Conclusion

The divine beings, practices, myths, and events discussed in this chapter demonstrate the integral place of religion in ancient Athens. From the earliest times, our sources express the Athenians’ distinctive relationship with the gods, notably their patron Athena, and reveal the various rites and festivals that enabled them to worship these beings. Although rooted in tradition, it was a system ever on the move. The gods, myths, and practices evolved as the city developed, with religion persistently interacting with the history of the city.

With this in mind, let us return to one of the questions posed earlier in this chapter, namely: were the Athenians more religious than other peoples, or did their religious system develop in response to the varied needs of a large polis? Of course the answer is ‘‘both:’’ the existence of a large population led to the development of a great number of cults and to large-scale communal events unique in polis religion. This provided a special intensity to the Athenians’ relationship with their gods, which in turn helps account for the particular communal displays we see, such as the great processions at the Panathenaea and the Dionysia. It also helps to explain why it was that the city reacted so strongly to the impieties of 415 BC. ‘‘Famous Athens, divine polis’’ is how Pindar described the city (fr. 76 Maehler). His words were probably composed in the second quarter of the fifth century, before many of the developments outlined in this chapter took place, but they sum up nicely how far Athens’ reputation was indistinguishable from its religious system.

GUIDE TO FURTHER READING

Two of the introductory guides to Greek religion, Bruit Zaidman and Schmitt Pantel 1992 and Mikalson 2004a, draw extensively upon Athenian evidence, while Price and Kearns 2004 includes numerous relevant entries. On the place of polis religion in the study of Greek religion more broadly, see Sourvinou-Inwood 1990.

Traditional cults, and above all, foreign imports, are the subject of Garland 1991. Specific categories of divine beings are examined in Kearns 1989 (heroines), Stafford 2000 (abstractions), and Larson 2001 (nymphs, a type of being not discussed in this chapter). Though outmoded in its interpretations, Herrington 1955 provides a discussion of the Athenian cult of Athena, while Deacy and Villing 2001 and Deacy (forthcoming) examine her worship throughout the Greek world. Studies of other gods include Rosenzweig 2004 (Aphrodite), Simms 1998 (Adonis), Nixon 1995 (Demeter), Aleshire 1991 (Asclepius), Sourvinou-Inwood 1988a (Brauronian Artemis), Versnel 1987 (Cronus), and Winkler and Zeitlin 1990 (Dionysus and the Dionysia). On the principal cult site, the Acropolis, see Hurwit 1999 and Hurwit 2004. Cults of the demes are considered in Mikalson 1977.

The classic study of Athenian festivals is Deubner 1932. Works in English are Mikalson 1975, Parke 1977, and Simon 1983. The Panathenaea has generated extensive discussion: see, e. g., Neils 1992 and 1996.

An excellent overview of Athenian myths is provided in Parker 1987a. A book-length introductory work is Tyrrell and Brown 1991. The autochthony myth is explored in Loraux 1993, whose title has been adapted for one of this chapter’s sub-sections.

The major works on the history of Athenian religion are Parker 1996, which covers the period ca. 750-ca. 250 BC, and Parker 2005. Mikalson 1998 deals with the hellenistic period. On Peisistratos’ journey, see Connor 2000 and Sinos 1998. On the scandals of 415 BC, see Furley 1996, Osborne 1985, and Murray 1990c.

The relationship between religion and tragedy is discussed in Sourvinou-Inwood 2003. Humphreys 2004 applies modern interpretative models to Athenian religion. Dillon 2001 explores women’s religion throughout Greece, notably in Athens.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank Daniel Ogden for inviting me to write this chapter, and for the suggestion that I adopt an ‘‘Athena-centric’’ approach. This chapter was completed during a lively teaching term at Roehampton University. I would like to make a special reference to my students, whose responses to aspects of Athenian myth and cult blurred the all too usual division between teaching and research. I am indebted to my husband for supporting me throughout the process of writing.