The religious network of Atargatis-.pptx

Research on the religious network of the Goddess Atargatis from Syria to the south of Italy

1. The religious Network of Atargatis

2. The cult of Atargatis Religious sphere: Fertility, motherhood She was often depicted with her partner HADAD Main centre of her cult : Escalon Edessa, Hierapolis Often confused for her characteristics with different divinities Derceto Hera Aphrodite Cybele Rhea 2

3. Network : system composed of different parts connected that allow movement and communication of people, things and ideas. Three main factors that contributed to the diffusion of her cult : the trade of slaves from Greece to Rome the flows of soldiers who returned from wars with new wives and cults Strong economic and commercial flows 3

4. the war of Antiochus the Great  increase of slave trading in II B.C. through the trade routes (Delos) 134 B.C. Sicily: revolt of EUNO the majority of worshippers of the goddess belonged to low social class  itinerant initiates “Galli” (end of republic) During the empire  the Syriac merchants had started building commercial agencies for all the coasts of Mediterranean up to Spain This strong immigration continued also in the V century and was not even stopped by the barbarian invasions The diffusion of her cult  The goddess Syria began to be worshipped outside her homeland everywhere 4

5. Places of exchanges The spread of her cult was a facilitated by the catalyst function of: large cities and port cities ( Brindisi, Egnatia, Amiterno e Pozzuoli) in the hinterland the great roads networks communities along waterways and spas 5

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7. Bibliography Bilde P., Atargatis/ Dea Syria: Hellenization of her Cult in the Hellenistic-Roman Period?, in: Bilde et al. 1990, pp. 151-187. Cumont F., Le religioni orientali nel paganesimo romano , trad. it . di Luigi Salvatorelli, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1967 (1929), pp.91-113. Diodoro Siculo, La rivolta degli schiavi in Sicilia , a cura di L. Canfora, Sellerio editore, Palermo 2000 Luciano di Samosata, La dea Syria , a cura di Francesco Sorbello, Tempo Libro, Milano,2020 (2019). Morin P.J., The cult of dea Syria in the Greek world , [ phd dissertation], The Ohio State University, 1960. 6004116