Material mythologies : an examination of the relationship between Greek mythology, Identity and material culture in the Hellenistic period

Abstract

Several communities across the Hellenistic Period Mediterranean provide evidence of a fascinating interplay between identity, mythology and material culture. Despite an acknowledgment that identity continually develops, researchers fail to tackle how material culture contributes to this over time, and exactly how the relationship between myth, identity, and material culture functioned in practice. These questions are tackled in this thesis through employment of case studies across Arcadia, Crete, and the Levantine region. This thesis examines the sanctuary of Lykosoura and how it used its monumental material culture to develop associations between itself and wider Arcadian mythology in the memory of its visitors; the island of Crete, and how contextual issues on the island led to pastoral elements being attached to once ‘un-pastoral’ gods and goddesses – this was facilitated with material culture that grounded these variations within communities and, through physicality, offered authority to them; and the city of Tyre in Phoenicia, where material culture aided in the synoecism of Heracles-Melqart (and through them, intercultural contact) through allowing the material culture to be ‘read in two ways’. These case studies will be framed, interrogated, and unpacked through theory, specifically that of memory and space (alongside material theory). Through this, the case studies reveal how myth, identity, and material culture interconnect; mythology was fluid yet retained core concepts deeply embedded in community consciousness. Lykosoura and Crete adapted local myths to fit their landscapes, while Tyre found parallels between Heracles and Melqart to support synoecism. Within this, physical representations of myths transform abstract concepts into tangible realities, reinforcing new mythic variants and communal identities, whilst space and built environments anchor myths in specific locations, providing stability and authenticity. Overall, material culture serves as a conduit for mythological transformation, enabling interpretation and grounding narratives within communal consciousness, thus facilitating the evolution and adaptation of Greek belief systems.