Aphrodite’s rivals: devotion to local and other gods at Aphrodisias

Aphrodisias, renowned for its devotion to the goddess Aphrodite, harbors a lesser-known religious diversity. Analysis of private dedications reveals worship of local deities (Zeus Nineudios, Spaloxios, Plyaris, Plouton, Kore) and Hellenistic-era gods (Asklepios, Theos Hypsistos, Némésis), particularly from the 1st centuries BCE to CE, predating Aphrodite's sole patronage. These dedications, often made after personal divine encounters by lower-class devotees, challenge the city's uniform image as a center of Aphroditic devotion.

Chaniotis, A. (2010). Aphrodite’s rivals: devotion to local and other gods at Aphrodisias. Cahiers Du Centre Gustave Glotz, 21(1), 235–248. https://doi.org/10.3406/ccgg.2010.1727