Spazi del sacro e per il sacro nel mondo greco arcaico e classico. L’evidenza epigrafica

The epigraphic evidence from the Archaic and Classical periods concerning sacred spaces provides valuable information on various aspects of the occupation and use of areas reserved for worship or belonging to the deity. The aspects addressed by the inscriptions specifically concern the management of the hiera chora (e.g. division, lease), of places involved in religious practices (e.g. paths, roads), and of the buildings and structures within the sacred space. At the same time, the inscription itself may oπer insights into the location where it was exhibited or maintained (a sanctuary, though also an area not directly associated with religion). From the set of documents examined as illustrative evidence, a constant interaction between the polis and the sacred emerges, manifested in the civic management of the spaces of the deity.