J.-M. Carbon and E. M. Harris Policing Sanctuaries
Edward Harris2025, The Logistics of Sanctuaries
https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004720909_005visibility
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Abstract
This file contains the proofs of the first section of an essay about “Policing Sanctuaries” to be published in J. Barringer, G. Ekroth, and D. Scahill (eds.), The Logistics of Sanctuaries (Brill 2025). Three main conclusions arise from the four principal parts of the essay. First, as in the rest of the polis, Greek sanctuaries empowered specific officials to enforce important regulations designed for logistical purposes: excluding banned individuals or groups, maintaining order (especially during festivals), and generally securing the good will of the gods. Second, logistical aspects, such as maintaining order in sanctuaries, were often in the hands of polis officials and institutions, just as they were in other parts of the polis. Third, the rule that all officials are accountable—a key tenet of the rule of law—extended to priests and other religious officials.
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