1 See, for example, Angelos Chaniotis, “Religion und Mythos”, in Gregor Weber (ed.), Kulturgeschichte des Hellenismus, Stuttgart, Klett-Cotta, 2007, p. 139-157; on the language of votive inscriptions Maria Letizia Lazzarini, “Iscrizioni votive greche”, Scienze dell’Antichità 3-4, Roma, 1989-1990, p. 845-859, part. p. 858-859.
2 Votive-Relief dedicated by Aristarche (IG II24618) to Zeus Meilichios, from Piraeus, mid-IVth century B.C.: Athens, National Mus. 1431; Eugenia Vikela, Die Weihreliefs aus dem Athener Pankrates-Heiligtum am Ilissos, Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts Athen, Beiheft 16, Berlin, Mann, 1994, p. 73 n. 128 pl. 35, 1; Nikolaos Kaltsas, Sculpture in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Athens, Kapon, 2002, p. 213 n° 435.
3 Votive-relief for Meter Tolypiané, from Doğruca (near Bandırma), Ist century B. C.: Istanbul, Archaeological Mus. 676; Johannes H. Mordtmann, “Zur Epigraphik von Kyzikos”, Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts Athen 10, Athen, 1885, p. 200-211, part. p. 203-204 n° 29 (IMT Kyzikene Lacus Dascylitis n° 2019); Friederike Naumann, Die Ikonographie der Kybele in der phrygischen und in der griechischen Kunst, Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts Istanbul, Beiheft 28, Tübingen, Wasmuth, 1983, p. 254. 363 n° 581 pl. 44, 1; Folkert T. van Straten, “Images of Gods and Men in a Changing Society. Self-Identity in Hellenistic Religion”, in Anthony W. Bulloch et al. (ed.) Images and Ideologies. Self-Definition in the Hellenistic World Berkeley-Los Angeles-London, University of California Press 1993, p. 248-264, part. p. 255 fig. 16.
4 Athens, National Mus. 1377: N. Kaltsas, op. cit., p. 215 n° 442; Iphigeneia Leventi, Hygieia in Classical Greek Art, Archaiognosia Suppl. 2, Athens, Kardamitsas, 2003, p. 143 R 37 pl. 27.
5 Whether this arrangement reflects a real topographical situation within the Athenian sanctuary is a matter of debate, see for example Gerhard Neumann, Probleme des griechischen Weihreliefs, Tübinger Studien zur Archäologie und Kunstgeschichte 3, Tübingen, Wasmuth, 1979, p. 51 pl. 29; Sara B. Aleshire, The Athenian Asklepieion. The People, their Dedications, and the Inventories, Amsterdam, Gieben, 1989, p. 25-26.
6 The former opinion for example in Joseph William Hewitt, “The Major Restrictions of Access to Greek Temples”, Transactions of the American Philological Association, 40, Lancaster, 1909, p. 83-92; Martin Nilsson, Griechische Religion I3, München, Beck, 1967, p. 75-76; contested, for example, by Peter E. Corbett, “Greek temples and Greek worshippers. The literary and archaeological evidence”, Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies, 17, London, 1970, p. 149-158; Stephanos Paliompeis, Studien zur Innenausstattung griechischer Tempel. Skulptur und Malerei, PhD Mainz 1996, p. 443-447; Joannis Mylonopoulos, “Divine images behind bars. The semantics of barriers in Greek Temples”, in Matthew Haysom, Jenny Wallensten (ed.), Current Approaches to Religion in Ancient Greece. Papers presented at a Symposium at the Swedish Institute at Athens, 17-19 April 2008, Acta Instituti Atheniensis Regni Sueciae 8°, 21, Stockholm, Svenska Institutet i Athen, 2011, p. 269-291, part. p. 270. 287-288. I am grateful to Joannis Mylonopoulos for sending me an offprint of his recently published article.
7 Torsten Mattern, “Griechische Kultbildschranken”, Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Abteilung Athen, 122, Berlin, 2007, p. 139-159; J. Mylonopoulos, loc. cit.
8 Hans-Peter Laubscher, Hellenistische Tempelkultbilder, PhD Heidelberg 1960, part. p. 149; Dimitris Damaskos, Untersuchungen zu hellenistischen Kultbildern, Stuttgart, Steiner, 1999, part. p. 202.
