Religious Practice and the Delian Neighbourhoods: Some Case Studies

This article explores the relationship between neighbourhood and religious practice by examining three distinct areas on Hellenistic Delos. The focus is on the relationship between the creation of religious centres within neighbourhoods and individual choices made by the inhabitants of such neighbou...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Religion in the Roman empire
Main Author: Steinhauer, Julietta (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Mohr Siebeck [2020]
In: Religion in the Roman empire
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Delos / Residential area / Local gods / Popular piety / Religious practice / Pilgrimage / Cult / Center
RelBib Classification:AG Religious life; material religion
BE Greco-Roman religions
KBL Near East and North Africa
Further subjects:B Stertinius
B Delos
B household religion
B Syrian priests
B Skardhana quarter
B Sanctuary of the Syrian gods
B Serapeion
B Stadium quarter
Online Access: Presumably Free Access
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Summary:This article explores the relationship between neighbourhood and religious practice by examining three distinct areas on Hellenistic Delos. The focus is on the relationship between the creation of religious centres within neighbourhoods and individual choices made by the inhabitants of such neighbourhoods: did worshippers move to specific neighbourhoods to be near a shrine or did they create a shrine near their new home? How far would an individual go to worship a specific deity? My analysis shows that in order to sacrifice to a civic deity of choice, a worshipper was willing to travel far beyond her or his neighbourhood, while at the same time bestowing votives on deities of the neighbourhood and focusing on household religion. While occasionally a cultic centre attracted individuals to a specific neighbourhood, it was more common that worshippers created their own religious 'cityscapes' where they lived, including places of worship.
ISSN:2199-4471
Contains:Enthalten in: Religion in the Roman empire
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1628/rre-2020-0011