Expert: Maria - 9/27/2010

Question
Dear Maria,

Can a "sanctuary" refer to the entire grounds on which a temple is built?  In other words, can the word "sanctuary" refer to more that just the "temple"?  Can "sanctuary" be used to mean the entire area in which the temple is built?  

For example, can the "Acropolis" in Athens be called a "sanctuary"?  This "sanctuary" would then contain several temples and buildings.  

I keep getting this sense of "sanctuary" in the material I am reading about Pompeii.  The author really seems to imply that a sanctuary is something more than only the temple.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Rich

Answer
Dear Rich,

actually  the term "sanctuary" should not be used to refer to the entire grounds on which a temple is built as the word "sanctuary" in its strict sense cannot refer to more that just the "temple" nor  means the entire area in which the temple is built.

Therefore, although it can happen that  the term “sanctuary” - meaning properly  a  place for keeping sacred things, a shrine, the inner sanctum of the temple, i.e. the holiest part of the sacred precinct of a temple -  is used inappropriately to say  “temple”, as I  have said in my previous answer, it cannot be used  correctly to indicate the entire grounds on which a temple  or many temples are built.


So, it’s obvious that the Athenian Acropolis  which  contains several temples and buildings cannot be called  correctly a "sanctuary", but we must say that on the Acropolis there are the Parthenon, i.e. the temple of Athena Parthenos (Virgin Athena), the Erechtheum, i.e. the temple of the legendary early ruler of ancient Athens Erichthonius, the temple of Athena Nike, i.e. the temple of  victorious Athena, etc.


In short, I really do not agree with the author of the material you are   reading about Pompeii, if he  really wants to mean  that a sanctuary is something more than only the temple.

All the best,
Maria