9 Berlin, Staatliche Mus. Sk 1927: H.-P. Laubscher, op. cit., p. 6-9; D. Damaskos, op. cit., p. 179-185.
10 Strabo VIII 3, 30 (p. 354 C).
11 Hans-Ulrich Cain, “Hellenistische Kultbilder. Religiöse Präsenz und museale Repräsentation der Götter im Heiligtum und beim Fest”, in Michael Wörrle, Paul Zanker (ed.), Stadtbild und Bürgerbild im Hellenismus, Kolloquium München, 24. bis 26. Juni 1993, Vestigia 47, München, Beck, 1995, p. 115-130, part. p. 123-125; D. Damaskos, op. cit., p. 208-213; Cain’s concept of “museum-like presentation” has been questioned e. g. by T. Mattern, loc. cit., p. 156-157.
12 Vassilios Leonardos, “Ἀνασκαφαὶ τοῦ ἐν Λυκοσούρα Ἱεροῦ Δεσποίνης”, in Πρακτικὰτῆς ἐν Ἀθη̃ναις ἈρχαιολογικὴἙταιρείας, Ἀθη̃ναι, 1896 [1897], p. 95-121, part. p. 108-109. 111; T. Mattern, loc. cit., p. 148-149, Marie-Françoise Billot, “Le temple de Despoina”, Ktema 33, Strasbourg, 2008, p. 135-180, part. p. 145-146; J. Mylonopoulos, loc. cit., p. 278. A similar arrangement, with a double barrier (door and grid or railings) between pronaos and cella is attested for the IInd century B.C.-temple on the theater’s terrace at Pergamon, see Richard Bohn, Die Theater-Terrasse, Altertümer von Pergamon IV, 1, Berlin, Spemann, 1896, p. 46-47; IV, 2, pl. 36.
13 Pausanias, II, 10, 4: τοῖς δὲ ἄλλοις κατὰ ταὐτὰ καὶ ὁρᾶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐσόδου τὴν θεὸν καὶ αὐτόθεν προσεύχεσθαι (English translation: W.H.S. Jones, D. Litt, H.A. Ormerod, Cambridge/Mass., Loeb, 1918).
14 Aristeides, Hieros logos 1 (=XLVII), 11 (… εἴσοδόν τέτινα λείπεσθαι καὶ τὰἔνδον ὁρᾶσθαι. προσῆλθόν τε δὴταῖς θύραις καὶ ὁρῶ ἄγαλμα…).
15 Sara B. Aleshire, Asklepios at Athens. Epigraphic and Prosopographic Essays on the Athenian Healing Cults, Amsterdam, Gieben, 1991, p. 46.
16 Ibid., 42.
17 S. B. Aleshire, The Athenian Asklepieion …, op. cit., p. 177 n° IV = IG II2 1534 A.
18 On the character of the inventory see S. B. Aleshire, The Athenian Asklepieion…, op. cit., p. 217-218. 220-223.
19 For this and the following aspects S. B. Aleshire, Asklepios at Athens…, op. cit., p. 43-45.
20 IG II2 1534 A. e. g. l. 77: δεξιᾶς εἰσιόντι.
21 Ibid. l. 133 (the same location is to be supplemented filled in the lacuna between ll. 32 and 53); cf. Eric Lucien Brulotte, The Placement of Votive Offerings and Dedications in the Peloponnesian Sanctuaries of Artemis, Ann Arbor, UMI Dissertation Services, 1994, vol. II, p. 263.
22 IG II2 1534 A. l. 145.
23 Cf. S. B. Aleshire, The Athenian Asklepieion …, op. cit., p. 224-225; E. L. Brulotte, op. cit., p. 283-284.
24 Felix Dürrbach, Pierre Roussel, Inscriptions de Délos. Actes des fonctionnaires athéniens préposés à l’administration des sanctuaires (nos. 1400-1479). Fragments d’actes divers (nos 1480-1496), Paris, Champion, 1935, n° 1417 B II l. 56-57; n° 1443 C II 1, l. 9-11 (inventories of the Artemision ἐν νήσωι); n° 1416 A I, l. 9; n° 1417 B I, l. 4; n° 1452 A, l. 9-10 (inventories of the Iseion).
