List of Mycenaean deities explained

Many of the Greek deities are known from as early as Mycenaean (Late Bronze Age) civilization. This is an incomplete list of these deities and of the way their names, epithets, or titles are spelled and attested in Mycenaean Greek, written in the Linear B syllabary, along with some reconstructions and equivalent forms in later Greek.

Deities

Pantheon

Name! colspan="2"
Notes
EnglishLinear BTransliterationCommentsFootnotes
Pantes Theoi{{script|Linb|pa-si-te-o-i"To All the Gods"; a special invocation, irrespective of sex, etc.; recurrently attested at Knossos[1] [2] [3]

Gods

Name! colspan="2"
Notes
EnglishLinear BTransliterationCommentsFootnotes
Anemoi{{script|Linb| / {{script|Linb|a-ne-mo-i-je-re-ja / a-ne-mo,i-je-re-jaattested through *Anemohiereia or *Anemon Hiereia, "Priestess of the Winds"[4] [5] [6]
Apollo(?){{script|Linb|pe-rjo-, reconstructed a-pe-rjo-neperhaps attested through the lacunose perio[7] [8]
Ares{{script|Linb|a-re[9] [10] [11] [12]
Despotas(?){{script|Linb|do-po-taunclear, perhaps house deity, euphemism for Hades meaning master?[13] [14]
Dionysus{{script|Linb|di-wo-nu-so[15]
Dipsioi{{script|Linb|di-pi-si-jo-imeaning obscure: perhaps "The Thirsty and hence the Dead Ones" possibly referring to ancestor worship or slain gods possibly the Titans; perhaps related to Thessalian month Dipsos[16] [17] [18] [19]
Drimios{{script|Linb|di-ri-mi-jounknown, in later times, son of Zeus, perhaps a predecessor of Apollo[20]
Enesidaon{{script|Linb|e-ne-si-da-o-nepossibly a theonym; possibly an epithet of Poseidon, assumed to mean "Earthshaker" or something similar[21]
Enyalius{{script|Linb|e-nu-wa-ri-joa later epithet of Ares, or his son with Enyo, maybe a title for his father Zeus.[22]
Hephaestus{{script|Linb|a-pa-i-ti-joregarded as indirectly attested by the name *Haphaistios or *Haphaistion, presumed to be a theophoric name[23] [24] [25]
Hermes{{script|Linb|e-ma-*25 or e-ma-ha[26] [27] [28] [29]
Areias{{script|Linb|a-re-jaepithet (Hermes as war god)[30]
Hyperion(?){{script|Linb|pe-rjo-, reconstructed u-pe-rjo-neperhaps attested through the lacunose perio[31]
Marineus(?){{script|Linb| / {{script|Linb| / {{script|Linb|ma-ri-ne(-u?) / ma-ri-ne-we / ma-ri-ne-wounknown deity, perhaps "God of the Woolens", meaning obscure perhaps Pan.[32] [33]
Pade(?){{script|Linb| / {{script|Linb|pa-de / pa-de-ipossibly unknown god, thought to be Cretan, Minoan in origin maybe Zagreus as the divine child.[34]
Paean{{script|Linb|pa-ja-wo-nea precursor of Apollo[35] [36]
Poseidon{{script|Linb| / {{script|Linb|po-se-da-o / po-se-da-wo-nechief deity[37] [38]
Trisheros{{script|Linb|ti-ri-se-ro-etheonym, "Thrice-Hero"; thought to attest, and pertain to, the veneration of the dead or the Tritopatores[39] [40] [41]
Wanax{{script|Linb|wa-na-ka-te"The King"; in this case, it is considered to be a theonym in the dative case, perhaps as an epithet of Poseidon[42]
Zeus{{script|Linb| / {{script|Linb|di-we / di-woGod of the sky[43] [44]
Diktaios{{script|Linb| di-ka-ta-jo di-welocal epithet of Zeus on Crete[45] [46]

