Το ιερό του Ερμή και της Αφροδίτης στη Σύμη Βιάννου VI. Τα πήλινα ανθρωπόμορφα αναθήματα

Angeliki Lebessi

Athens 2021

The volume was published on behalf of the Archaeological Society at Athens. The Archaeologist's House undertook the artistic curation, design and printing.

Abstract

Volume VI in the series of publications of finds from the sanctuary of Syme Viannou presents the clay anthropomorphic votives of the 2nd and 1st millennium down to the 4th century B.C. The votives are divided into three categories (Ch. II-IV) and are dated on stylistic grounds of each given period. In Chapters V-VIII the finds are discussed as an entity. On the basis of the analytical study the following conclusions are drawn (Ch. IX).

A cultural change takes place in the 10th century B.C. The divine recipient that was iconographically absent during the 2nd millennium is now individualized in a heterosexual pair that exhibits different properties. Its identification with Hermes and Aphrodite of Olympus is substantiated from 700 B.C. by their Homeric symbols. The individualization of the mortal dedicants is downgraded since there prevail collective rituals that indicate festive maturation ceremonies.

The geophysical environment of the sanctuary with its abundant spring water and its favorable location on the crossroads of communication between central and eastern Crete contributed to its use from the Old Palace period down to Early Christian times.