Wells and cisterns in Greek literature

This chapter explores the literary evidence for wells and cisterns through a close reading of passages where five terms (φρέαρ, λάκκος, δεξαμενή, ὑποδοχή and ἀγγεῖον) occur. The aim is to elucidate what the literary sources reveal about the function of wells and cisterns, how they were used in the literature, as well as how the complex terminology for these installations can be understood. Following a discussion of the material it is suggested that the terminology for wells and cisterns differed because of the diverging development of these types of installations. It is also suggested that the available literary material is not representative of how wells and cisterns functioned and were used at most Greek sites, as these mundane installations rarely interested male elite authors. Instead, the evidence reflects how wells and cisterns were perceived to function in faraway and exotic places, where they could be used to contrast the Greek world to that beyond it.