25 See, for example, Dion Chrysostomos, Or. 12 (Olympian), 60: “on account of our belief in the divine all men have a strong yearning to honour and worship the deity from close at hand, approaching and laying hold of him with persuasion by offering sacrifice and crowning him with garlands” (English translation: J. W. Cohoon, Cambridge/Mass., Loeb 1939); cf. Hendrik S. Versnel, “Religious Mentality in Ancient Prayer”, in Hendrik. S. Versnel (ed.), Faith, Hope and Worship. Aspects of Religious Mentality in the Ancient World, Leiden, Brill, 1981, p. 1-64, part. p. 32-34; Michael Blech, Studien zum Kranz bei den Griechen, Religionsgeschichtliche Versuche und Vorarbeiten 38, Berlin-New York, De Gruyter, 1982, p. 270-271; Burkhard Gladigow, “Zur Ikonographie und Pragmatik römischer Kultbilder”, in Hagen Keller, Nikolaus Staubach (ed.), Iconologia sacra. Mythos, Bildkunst und Dichtung in der Religions-und Sozialgeschichte Alteuropas. Festschrift für Karl Hauck, Berlin-New York, De Gruyter, 1994, p. 9-24, part. p. 17-18; S. Paliompeis, op. cit., p. 444 n. 1878; Tanja Scheer, Die Gottheit und ihr Bild. Untersuchungen zur Funktion griechischer Kultbilder in Religion und Politik, Zetemata 105, München, Beck, 2000, p. 73.
26 Cf., among others, T. Scheer, op. cit., p. 55-57; Jennifer Neils, “Textile Dedications to Female Deities: The Case of the Peplos”, in Clarisse Prêtre (ed.), Le donateur, l’offrande et la déesse. Systèmes votifs dans les sanctuaires de déesses du monde grec. Actes du 31e colloque international organisé par l’UMR Halma-Ipel, Lille 2007, Kernos Suppl. 23, Liège, Centre international d’étude de la religion grecque antique, 2009, p. 135-147.
27 Ilias 6, 301-311.
28 F. Dürrbach, P. Roussel, op. cit., n° 1417 A II, ll. 1-3.
29 Rome, Mus. Capitolini (Centrale Montemartini) II 66, 2779-2782, from temple B of the Area Sacra di Largo di Torre Argentina: Hanz-Günther Martin, Römische Tempelkultbilder. Eine archäologische Untersuchung zur späten Republik, Roma, “L’Erma” di Bretschneider, 1987, p. 213-215 pl. 13-14. – Mavromati, Archaeological Mus., from Oikos K of the Asklepieion at Messene: Petros G. Themelis, “Artemis Ortheia at Messene. The Epigraphical and Archaeological Evidence”, in Ancient Greek Cult Practice from the Epigraphical Evidence. Proceedings of the Second International Seminar on Ancient Greek Cult organized by the Swedish Institute at Athens, 22-24 november 1991, Acta Instituti Atheniensis Regni Sueciae 8°, 13 (ed. Robin Hägg), Stockholm, Åströms, 1994, p. 101-122, part. p. 111 fig. 13, 14 a.
30 F. Dürrbach, P. Roussel, op. cit., n° 1423 Ba II l. 18-19. Cf. Philippe Bruneau, Recherches sur les cultes de Délos à l’époque hellénistique et à l’époque impériale, Bibliothèque des Ecoles Françaises d’Athènes et de Rome 217, Paris, De Boccard, 1970, p. 336; Cécile Durvye, “Évolution fonctionnelle d’une divinité à l’échelle locale: les offrandes à l’Aphrodite de Stèsileôs à Délos”, in Le donateur, l’offrande et la déesse, op. cit., p. 149-167, part. p. 155. 161. 163-164.
31 Cf. e. g. Friedemann Quass, Die Honoratiorenschicht in den Städten des griechischen Ostens. Untersuchungen zur politischen und sozialen Entwicklung in hellenistischer und römischer Zeit, Stuttgart, Steiner, 1993, p. 294-295 with n. 1243.
32 Albert Rehm, Didyma, 2. Die Inschriften, Berlin, Gebr. Mann, 1958, n° 432 ll. 17-19.
33 [Pseudo-] Plutarchos, Moralia. p. 843 E-F (vitae X oratorum); cf. S. Paliompeis, op. cit., p. 203-205, 342-245. 490-492 Kat. Athen X. 5-7; Christoph Löhr, Griechische Familienweihungen, Untersuchungen zu einer Repräsentationsform von ihren Anfängen bis zum Ende des 4. Jhs. v. Chr., Rahden/Westf., Leidorf, 2000, p. 147 n° 167, p. 160, 198; Ralf von den Hoff, “Image and Prestige of Cult Personnel in Athens between the Sixth and First Centuries B.C.” in Beate Dignas, Kai Trampedach (ed.), Practitioners of the Divine. Greek Priests and Religious Officials from Homer to Heliodorus, Hellenic Studies Series 30, Cambrige/Mass., Center of Hellenic Studies, 2008, p. 107-151, part. p. 125.
