Seite - 78 - in The Power of Urban Water - Studies in premodern urbanism

78 PhilippKobusch symbolic sprinklingwithwater (ritual ofperirrhansis), can thereforebe regardedasanexisten- tial prerequisite for the constitutionof sacred space. Wateralsoplayedadecisive role in the sacrificial ritual at thealtar: at thebeginningof the sacrifice, sacrificial servantsusuallywalkedaround thealtar carrying thekanounand the cher- nips, a vessel filledwithwater. This water was then used to sprinkle the victims and the cult participants. In addition, the priest or thehead of the sacrificewashedhis handswith it later. Thus, integrated into a complex lustral ritual,water playeda central role indefining the space of thesubsequentsacrificialprocess.Here,waterwasusedtodefinebothaphysicalandasocial spacebybringingtheparticipants togetherasagroup.50Butwateralsomarkedatemporal limit when itwas explicitly usedat the start andendpoint of the ritual. Thewritten traditionproves thatperirrhanteria, i.e. vessels that contained thewater for the perirrhansis, regularlysurroundedsanctuariesorwereplacedinacentralpositionat theentran- ces, thus limiting the sacred space. Εἴη δ’ ἂν ὁμὲν εἴσωτώνπεριρραντηρίων τόπος ἒνθεος, ἱερός καθιερωμένοςἀβέβηλος, ὁ δὲ ἔξωβέβηλος. But let the place within the perirrhanteria be holy, consecrated, filled with God, inviolable, outside generally enterable.51 καὶ τὸ μὲν πρόγραμμάφησι μὴπαριέναι εἰς τὸ εἴσωτῶνπεριρραντηρίων ὅστις μὴ καθαρός ἐστιν. τὰς χεῖρας: ὁ δὲ ἱερεὺςαὐτὸς ἕστηκενᾑμαγμένος. Andalthough the notice says that no one is to be allowedwithin the holy-water [within the perirrhanteria]who hasnot cleanhands, thepriest himself stands there all bloody […]52 Archaeologically, suchmovable objects are naturally difficult to detect. Nevertheless, there is some evidence for basins at the entrance to sanctuaries, which has already been collected in detail byvariousauthors.53Mostly theseareashlarbaseswitha roundcavity forabasin,which inmost caseswereplaced to the right of the entrance. This is the case, for example, in front of the entrance to the sanctuaryofPoseidononThasos54 (Fig.8) or in the sanctuaryofArtemis at Lousoi,55 where, in addition to thewell, such a basinwas set up on the right of the propylon (Fig. 7). Occasionally, correspondingbasins canalsobe found in theentranceareaof temples.Well documented examples are found in the pteron of the archaic temple of Poseidon at Isthmia,56 ontherightof theaccess rampsofbothtemplesofAsclepiusandArtemis (Fig.9) inEpidauros57 107–111; Pimpl 1997, 4–8. 49–65; ThesCRA 5 (2005) 165 s.v. Rituelle Reinigung (I. Krauskopf); ThesCRA 5 (2005) 179–181 s.v. Peirrhanterion/Louterion (I. Krauskopf). 50 E.g. Gebauer 2002, 213. 246–252; van Straten 1995, 31–49; Pimpl 1997, 63f.; van Straten 2005, 22 (see aswell Chiarenza, this volume). About the potential of lustral rituals in general to mark borders and divisions: Parker 1983, 18–24. 51 Poll. 1, 8. 52 Lucian. de sacr. 13 (translationbyHarmon 1960). 53 Kerschner1996,107–110;Pimpl1997,49–54;Seiffert2006,72–77.Thefollowingexamplescanpossiblybeadded: a) tripod base in front of the propylon in Klaros: Etienne –Varene 2004, fig. 14 a. 100; Ortaç 2001, 153; b) tripod basebehind thepropylon in thesanctuaryofAthena inPergamon:cf.below,n.72. In termsof typology,nodistinc- tion can be made between washing basins (louteria) and basins for perirrhansis (perirrhanteria, aporrhanteria, hagisteria): Kerschner 1996, 104f.; Pimpl 1997, 4–8; ThesCRA5 (2005) 178 s.v.Perirrhanterion/Louterion (I. Kraus- kopf). 54 Bon–Seyrig 1929, 322f. fig. 2 pl. 16. 20; Pimpl 1997, 51; Seiffert 2006, 76. 55 Reichel –Wilhelm1901, 18f. fig.6. 10; Pimpl 1997, 52. 56 Broneer 1971, 6. 12 pl. 7. 8 c; Gebhard–Hemans 1992, 33. 36f. figs. 8. 10; Kerschner 1996, 113; Pimpl 1997, 25; Seiffert 2006, 78f. 57 Kavvadias 1905, passim, especially 48–50 fig.4 pl. Β',1, e; Roux 1961, 216; Kerschner 1996, 111f.; Pimpl 1997, 59. 106–110. 113f.; Seiffert 2006, 77f.