Abstract

This paper contends that there was a distinct branch of Greek local historiography that focused on the past viewed through regional cult: sacred history. After an introductory look at Atthidography, a number of cases of local cult history referred to in inscriptions from the Hellenistic period are examined; additionally, an instance where historia sacra is itself preserved on an inscription is also discussed, namely, the Chronicle of the temple of Athena at Lindos. The paper analyzes this type of historical writing from the perspective of "intentional history," historiography written both to articulate the identity of a given region of the Greek world and to proclaim the region's importance in a larger, changing world.