부산대학교 도서관

Term derived from the Latin sanctuarium (holy place); it is used in Classical contexts to denote a sacred precinct (anc. Gr. temenos) and the buildings belonging to it, and in Christian church architecture it describes the area within the presbytery and immediately surrounding the high altar. R. A. Tomlinson Greek and Roman sanctuaries were areas where worshippers performed religious rituals, particularly offerings of animals or other food. This generally required an altar on which the parts offered to the god were burnt or, in the case of certain chthonic deities, a pit. The sanctuary needed sufficient space for worshippers to watch the ritual, and the whole area had to be clearly demarcated, though not necessarily walled or fenced. Within this area special religious laws and taboos prevailed: human death, whether violent or natural, was sacrilege and the terminally ill might be removed; but fugitives could seek asylum there, notably at the altar (a custom that later prevailed in Christian churches). The deity was usually represented by an image, generally a ...