This book examines the hero-cults of Sparta on the basis of the archaeological and literary sources. Nicolette Pavlides explores the local idiosyncrasies of a pan-Hellenic phenomenon, which itself can help us understand the place and function of heroes in Greek religion. Although it has long been noted that hero-cult was especially popular in Sparta, there is little known about the cults, both in terms of material evidence and the historical context for their popularity. The evidence from the cult of Helen and Menelaos at the Menelaion, the worship of Agamemnon and Alexandra/Kassandra, the Dioskouroi, and others who remain anonymous to us, is viewed as a local phenomenon reflective of the developing communal and social consciousness of the polis.
What is more, through an analysis of the typology of cults, it is concluded that in Sparta, the boundaries of the divine/heroic/mortal were fluid, which allowed a great variation in the expression of cults. The votive patterns, topography, and architectural evidence permit an analysis of the kinds of offerings to hero-cults and an evaluation of the architecture that housed such cults. Due to the material and spatial distribution of the votive deposits, it is argued that Sparta had a large number of hero shrines scattered throughout the polis, which attests to an enthusiastic and long-lasting local votive practice at a popular level.
- 304 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
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Table of contents
- Cover
- Half-Title Page
- Dedication
- Series Page
- Title Page
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 Early Heroes and Hero Cult
- 2 Heroic Sites in Sparta: The Archaeological Evidence
- 3 The Hero Shrines: Votives, Architectural Evidence, Topography
- 4 Heroes and Immortality
- 5 Honouring the Dead
- 6 Burials and Hero Cult: Three Case Studies
- Conclusion
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
- Copyright
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Yes, you can access The Hero Cults of Sparta by Nicolette A. Pavlides in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Greek Ancient History. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.