Kult – Politik – Ethnos

Overregional sanctuaries, particularly in ancient Greece, played a pivotal role in shaping political structures and identities beyond the local polis. This collection of essays from an international colloquium reveals that polytheistic religious systems influenced political organization at multiple levels, including amphiktyonies (federal states) and broader alliances. It also highlights how religious authority and cultic practices served as tools for political legitimization, with case studies ranging from the Heraion of Samos to the Poseidon sanctuaries on the Peloponnese. The analysis extends beyond Greece to examine similar dynamics in early Latium, offering a comparative perspective on the interplay between religion, politics, and ethnic identity in ancient societies.

Freitag, K., Funke, P., & Haake, M. (Eds.). (2020). Kult – Politik – Ethnos. https://doi.org/10.25162/9783515126052