34 Athens, National Mus. 232: N. Kaltsas, op. cit., p. 274 n° 54; see also Alexandros G. Mantis, Προβλήματα της εικονογραφίας των ιερειών καί των ιερέων στην αρχαία ελληνική τέχνη, Δημοσιεύματα του Αρχαιολογικού Δελτίου 42, Aθήνα, Τ.Α.Π.Α, 1990, part. p. 104-105, 109-110 pl. 46 β. 47 β; Uta Kron, “Priesthoods, Dedications and Euergetism. What Part Did Religion Play in the Political and Social Status of Greek Women?”, in Pontus Hellström, Brita Alroth (ed.), Religion and Power in the Ancient Greek World. Proceedings of the Uppsala Symposium 1993, Boreas 24, Stockholm Almqvist & Wiksell, 1996, p. 139-182; Nikolaus Himmelmann, Die private Bildnisweihung bei den Griechen, Nordrhein-Westfälische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vorträge G 373, Wiesbaden, Westdeutscher Verlag, 2001, p. 7-8 fig. 2; Joan B. Connelly, Portrait of a Priestess. Women and Ritual in Ancient Greece, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2007, p. 130-163, part. p. 146 fig. 5.14; R. von den Hoff, loc. cit., p. 129-131 fig. 10.
35 Mavromati, Archaeological Mus. 245 (statue). 247 (left Arm): P. G. Themelis, Artemis Ortheia …, loc. cit., p. 115-117 figg. 19-20; idem, Αρχαία Μεσσήνη, Aθήνα, Τ.Α.Π.Α, 1999, p. 75-76 fig. 59-60; U. Kron, loc. cit., p. 145-146; J. Connelly, op. cit., p. 147-155; Karen Schoch, Die doppelte Aphrodite – alt und neu bei griechischen Kultbildern, Göttingen, Universitätsverlag, 2009, p. 242-244; for the inscribed base of Mego, its location and its debated date see also Eleni-Anna Chlepa, Μεσσήνη: To Aρτεμίσιo και oι oίκoι της δυτικής πτέρυγας τoυ Aσκληπιείoυ, Βιβλιοθήκη της εν Αθήναις Αρχαιολογικής Εταιρείας 211, Αθῆναι 2001, p. 22-23 figg. 11-12; p. 33. 62. For the tendency to commemorate even the services of minor figures of the cult personnel at Athens see R. von den Hoff, loc. cit., p. 133-137.
36 SEG 42, 116; S. Paliompeis, op. cit., p. 365-366. 484-485 Kat. Athen VI. 1; Arthur G. Woodhead, Inscriptions. The Decrees, Agora 16, Princeton, American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 1997, p. 390-391 n° 277; Margret M. Miles, The City Eleusinion, Agora 31, Princeton, American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 1998, p. 66. 84. 193, n° I 35 (I5156) pl. 28; J. B. Connelly, op. cit., p. 133. – Similar formulas are known e. g. from decrees passed by the assembly of the orgeones, an association dedicated to the cult of Kybele at Piraeus: IG II2 1314 (213/2 B.C.). 1329 (175/4 B.C.) (ll. 27-28: δοῦναι δὲ αὐτῶι καὶ ἰκόνος ἀνάθεσιν ἐν τῶι ναῶι).
37 SEG 25, 540: Ὁ δᾶμος Ταναγρείων Βάλακρον Βαλάκρου τῦς θιῦς ἀρετᾶς ἕνεκα κὴεὐνοιίας ἃς ἔχων διετέλι ἐν τὰν πόλιν.
38 Dirk Steuernagel, “Wozu brauchen Griechen Tempel? Fragen und Perspektiven”, in Hubert Cancik, Jörg Rüpke (ed.), Die Religion des Imperium Romanum. Koine und Konfrontationen, Tübingen, Mohr Siebeck, 2009, p. 115-138, part. p. 128-130.
