Glossary

Aegina

a Greek island in the Saronic Gulf, located roughly 27km from Athens

Athenian

relating to the city of Athens or its inhabitants

Attica

the name given to the region which comprises Athens and its countryside

Aphaia

an ancient Greek goddess, associated with fertility, worshipped on the island of Aegina

cult

the worship of a specific figure through ritual and ceremony, often centred on a particular religious site, such as a temple or shrine

dedicant

a person who sets up a dedication

deity

(pl. deities) a divine being, such as a god, goddess or other figure, such as a hero, who is worshipped

Eleusinian Mysteries

a religious festival celebrated in the town of Eleusis in honour of Demeter and Persephone, goddesses of fertility

Eleusis

a town in Attica, roughly 13 miles or 20 km to the west of Athens

excavation

the act of excavating (or unearthing) something, in this context from an archaeological site

frieze

a continuous decorative band made up of rectangular panels visible from the outside of a temple

grammarian

a person who studies grammar

iconographical

pertaining to iconography: the representation of ideas through artistic forms (such as images, drawings or engravings)

incubation

in an ancient Greek context, the process by which people slept in a temple or sacred space to communicate with the divine for oracular or healing purposes

inscriptions

words that are carved or cut into a material such as stone, clay or metal, often for public display

Lebadeia

a city within the region of Boiotia

pious

the act of showing dedication or obedience to a god/religious order

relief

a type of artwork, such as a sculpture, in which moulded shapes and images jut out from a flat background

stele

(pl. stelai) An upright stone slab, often bearing an inscription and/or some form of decoration or artistic representation

Votive

an object placed or deposited in a religious setting for a religious purpose