“The Story of a New Name”: Cultic innovation in Greek cities of the Black Sea and the northern Aegean area
Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: Strong links between the cults of apoikiai and metropoleis, forging the Hellenic identity of the colonists, have long been recognised. It becomes increasingly clear that in addition, the mental world of the population of colonies was conditioned by an amalgamation of Greek and local identities. Many important cults of Greek cities in the northern Aegean and the Black Sea area, such as Abdera, Odessus, Olbia, Chersonesus, and the Cimmerian Bosporus, featured both Greek and indigenous elements, their scope and nature varying from place to place. Appropriation of local gods can also be viewed as part of appropriation of the local territory and its traditions. The adaptation of Hellenic gods to the new setting and worship of local gods started at an early stage and served as a powerful cognitive mechanism establishing safe ties to the environment, mediating between different ethnic groups, and shaping people’s self-image and communal identity. The innovations in cult were often expressed by changing names or epithets of deities, emphasizing the change in their nature and functions.
Source: Kernos
DOI: 10.4000/kernos.3875
Author: Yulia Ustinova
Institution: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Language: English
Topic: Classical Antiquity Studies
Subfield: Anthropology
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
Funder: Leuka
OpenAlex ID: W4210241473