mythologyofthepoetandthemuse:Samothrace temple complex, also known as the Sanctuary of the Great God
mythologyofthepoetandthemuse:Samothrace temple complex, also known as the Sanctuary of the Great Gods (Ιερό των Μεγάλων Θεών), one of the principal Pan-Hellenic religious sanctuaries, located on the island of Samothrace within the larger Thrace. It was celebrated throughout Ancient Greece for its Mystery religion, a Chthonic religious practice as renowned as the Eleusinian Mysteries.Numerous famous people were initiates, including the historian Herodotus – one of very few authors to have left behind a few clues to the nature of the mysteries, the Spartan leader Lysander, and numerous Athenians.The temple complex is mentioned by Plato and Aristophanes. During the Hellenistic period, after the investiture of Phillip II it formed a Macedonian national sanctuary where the successors to Alexander the Great vied to outdo each other’s munifence. It remained an important religious site throughout the Roman period. Hadrian visited, and Varro described the mysteries – before fading from history towards the end of Late Antiquity. (source: Wikipedia)Photos: Vera Bousiou. -- source link
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