The Significance of Votive Offerings in Selected Hera Sanctuaries in the Peloponnese, Ionia and Western Greece (BAR International)

A visit to the Samian Heraion can be a disappointment as the remains of what was one of the most important sanctuaries in antiquity are scanty. The buildings have been plundered down to their foundations and, after excavation, a large part of the remainshad to be covered up again in order to protect them from being destroyed by vegetation. Thus, a lot is left to the visitors' imagination. Since the Heraion is rarely referred to in ancient texts, our knowledge of it almost exclusively derives from the analysis of archaeological evidence. On the basis of the study of its architecture, it is possible to visually reconstruct the sanctuary, but what about the reconstruction of its cult? The significance of votive offerings as a source that provides insight into cult characteristics has often been underestimated. In this study, significant votive finds from various periods from six Hera sanctuaries are examined to find out both their specific and shared cult aspects. In the Peloponnese, the Heraia at Perachora, Argos and Tiryns are explored, and the Samian Heraion provides an insight into Hera's cult in Ionia; the analysis of the Heraia at Poseidonia – Paestum affords a study of two Hera sanctuaries belonging to the same polis. To shed light on the nature of the cults, the Heraia are considered on the basis of five fundamental cult aspects - pregnancy, childbirth, and growing up; marriage; home and family; agriculture and vegetation; and military aspects. The final chapter compares the evidence to try and define the individual, polis, and pan-Hellenic characteristics of the six sanctuaries under consideration. The goddess Hera is associated with pregnancy, childbirth, marriage, the home and family, agriculture and vegetation, and military matters. A number of sanctuaries, heraia, were built to honour the goddess and to house the cult activities associated with her. This study looks at votive offerings from six heraia, at Perachora, Argos, Tiryns, two at Poseidonia-Paestum and the Samian heraion in Ionia, to determine the nature of these cult activities. Each sanctuary is examined individually and then the evidence is compared providing a discussion of Hera's cult on a `panhellenic, polis, and private level'. The study of votive offerings period-by-period also allows some speculation on the development of the cult through time. Front Cover Title Page Copyright Contents Abbreviations Preface I. Introduction II. Perachora III. Tiryns IV. The Argive Heraion V. Poseidonia - Paestum VI. The Samian Heraion VII. Conclusion List of illustrations Index of votive offerings Index of literary sources General Index Jens David Baumbach. Originally Presented As The Author's Thesis (ph.d.)-university Of Oxford, 2002. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Also Issued Online.