Aelius Aristides' Conception of Sacred Space

Abstract: While Aelius Aristides maintained a close connection to the cult of Asclepius at Pergamum, he also expands the concept of sacred space beyond the bounds of the temenos , fashioning the interior of his own body as a conduit for divine intervention and situating this claim to a privileged relationship with the gods within a broader divine cosmology. Examining Aristides' conception of sacred space in its multiple dimensions provides insight into the relationship between public cult and individual religiosity in the imperial period.