Greek City-States and Gods

[docoflove1974]

For obvious reasons, Athens claims Athena as their 'patron goddess'...But I got to thinking...who would the other major city-states 'claim' as their own, or their favorite?

 

In thinking about Sparta, I guess the obvious choice is Ares...but he was often seen as impetuous, and a rebel...this would go against Spartan discipline. So would Athena again be the choice here, with her combination of tactical wisdom and battle-ready-ness? And with Haephestus being the armorer of choice?

 

What about Corinth? I don't know much about it, so I can't even begin to guess.

[Ursus]

Athene was the city protectress of many a polis, including Sparta. The Athenians were different only in the high degree to which they honored her. Hephaistos was also popular in Athens, and indeed had few cult followings elsewhere.

 

Corinth was home to a large temple to Aphrodite, which may have housed "sacred prostitutes" depending on the source. Aphrodite also had a cult center at Cyprus.

 

Zeus has an important cult center in Olympia (whence derives the Olympic games) and had an oracle at Dodona.

 

Hera was popular in Argos and Samos

 

Artemis had a massive temple in Ephesis.

 

Apollo had his cult at Delos and Delphi.

[The Augusta]

Ursus, do we know of any Greek state/polis that was predominantly for Poseidon? Given the thalassocracy (?sp) of the Greek states, common sense might make us wonder if the God of the Seas was in any way given higher status than sky or earth gods - especially in the earlier days. Although I know that Poseidon was god of earthquakes as well as the sea, do we know if his cult was given greater priority anywhere during Hellenist or pre-Hellenist culture?

[Ursus]

Poseidon had cult generally throughout Greece, but especiallyat Korinthos, where the Isthmian Games were celebrated in his honour every four years.

[docoflove1974]

Ah, of course...this is all making a bit more sense now. Olympus was an omission by me...I knew that they had their connection with Zeus. What about in Asia Minor, in Ionia and Thrace...was it more of Athena-worship, or did other gods win out over there?

 

I still find it interesting that a group of people (Greece, and in particular Athens) especially praise Athena for her mix of brains, brawn, and logic...yet a similar group (Rome) as far as I can tell didn't hold Minerva in the same high regard. She was important, but not nearly as much as others (Mars and Jupiter, I guess, are the strongest there).

Edited May 27, 2007 by docoflove1974

[Northern Neil]

I still find it interesting that a group of people (Greece, and in particular Athens) especially praise Athena for her mix of brains, brawn, and logic...yet a similar group (Rome) as far as I can tell didn't hold Minerva in the same high regard. She was important, but not nearly as much as others (Mars and Jupiter, I guess, are the strongest there).

Again, Paestum has a large temple to Demeter, but I am unaware of the Roman equivalent Ceres having any temples at all. Just as an aside, Where Athena/Minerva, Demeter/Ceres, Ares/Mars etc etc actually the same gods, or different ones with similar attributes?

Edited May 27, 2007 by Northern Neil

[docoflove1974]

Just as an aside, Where Athena/Minerva, Demeter/Ceres, Ares/Mars etc etc actually the same gods, or different ones with similar attributes?

 

I believe that I read in a couple of mythology books that Ares and Mars were essentially the same, as with Aphrodite/Venus, Zeus/Jupiter, Hera/Juno...but as I recall, whereas Athena was active in the battlefield (strategy and tactics, mostly), Minerva didn't really get all that involved, so to speak. But I could be wrong here.

[Ursus]

I still find it interesting that a group of people (Greece, and in particular Athens) especially praise Athena for her mix of brains, brawn, and logic...yet a similar group (Rome) as far as I can tell didn't hold Minerva in the same high regard. She was important, but not nearly as much as others (Mars and Jupiter, I guess, are the strongest there).

 

 

Well, technically speaking, Minerva formed along with Jupiter and Juno a sort of holy trinity in Rome. They were called the Capitoline Triad, and they were the official patrons of the Republic. Even after the Republic expired, they were still officially patrons of Rome, and every good sized city in the empire seems to have had a temple to the three.

 

Minerva was thus important. However, her martial aspects were deemphasized because, as you say, the Romans placed great importance on Mars the war god. Minerva was more the goddess of artisans and skilled labor in Rome.

[docoflove1974]

The Capolitine Triad...a precursor to the Holy Trinity...cute...

[Kosmo]

The Capolitine Triad...a precursor to the Holy Trinity...cute...

 

No... the Capitoline Triad makes sense

 

Poseidon was the second most important god of Athens. He lost the mythical competition but was still highly celebrated, strangely it was less important his connection with the the sea but that with the horses that mattered. That's why he was the favorite of the aristocracy (hippias - cavalrymen) Also the Eleusine mysteries that celebrated Demeter and Persephone were held in Athens hinterland.

I guess that all cities paid respects to all gods to various degrees. It was not wise to focus to much on a god and to ignore another one because it will became gelous and punish the city.

 

Dionysos was important and highly celebrated in the areas of Black Sea and Thrace. He was, obviously, the patron god of Dionysopolis.

Also there were several cities named Apollonia where Apollo was especially worshipped.

[Ursus]

The Capolitine Triad...a precursor to the Holy Trinity...cute...

 

 

This is getting off topic, but Holy Trinities, even if they were not called as such, were fairly common in pre-Christian religions.

[docoflove1974]

The Capolitine Triad...a precursor to the Holy Trinity...cute...

 

 

This is getting off topic, but Holy Trinities, even if they were not called as such, were fairly common in pre-Christian religions.

 

True, and didn't mean to get off-topic. The number three has been a magical number for many cultures, but that's for a different thread all-together.

[M. Porcius Cato]

One should also add the Mycenaean cities to those venerating the Greek gods. When Linear B was cracked, they found that Hera, Artemis and Hermes were worshipped in Pylos and that Zeus, Athene, and Poseidon were worshipped in Pylos and Knossos. Dionysus

[Julius Ratus]

IIRC, the primary diety in Sparta was Artemis.

[ASCLEPIADES]

Salve! According to Pausanias, ( book 3 chapter 17 section 2) the patron deity of Sparta was Athena Chalkioikos "of the Brazen House":

"[2] Here is built a sanctuary of Athena, who is called both City-protecting and Lady of the Bronze House. The building of the sanctuary was begun, they say, by Tyndareus. On his death his children were desirous of making a second attempt to complete the building, and the resources they intended to use were the spoils of Aphidna. They too left it unfinished, and it was many years afterwards that the Lacedaemonians made of bronze both the temple and the image of Athena. The builder was Gitiadas, a native of Sparta, who also composed Dorian lyrics, including a hymn to the goddess." (circa 500 BC).

Edited July 15, 2007 by ASCLEPIADES