Artemide Munichia: aspetti e funzioni mitico-rituali della dea del Pireo

Artemis Munychia: Mythical-Ritual Aspects and Functiuns of The Piraeus Goddess. The Artemis worshipped at Piraeus is Potnia Mounychia, limenoskópos and Pheraia, also called ē theòs panselénos. She shined with all her glory on the Greeks victorious at Salamis. The Munichia goddess is also remembered as Artemis chrysaóros who overlooked the access to Athens’ harbours and oversaw the neoì’s rites of passage. The functions’ analysis of Artemis Munichia developed through the epiklesis and the comparison with Hecate phōsphóros suggests more ancient connections with the Thessalian Goddess of Pherai, confused in Attica with Hecate Enodía. She was also identified as the Thracian Bendis, closely related to the Munichia Goddess, once the Bendis cult was introduced in Athens during the polis religion’s transformations, at the end of the 5th century BC.