Gods in Dodona

Introduction. The history of the Dodon Oracle has always attracted the attention of foreign researchers. It is reasoned with the inaccessibility of the sanctuary for pilgrims, its antiquity and mystery, as well as the bizarre landscape of the area attracted the attention of both ancient authors and modern researchers to it. The country of Epirus itself, where the sanctuary was located, was the most remote point where the Greek world came into contact with the world of barbarians.

Materials and Methods. The study is based both on narrative sources, which are presented by ancient authors, and on monuments of material culture, which are terracotta and votive tablets. Their comparison and comprehensive study allows us to reach the necessary conclusions.

Analysis. The main deity of the Dodona sanctuary, one of the oldest in Ancient Greece and the oracle that existed with it, was the supreme god of the Greeks Zeus, which is confirmed by various sources. However, already in the time of Homer, the goddess Dione became Zeus’s mate, who can be recognized as the second most important deity not only in Dodona, but also throughout Epirus. Evidence of this is the presence of a temple located on the sacred territory, as well as numerous votive tablets mentioning the name of the goddess. Confirming the presence of cults of other gods on the territory of Dodona is very problematic due to the extreme scarcity of sources. On the territory of the sacred territory, temenos, figurines and other images of Hercules, Aphrodite, Apollo and Themis were discovered. The most likely is the presence of the cult of Aphrodite, who, according to mythology, was not only the daughter of Dione, but also shared the same temple with her. The presence of the cult of Apollo could be explained by the connection of the deity with prophetic activity in general, and the appearance of the cult of Hercules in the sanctuary could be associated with the creation of the heroic genealogy of the Molossian ruling dynasty.

Results. The emergence of new cults in Dodona was associated with an increase in the authority of the sanctuary, which over time acquired first regional and then interregional significance. Another reason for the emergence of new cults in the sanctuary could be the increase in the number of pilgrims in this difficult-to-visit region.

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