Abstract
Was there such a thing as a Mediterranean identity in antiquity? And if so, how are we to define it? This article addresses these questions, focusing on maritime-based religious associations within Mediterranean societies and how these associations developed over time. Through an examination of the maritime, climatic, and geographical aspects of the human experience during the Hellenistic period, it is possible to evaluate the nature of Mediterranean deities and their common features across boundary lines of locality, nationality, ethnicity, and culture. The emerging picture suggests that the cross-cultural dimension of Mediterranean deities allows for the existence of a superordinate identity that may best be described as Mediterranean.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 89-119 |
| Number of pages | 31 |
| Journal | Mediterranean Studies |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Nov 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors thank the editor and anonymous reviewers whose comments and suggestions helped improve and clarify this publication. This research was conducted with the support of the Leverhulme Fund, UK, the Institute of Classical Studies at the University of London, the Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies at the University of Haifa, and the Haifa Center for Mediterranean History at the University of Haifa.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.
Keywords
- Epigraphy
- Hellenism
- Identity
- Maritime deities
- Maritime religions
- Mediterranean
- Syncretism
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cultural Studies
- Arts and Humanities (all)
- Sociology and Political Science