Early Greek and Homeric Conceptions of Domestic Space
This study explores the relationship between the use of domestic space in the material and literary evidence for early Greece, while at the same time providing a rich data set for the rigorous application of theoretical analysis. In the first half, I reject building typologies and instead subject the architectural remains of various structures from the tenth through seventh centuries B.C. to spatial analyses designed to articulate configurational patterns. The methodology is derived from architectural theorists interested in developing quantitative methods for assessing the way in which domestic space structures and influences social interaction. In the second half, I examine the use of Homeric domestic space and the symbolic associations of Homeric architectural features, which allows me to highlight the social role of Homeric domestic space in providing an appropriate setting for interaction between members of the household and visitors. In the Homeric analysis, the influence of hospitality in domestic space is explored within the framework of an architectural syntax, which is informed by the semiotic approach to architecture in that the symbolism of architecture can be read like a text. In the final analysis, I compare the results of both analyses within a framework that is derived from architectural theory, specifically from theorists interested in the role of action in influencing behavior. In maintaining a decisive separation of the architectural evidence in the archaeological record and in the epics, I am able to identify points of convergence and to explore their meaning in social and historical terms. My dissertation contributes to our understanding of the formation of Greek identity, and the way in which the literary and material cultures of early Greece can be “read” together.
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