The “Cupules” of the Herakleion of Thasos
In a well-known passage, Herodotus seems to ascribe the foundation of the sanctuary of Heracles in Thasos to Phoenician sailors who would have colonized the island before the Greeks came in. Consequently, there is a harsh controversy about the exact nature of Heracles in this city: was he purely Gre...
Zapisane w:
| Wydane w: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/kernos, |
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| 1. autor: | |
| Format: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Język: | Anglais |
| Wydane: |
Kernos
2021
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| Dostęp online: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Streszczenie: | In a well-known passage, Herodotus seems to ascribe the foundation of the sanctuary of Heracles in Thasos to Phoenician sailors who would have colonized the island before the Greeks came in. Consequently, there is a harsh controversy about the exact nature of Heracles in this city: was he purely Greek and heroic, as he ought to be, or, if one follows Herodotus, Phoenician and divine? Excavations carried out in 1932–34 by M. Launey have brought to light the remains of the sanctuary without really closing the debate. Recent studies uncovered a fragmentary piece of marble that escaped the first search, here interpreted as a piece of an aniconic standing stone matching another example found in Corinth. This discovery leads to a reconsideration of the “cupules” (sacrificial pits) discovered by Launey, connecting them with the general issue of the display of votive steles in Greek sanctuaries. |
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