Létoon

The Létoon is the sanctuary of Léto in Lycie.

History

In the south-west of the Anatolia (today the Turkey) is the principal sanctuary of the Léto goddess. Létoon was not a city, but a sanctuary managed by the whole of the cities lycians within the framework of the confederation lycian. Lyciens, populates whose origin remains mysterious and the language mainly not deciphered, developed an original civilization until the conquest of Alexandre. Under the Persian domination, Lycie seems to have kept a certain autonomy, even if the dynastes were prone large King. The area fell in IVe century under domination carienne (Pixodaros, king of the Decay before Mausole, appears in several inscriptions of Létoon). After the death of Alexandre, Lycie during several decades is occupied by Ptolémées, sovereign Greek of Egypt, then by Rhodiens. Thanks to the protection of Rome, Lyciens recover their independence at the second century before J. - C., within the framework of the confederation renewed lycian. During the Roman Empire, Létoon receives the visit of Hadrian, for whom one rebuilds a room of imperial worship opposite the furnace bridge of Léto and the nymphs. After the prohibition of the pagan worship (edict of Théodose, 380), the temples are destroyed, but the manufacturers of a small church paléochrétienne, placed on the esplanade of the furnace bridges, use concealed it temple of Létô, probably to install a baptistry there. There are practically no traces of occupation of the site after VIIe century, time of the Arab incursions. During several centuries, this unhealthy area of Lycie remains unoccupied, if it is not by the nomads installed in the mountains (Yürük). The site is visited by the Austrian archeologist O. Benndorf in 1884, but only the theater and some walls are then visible. The systematic excavations start in 1962 with the French mission of Xanthos, then under the direction of Henri Metzger. Work continued at regular intervals since, under the successive directions of Christian Roy, Jacques of Courtils and Didier Laroche. The archaeological mission of Létoon, under the auspices of the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs, continues its work today, in particular to publish the results of the former excavations and to improve the presentation of the site.

Archaeological research: the sanctuary

Source: French archaeological mission of Létoon

Létoon is today with about fifteen kilometers of the sea, but this one moved away during the history, because of the alluvia carted by very close the Xanthe river. The excavations, obstructed by the presence of the Ground water, reached levels of occupation of VIIe century before Jesus-Christ, but it is probable that the occupation of the site is older. It is certain that the goddess venerated at that time was not Léto, but rather a local goddess-mother of Anatolian type. The name of Léto appears indeed only in IVe century before Jesus-Christ, time or Lycie is managed by the dynaste Arbinas, person in charge of the hellenisation of the Lycie (its tomb supposed, said " monument of Néréides" , was discovered in Xanthos but the major part is now in British Museum). Does an inscription found in Létoon teach us that after having consulted the oracle of Delphes, Arbinas founded the worship of Létô and (Re?)the temple built. The sanctuary is presented in the form of a rectangular surface closed at least on two sides by gantries, but a theater in North indicates the presence of other buildings in the vicinity. Two accesses for the moment were released: in the west, propylées marked the processional entry; to north, a postern was connected to the road carrying out towards Xanthos. In the center of this surface, the diggers found three temples of hellenistic time parallel and turned towards the south.

Restored sight of the three temples: Léto, Artémis and Apollon

Was the first in the West that of Léto and contains an older building (temple?), preserved like a relic. It is the same of the temple more in the East, devoted to Apollon, in concealed which one found the foundations of a temple out of very old wooden. The temple of the medium, smaller, was dedicated to Artémis, and also presents an original provision: concealed is occupied by a recut rock. Reasons as well of style and techniques invite to date these three temples from IIIe century before Jesus-Christ, time when Lycie was under the domination lagide (Greek kings of Egypt, successors of Alexandre). The temple of Létô, preserved better, is the best known one. It is about an ionic peripteral temple (6 X 11 columns), out of limestone monumental mason, of which concealed it was decorated with Corinthian columns committed in the walls. The temple of Apollo was of Doric order.

The room of the imperial worship

Source: French archaeological mission of Létoon

In the south-west of the sanctuary is an architectural whole of Roman epoch made up of a square room opening on a semicircular gantry, placed in the axis of the sanctuary of the nymphs. The nymphs were honoured as well as Léto in this sanctuary, in particular close to an arched niche where one found many votive statuettes. The large gantry bordered a basin and pointed out certain provisions similar of the villa Hadriana to Tivoli. In the square room always an inscription in the honor of Hadrian is, who was surmounted by a statue of the emperor, the whole in a decoration applied whose restitution is under study.

