LE CULTE DE LA DÉESSE ATHÉNA DANS LES COLONIES MILÉSIENNES DE LA PROPONTIDE ET DU PONT-EUXIN
THE CULT OF GODDES ATHENA IN THE MILESIAN COLONIES ON THE SHORE OF PROPONTIS AND PONTUS EUXINUS

Summary/Abstract: Our study aims to approach in the cult of goddess Athena in the colonies Miletus founded on the shores of the Propontis and Pontus Euxinus (the Black See). Athena is one of the oldest deities in the Milesian pantheon. The cult of Athena spread over the numerous colonies Miletus founded, from the Propontis to Pontus Euxinus, where sporadically both literary and epigraphically, and numismatic materials attested. The colonists from the seat of Miletus had set it in those colonies. Apollonius of Rhodes noted in his work, Argonautica, the sanctuary of Athena Ἰησονίη in Cyzicus. The privileged relation between goddess Athena Pallas and the city of Cyzicus is evocated into an epigram dating at the limit of the 3rd-2nd centuries BC. Athena was called on at Cyzicus, in the epiclesises Πολιάς and Σωτείρα. The epigraphic and numismatic materials offer some signs on Athena worshipping at Odessos, Tomis, Tyras, Istros, and Olbia. With the exception of Istros and Olbia where the cult of Athena is attested yet in the archaic era, for the other colonies of Miletus (Odessos, Tomis, and Tyraz) it penetrated trough the Milesian channel only during the Hellenistic times. We might suppose that Athena was worshipped in those colonies as a deity protecting the city, even if the two specific epiclesises Polias and Soteira were issued only at Cyzicus up to nowadays. Athena was worshipped at Istros as a patron and protector of crafts. The lack of concluding documents on the cult of Athena at Istros may be explained by the fact that the family of cult of the didymaic type – Apollo-Artemis-Zeus-Leto within which Athena is not included, has an important place in the Histrian pantheon. The specific group in the Milesian pantheon Apollo Delphinios-Artemis-Zeus-Athena prevails in the eastern sacred area of Olbia, but, in chance, Athena is better represented in private religious life at Istros.

• Details
• Contents