Athena Itonia: Geography and Meaning of an Ancient Greek War Goddess (Religions in the Graeco-Roman World, 191)

Book info: Athena Itonia: Geography and Meaning of an Ancient Greek War Goddess (Religions in the Graeco-Roman World, 191) (Hardcover, 352 pages) – Brill, 2019. Language: English.

With Athena Itonia: Geography and Meaning of an Ancient Greek War Goddess Gerald V. Lalonde offers the first comprehensive history of the martial cult of Athena Itonia, from its origins in Greek prehistory to its demise in the Roman imperial age. The Itonian goddess appears first among the Thessalians and eventually as the patron deity of their famed cavalry. Archaic poets attest to "Athena, warrior goddess" and her festival games at the Itoneion near Boiotian Koroneia. The cult also came south to Athens, probably with the mounted Thessalian allies of Peisistratos. Hellenistic decrees from Amorgos tell of elaborate festival sacrifices to Athena Itonia, likely supplications for protection of the islanders and their maritime trade when piracy plagued the Cyclades after collapse of the Greek naval forces that policed the Aegean Sea. This will be an indispensable volume for all interested in the social, political, and military uses of ancient Greek religious cult and the geography, chronology, and circumstances of its propagation among Greek poleis and federations. Editorial Reviews Review "The study by Gerald Lalonde is the first monograph dedicated exclusively to this subject and will thus provide a reference book for any future work connected with this goddess (...) One of the merits of Lalonde's investigation is his ability to argue for his thesis with the full range of extant evidence, rather than relying on hypothetical and unattested connections."
- Salvatore Tufano, Sapienza Università di Roma, Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2020.06.06. About the Author Gerald V. Lalonde, Ph.D (1971), University of Washington, is Benedict Professor Emeritus of Classics at Grinnell College. His scholarship in Athenian epigraphy, topography, and religion includes The Athenian Agora XIX (1991) with M. K. Langdon and M. B. Walbank, and Horos Dios (Brill 2006).