189
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
E. Boutsikas et al. (eds.), Advancing Cultural Astronomy, Historical & Cultural
Astronomy, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64606-6_9
An Investigation of the Role
of Architectural Orders in Greek Temple
Orientation
Efrosyni Boutsikas
1 Introduction
The principles behind Greek temple orientations have troubled scholars for more
than a century, in relation to broader archaeoastronomical investigations on the
positioning of ancient religious sites across the globe. The idea behind such endeavours originates in the notion that astronomical knowledge and observations may
have played a role in, or even determined, the placement of religious structures.
Between 2002–2010, Clive Ruggles and I explored the idea that astronomical
principles governed the positioning of ancient Greek temples (e.g. Boutsikas, 2009;
Boutsikas & Ruggles, 2011). During this time, I was most privileged to receive the
supervision, training, support and unceasing enthusiasm for research of the person
whose prolific career and inspirational work has led to his recognition as a leading
authority in all things archaeoastronomical. Our endeavours resonated from the aim
to understand the function of temples in relation to astronomy and the environment
(land- and skyscape) within which they are situated. This research indicated that,
although certain general patterns may be present, it is not possible to establish one
general governing principle in relation to the rising and setting of the sun or the
moon that may have been responsible for determining temple orientations in ancient
Greece. The current paper revisits this question in order to account for one aspect
not previously investigated: whether a temple’s architectural order may have determined its orientation.
Orienting structures in relation to astronomical bodies and meteorological phenomena seems a familiar concept in ancient Greek thought. To our knowledge, these
concepts appear with Anaximander (sixth century BCE), who first introduces the
E. Boutsikas (*)
Departement of Classical and Archaeological Studies, Cornwallis NW, University of Kent,
Canterbury, UK
e-mail: e.boutsikas@kent.ac.uk
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
E. Boutsikas et al. (eds.), Advancing Cultural Astronomy, Historical & Cultural
Astronomy, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64606-6_9
An Investigation of the Role
of Architectural Orders in Greek Temple
Orientation
Efrosyni Boutsikas
1 Introduction
The principles behind Greek temple orientations have troubled scholars for more
than a century, in relation to broader archaeoastronomical investigations on the
positioning of ancient religious sites across the globe. The idea behind such endeavours originates in the notion that astronomical knowledge and observations may
have played a role in, or even determined, the placement of religious structures.
Between 2002–2010, Clive Ruggles and I explored the idea that astronomical
principles governed the positioning of ancient Greek temples (e.g. Boutsikas, 2009;
Boutsikas & Ruggles, 2011). During this time, I was most privileged to receive the
supervision, training, support and unceasing enthusiasm for research of the person
whose prolific career and inspirational work has led to his recognition as a leading
authority in all things archaeoastronomical. Our endeavours resonated from the aim
to understand the function of temples in relation to astronomy and the environment
(land- and skyscape) within which they are situated. This research indicated that,
although certain general patterns may be present, it is not possible to establish one
general governing principle in relation to the rising and setting of the sun or the
moon that may have been responsible for determining temple orientations in ancient
Greece. The current paper revisits this question in order to account for one aspect
not previously investigated: whether a temple’s architectural order may have determined its orientation.
Orienting structures in relation to astronomical bodies and meteorological phenomena seems a familiar concept in ancient Greek thought. To our knowledge, these
concepts appear with Anaximander (sixth century BCE), who first introduces the
E. Boutsikas (*)
Departement of Classical and Archaeological Studies, Cornwallis NW, University of Kent,
Canterbury, UK
e-mail: e.boutsikas@kent.ac.uk