39 Hugo Hepding, “Die Arbeiten zu Pergamon 1908-1909. 2., Die Inschriften”, Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Abteilung Athen, Berlin, 35, 1910, p. 401-493, part. 465-466 n° 47-48; cf. Albert Ippel, “Die Arbeiten zu Pergamon 1910-1911, 2. Die Inschriften”, Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Abteilung Athen, Berlin, 37, 1912, p. 277-303, part. p. 278-281 n° 2; S. Paliompeis, op. cit., p. 610 Kat. Pergamon III. 2; J. Cordelia Eule, Hellenistische Bürgerinnen aus Kleinasien, Weibliche Gewandstatuen in ihrem antiken Kontext, Istanbul, TASK Vakfi, 2001, p. 120. 139.
40 IG IV 840, part. ll. 13-14; Bernhard Laum, Stiftungen in der griechischen und römischen Antike, 2. Urkunden, Leipzig-Berlin, Teubner, 1914, p. 66 n° 57; S. Paliompeis, op. cit., p. 554-555 Kat. Kalaureia I. 1; Joannis Mylonopoulos, Πελοπόννησος οἰκητήριον Ποσειδῶνος. Heiligtümer und Kulte des Poseidon auf der Peloponnes, Kernos Suppl. 13, Liège, Centre International d’Étude de la Religion Grecque Antique, 2003, p. 327-328; for the general character of such endowments cf. Andreas Wittenburg, “Grandes familles et associations cultuelles à l’époque hellénistique”, Ktema 23, Strasbourg, 1998, p. 451-456.
41 Cf. Fritz Graf, Nordionische Kulte. Religionsgeschichtliche und epigraphische Untersuchungen zu den Kulten von Chios, Erythrai, Klazomenai und Phokaia, Bibliotheca Helvetica Romana 21, Rom, Schweizerisches Institut, 1985, p. 168-170. Besides, also the use of certain materials helped to level categorical differences between cult statues and iconic votive statues, s. R. von den Hoff, loc. cit., p. 126.
42 Cf. Paola Lombardi, “Ἀναθέτο ἐν τὸ ἱερόν, Esempi di regolamentazioni della dedica votiva nel mondo greco”, in John P. Bodel, Mika Kajava (ed.), Dediche sacre nel mondo greco-romano: diffusione, funzioni, tipologie: Institutum Romanum Finlandiae, American Academy in Rome, 19-20 aprile, 2006, Acta Instituti Romani Finlandiae 35, Roma, Institutum Romanum Finlandiae, 2009, p. 95-126, part. p. 104-107 E 10-12.
43 Treasures of Ancient Macedonia. Archaeological Museum of Thessalonike (ed. Kate Ninou), Athens, Archaeological Receipts Fund (Τ.Α.Π.) [ca. 1978] p. 106 n° 452 pl. 60; cf. Folkert T. van Straten, “Gifts for the Gods” in Hendrik S. Versnel, op. cit., p. 65-151, part. p. 82-83.
44 G. Neumann, op. cit., p. 74-75; cf. S. B. Aleshire, The Athenian Asklepieion …, op. cit., p. 40-42.
45 IG II2 995; Franciszek Sokolowski, Lois sacrées des cités grecques, École Française d’Athènes. Travaux et mémoires des anciens membres étrangers de l’École et de divers savants, Paris, De Boccard, p. 79-80 n° 43; cf. Adolf Wilhelm, “Zwei griechische Inschriften”, in Karl Masner (ed.), Festschrift für Otto Benndorf, Wien, Hölder, 1898, p. 243-249, with proposal for restoration of ll. 6-8: μηκέτι ἐπισκοπτῆται τ] ὸ ἄγαλμα τοῦ θεοῦ ὑπὸ τῶ[ν ἀνακειμένων ἐν τῶι ἱερ] ῶι εἰκονικῶν πινάκων; furthermore S. Paliompeis, op. cit., p. 442 n. 1860; p. 483 Kat. V.3.
46 Cf. Stefan Krauter, Bürgerrecht und Kultteilnahme. Politische und kultische Rechte und Pflichten in griechischen Poleis, Rom und antikem Judentum, Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft 127, Berlin-New York, De Gruyter, 2004, p. 53-55; R. von den Hoff, loc. cit., passim.
47 Cf. Philippe Gauthier, Les cités grecques et leur bienfaiteurs, Bulletin de correspondance hellénique, Suppl. 12, Paris, De Boccard 1985, part. p. 66-69, 72-73.