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Document Details : Title: The Cult of Meter Theon in Classical and Hellenistic Athens between Ionian and Attic Identity Author(s): SORBELLO, Francesco Journal: Ancient Near Eastern Studies Volume: 61 Date: 2024 Pages: 583-602 DOI: 10.2143/ANES.61.0.3294047 Abstract : The Mother of the Gods, known as a foreign Goddess from Phrygia, was widely worshipped in Athens. As a late myth reports, her acceptance was not peaceful; it was preceded by the assassination of her priest (the Metragyrtes), by the wrath of the Goddess, and, finally, by the foundation of the sanctuary, the Metroon, in the Athenian Agora. Through Attica, a considerable group of monuments – sanctuaries, reliefs, inscriptions – shows a long practice and perfect integration, being progressively assimilated with other local divinities. The Goddess probably came to Athens from the Greek communities of Asia Minor, which earlier integrated their religion with local traditions. In this form, Meter Theon could have been perceived by the Athenians in an identitarian and political way: 'Goddess of all the Ionians' being, according to local myth, Attica itself, the origin place of the Ionians. This work aims to investigate the political functions of the cult by analysing the literary narratives connected to it and the topographical display of the cult, with a particular focus on the presence of Anatolian influences. |
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