be attributed to the sanctuary of Apollo Amyklaios were recorded by the French Abbé Michel Fourmont in the early 18th century. However, Fourmont, who did not know the exact location of the sanctuary of Apollo, attributed wrongly to it many inscriptions, such as IG V1 596 and 605, which seem to come from the sanctuary of Demeter and Kore at Kalyvia sochas. 4 He also attributed to the Amyklaion an inscription (IG V1, 515) which is forged, as spawforth proved. 5 Few inscribed monuments were found during the first excava-