Abstract
Many Classical Greek cities had civic cults; those of Athens are the best known to us. This chapter discusses how, in Athens, the city was itself the object of religious practice and that urban religion here was a marker of civic identity that enshrined the city's well-being, its protection from calamities, and its victory in armed conflict. To this end, the cult recipients (gods and heroes), locations, and traditions are discussed and placed in the urban landscape. Particular attention is paid to the Acropolis, which, unlike the main sanctuaries of some other Greek cities, was situated in Athens’ urban heart and was the destination of the procession of the Panathenaia festival in honor of Athena, the great city protectress.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | A Companion to Cities in the Greco-Roman World |
Publisher | Wiley-Blackwell |
Chapter | 22 |
Pages | 377-394 |
Number of pages | 18 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781119399940 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781119399834 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 20 Aug 2024 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
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Keywords
- Acropolis
- Ancient Greek religion
- Athena
- Athens
- Civic cults
- Hero worship
- Mythology
- Panathenaia
- Sanctuaries