On this episode of the Peopling the Past Podcast, we are joined by Dr. Laura Gawlinski, Associate Professor in the Department of Classical Studies at Loyola University Chicago and a long-time supervisor of the excavations in the Athenian Agora.
Follow along as she discusses the role of processions and festivals in the ancient Greek world, highlighting her own research on the so-called mysteries of Andania, a little-known festival in Messenia, southern Greece.
Want to learn more? Check out these related books and articles by Dr. Gawlinski.
Laura Gawlinski and Megan Cifarelli. What Shall I Say of Clothes? Theoretical and Methodological Approaches to the Study of Dress in Antiquity. BostonVol. 3 (2017)
The Sacred Law of Andania: A New Text with Commentary. Berlin (2012)
“The Athenian Calendar of Sacrifices: A New Fragment from the Athenian Agora.” Hesperia 76, 2012.
The procession began from the city of Messene on the other side of Mt. Ithome (looming in the background) and ended at the Karneiasion Grove (now the Divari spring, arrow) in the upper Messenian plain 
Map showing the beginning and end of the procession 
Map showing the beginning and end of the procession 
The Arkadian Gate at Messene 
Mavrozoumos bridge
Path through the plain, looking back to Mt. Ithome in the distance (Messene on the other side) 
Divari spring, the location of the ancient sanctuary (the Karneiasion Grove) 
Divari spring with Ag. Taxiarchios hill behind (this hill is almost certainly to be associated with the city of Andania) 
Ancient blocks at the Divari spring 
Inscription built into the Ag. Konstantini church (cut in half, set sideways on either side of the door) 
Dr. Gawlinski reading the inscription
[photo by Matt Baumann]
Text of the Inscription
Looking for a transcript of this episode? Click here.
Additional Resources Related to this Episode
The Corpus of Greek Ritual Norms has the inscription with text, translations (English and French) and commentary.
Links to Pleiades for the locations:
Andania: https://pleiades.stoa.org/places/570079/
Karneiasion: https://pleiades.stoa.org/places/570331