The theater

Frontal sight of the theater

When Lyciens found at the second century before Jesus-Christ their independence thanks to the Romans, a festival (" Romaia") was founded in thanks. One generally dates the theater, preserved well, of this time. Its form, in exceeded half-circle, is typical theaters hellenistic. The central part is cut in the rock. Only the wings were built. Two arched accesses, provided with beautiful doors, correspond in the passing of the road which, curiously, crossed the theater. The Northern door is decorated with masks. The capacity of the theater can be estimated at 5.000 places.

One did not find the stage mentioned in the inscriptions.

Epigraphy

The discovery, in 1973, of a trilingual stele (texts written in Greek, Lycien and Araméen) made make progress with the knowledge of the language lycian, but the latter remains partly undeciphered. The stele refers to the worships of " Basileus Kaunos" and Arggazuma (Arkesimas), and dates from the time of the domination carienne on Lycie (Satrap Pixodaros, 4th front S. JC). Since its first publication, the stele was the subject of many articles, trying to specify the direction of the text lycian. See lastly Graig Melchert:

The alphabet lycian is close to the ancient Greek alphabet but comprises specific signs. Other inscriptions in language lycian were found in Létoon, including two bases carrying of the inscriptions of the dynaste Arbinas. One of them tells the important facts and gestures of the king (" he massacred many people " !), its consultation of the oracle of Delphes, and its foundation of a worship with Létô.

Current projects

The site of Létoon was registered, with its neighbor Xanthos, on the list of the World heritage of UNESCO in 1988.

On the initiative of the French ministry of the foreign affairs], a program of restoration (J. - france Bernard and D. Laroche, architects) was launched in 2000; in 2005, part of the temple of Létô is already rebuilt with the active participation of the stone masons of the Foundation of Notre-Dame Work, with [[Strasbourg]]. Work of restoration also relates to the theater and the room of imperial worship. The next awaited publications concern: The ceramics found at the time of the excavations of [[the Gantry (architecture)|gantries]], the architecture of the temples and the Roman monumental complex related to the imperial worship. The excavations profit from the support of association AXEL. == Accès == The site (which depends on the commune of Kumluova) is easily accessible since the ports from Fethiye to north (1 hour of car) or from Kalkan to south-east (45 minutes). On the spot a pension is. The closest hotels are located at Patara, on the Gulf. == external Liens == * [http://www.hst.ulaval.ca/xanthos/ the Canadian epigraphic Mission of Xanthos-Létôon] * [http://whc.unesco.org/fr/list/484 UNESCO: Xanthos-Letoon] * [http://www.lycianturkey.com/lycian_sites/letoon.htm lycianturkey] == Bibliographie == - " Guide of Xanthos and Létôon" , Jacques of Courtils, Ege yayinlari, Istanbul 2003. In the series of the '' Fouilles of Xanthos '', Paris, Klincksieck ED. : Volume VI. H.Metzger, E.Laroche, A.Dupont-To summon, M.Mayrhoffer, the trilingual stele of Létoon (1979). Volume VII A.Balland, Inscriptions of imperial time of Létoon (1981). Volume IX H.Metzger, J.Marcadé, G.Siebert, J.Bousquet, A.Davesne, the Northern area of the sanctuary and the inscriptions greco-lycians (1992). - Archéologia, n°385, January 2002. - Account-returned annual in '' Anatolia Antiqua '', re-examined French Institute of Anatolian Studies, Istanbul. - E. Hansen, the temple of Léto to Léton de Xanthos, '' archaeological Revue '' 1991, p.323-340. - Chr. Roy, the monumental development of Létoon de Xanthos, '' archaeological Revue '' 1991, p.341-351. - Didier Laroche and Jean-François Bernard, a project of development of the sites of Xanthos and Létoon, '' Anatolia Antiqua '', VI (1998), p.479-490. - " The theater of Létoon de Xanthos. State of the recherches" , A. Badie, S. Lemaître, J. - C. Moretti, '' Anatolia Antiqua '' XII (2004), p. 145-186. [[Category: Turkish monument]] [[Category: Religious building of ancient Greece]] [[of: Letoon]] [[in: Letoon]] [[He: לטואון]] [[it: Letoon]] [[pl: Letoon]] [[tr: Letoon

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