A lunchtime seminar by Dr Theodora Jim from the University of Nottingham. This event is organised by The Baron Thyssen Centre for the Study of Ancient Material Religion at The Open University.

Abstract:

All over the Greek world, there were hundreds of cults of gods bearing the epithet Soter (‘saviour’) and Soteira (‘saviouress’). Approached with innumerable prayers, sacrifices and dedications, these ‘saviour’ gods had the power to grant or withdraw an important blessing ― soteria (‘deliverance’, ‘safety’, ‘preservation’), which is arguably one of the most importance favours in the exchange of charis between men and gods. This seminar looks at how the Greeks negotiated soteria from the gods by means of ‘votive’ offerings, the hopes and beliefs they expressed, and the lived religious experience of the Greeks as embodied by these offerings.

What did it mean to the ancient Greeks to be ‘saved’, and how did they experience it? Sought in circumstances ranging from warfare to seafaring, childbirth, healing, farming, earthquakes and so on, soteria in Greek antiquity was about the safety and well-being of communities as much as that of their individual members. Contrary to what we may expect from the Christian eschatological sense of ‘salvation’, it is striking that Greek soteria and saviours gods were almost always concerned with deliverance and well-being in this world rather than the next. Combining close analysis of epigraphic and archaeological evidence, we shall explore the multivalent power of these ‘saviour’ gods and the different values attached to soteria. The evidence challenges us to rethink what we think we know about this Greek concept, and to recognize the importance of ‘salvation’ in this life as much as that in the next.

This is a free event but spaces are limited, so please book your place via EventBrite.

For more information about the event and organiser, please visit The Baron Thyssen Centre for the Study of Ancient Material Religion website.