Inside Out

Religious spaces in Antiquity could be urban (located in a densely populated area), suburban (within a day's walk of the city), or even extra-urban (located far outside the city walls, and away from the hustle of densely populated areas). They also served very different purposes, with urban sanctuaries often serving local socio-political dynamics, while extra-urban spaces were often founded to allow meditation -- or for the exercise of political control over a particular territory. But while the importance of different religious spaces has long been known, up to now, very little attention has been paid to the activities of women and children within these religious spaces. This volume aims to investigate the role that these actors played in Antiquity, both in urban and non-urban sanctuaries and in funerary contexts, in order to see how they fitted into this sacral environment, and in turn, how such sanctuaries were shaped by their presence. Different chapters within the volume explore key questions such as: can religious experiences shape urban landscapes? can urban space influence religious experiences and activities? and what role did women and children play in shaping and linking religious activities and spaces? The result is a far-reaching volume that seeks to recognize the hitherto unrecognized role of women and children in shaping the social, economic, sacral, and even political landscapes of sacred spaces.