Goddesses

Name! colspan="2"
Notes
EnglishLinear BTransliterationCommentsFootnotes
Artemis{{script|Linb| / {{script|Linb|a-te-mi-to / a-ti-mi-te[47] [48] [49] [50]
Diwia{{script|Linb| / {{script|Linb|di-u-ja / di-wi-japossibly the female counterpart of Zeus, possibly Dione in later Greek
Damate in Linear A and B
Doqeia(?){{script|Linb|do-qe-japossibly an unknown goddess but could be only a feminine adjective[51] [52] [53]
Eileithyia{{script|Linb|e-re-u-ti-jaattested in the Cretan Eleuthia form; perhaps Minoan in origin[54] [55] [56]
Eos{{script|Linb|a-wo-i-joperhaps attested through a personal name Ἀϝohιος related to the word for dawn, or dative form Āwōiōi[57] [58] [59] [60] [61] [62]
Erinyes{{script|Linb| / {{script|Linb|e-ri-nu / e-ri-nu-weboth forms of the theonym are considered to be in the singular, Erinys[63] [64]
Hera{{script|Linb|e-ra[65]
Iphemedeia{{script|Linb|i-pe-me-de-jatheonym; probably variant form of Iphimedia, name of a mythological person found in Homer's Odyssey[66]
Komawenteia(?){{script|Linb|ko-ma-we-te-japossibly unknown deity, possibly meaning "long-haired goddess"[67]
Leto{{script|Linb| / {{script|Linb|ra-ti-jo / ra-toperhaps attested through the forms Latios[68] [69] and Lato[70]
Manasa{{script|Linb|ma-na-saunknown goddess[71] [72]
Mater Theia{{script|Linb|ma-te-re,te-i-japossibly "Mother of the Gods" or mother goddess[73] [74]
Pipituna{{script|Linb|pi-pi-tu-naReconstructed as *Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Πίπτυννα (Píptynna); unknown deity, considered to be Pre-Greek or Minoan[75] [76]
Posidaeia{{script|Linb|po-si-da-e-japrobably the female counterpart to Poseidon
Potnia{{script|Linb|po-ti-ni-ja"Mistress" or "Lady"; may be used as an epithet for many deities, but also shows up as a single deity[77] [78] [79]
Potnia Athena{{script|Linb|a-ta-na-po-ti-ni-jaor Potnia of At(h)ana (Athens(?)); reference of the latter is uncertain
Potnia Hippeia{{script|Linb|po-ti-ni-ja,i-qe-jaMistress of the Horses; later epithet of Demeter and Athena
Potnia of Sitos{{script|Linb|si-to-po-ti-ni-jaMistress of Grain; Bronze Age predecessor or epithet of Demeter[80]
Potnia of the Labyrinth{{script|Linb| da-pu2-ri-to-jo,po-ti-ni-ja
Potnia, at Thebes{{script|Linb|po-ti-ni-ja,wo-ko-deof no attested name or title, other than that offers are made to her house, her premises likely the Sphinx[81]
Potnia, of unidentified Pylos sanctuary{{script|Linb|po-ti-ni-jaunknown local(?) goddess of pa-ki-ja-ne (*Sphagianes?) sanctuary at Pylos[82] [83]
Potnia, of uncertain A place or epithet{{script|Linb|po-ti-ni-ja,a-si-wi-jaMaybe Aphrodite as Astarte when she was introduced into Greece.[84]
Potnia, of unknown E place or epithet{{script|Linb|e-re-wi-jo-po-ti-ni-ja
Potnia, of unknown N place or epithet{{script|Linb|ne-wo-pe-o,po-ti-ni-ja
Potnia, of unknown U place or epithet{{script|Linb|u-po-jo-po-ti-ni-ja
Potnia, of unknown ? place or epithet{{script|Linb|(?)-a-ke-si,po-ti-ni-ja
Preswa(?){{script|Linb|pe-re-*82 or pe-re-swagenerally interpreted as a dove goddess or an early form of Persephone[85]
Qerasia(?){{script|Linb|qe-ra-si-jaunknown goddess, perhaps Minoan in origin or possibly connected with thēr[86] [87] [88]
Qowia(?){{script|Linb|qo-wi-jaunknown deity, possibly meaning "She of the Cow(s)"[89]
Wanasso(?){{script|Linb|wa-na-so-i"The Two Queens", possibly Demeter and Persephone; *wanassojin(?) regarded as a dative dual form[90]
Possible goddesses
(?)(?)(?)A possible sun goddess, predecessor to Helios, and possibly related to Helen.[91] No unambiguous attestations of words for "sun" have yet been found, though the Mycenaean word for "sun" is reconstructed as *hāwélios.

See also

Sources

Books

Articles in journals, periodicals and of conferences

Online databases and dictionaries

Ancient Greek, Latin and of English etymology

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. [List of Mycenaean deities#HILLER|Hiller (1997)]
  2. [List of Mycenaean deities#MRaK|Gulizio (2008)]
  3. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  4. [List of Mycenaean deities#MRaK|Gulizio (2008)]
  5. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  6. Book: Billigmeier . Jon-Christian . Reflections of Women in Antiquity . Turner . Judy A. . Rootledge . 2004 . 0-677-16370-3 . Foley . Helene P. . 15 . The socio-economic roles of women in Mycenaean Greece: A brief survey from evidence of the Linear B tablets . https://books.google.com/books?id=8T66FZciSqkC&pg=PA15 . 1981.
  7. [Robert S. P. Beekes|R. S. P. Beekes]
  8. Herda . Alexander . 2008 . Apollon Delphinios – Apollon Didymeus: Zwei Gesichter eines milesischen Gottes und ihr Bezug zur Kolonisation Milets in archaischer Zeit . Internationale Archäologie . de . Arbeitsgemeinschaft, Symposium, Tagung, Kongress. Band 11: Kult(ur)kontakte. Apollon in Milet/Didyma, Histria, Myus, Naukratis und auf Zypern. Akten des Table Ronde in Mainz vom 11.–12. März 2004 . 16 . 978-3-89646-441-5.
  9. Gulizio . Joann . A-re in the Linear B Tablets and the Continuity of the Cult of Ares in the Historical Period . Journal of Prehistoric Religion . 15 . 32–38.
  10. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  11. [List of Mycenaean deities#PAL|Palaeolexicon]
  12. [List of Mycenaean deities#HAEGG|Hägg (1997)]
  13. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  14. [List of Mycenaean deities#TMW|Chadwick (1976)]
  15. [List of Mycenaean deities#PAL|Palaeolexicon]
  16. Book: Marinatos, Spyridon . Proceedings of the Cambridge Colloquium on Mycenaean Studies . Cambridge University Press . 1966 . Palmer . L.R. . Leonard Robert Palmer . 265–274 . Πολυδίψιον Ἄργος . Spyridon Marinatos . Chadwick . John . https://books.google.com/books?id=s-48AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA265.
  17. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  18. [List of Mycenaean deities#TAG|Budin (2004)]
  19. García-Ramón, J.L., in Duhoux and Morpurgo Davies (2011), page 236.
  20. [List of Mycenaean deities#DiMG|Ventris and Chadwick (1973)]
  21. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  22. [List of Mycenaean deities#TM|Schofield (2007)]
  23. [List of Mycenaean deities#TMW|Chadwick (1976)]
  24. [List of Mycenaean deities#AoCM|Trzaskoma et al (2004)]
  25. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  26. García-Ramón, J.L., in Duhoux and Morpurgo Davies (2011), page 230.
  27. [List of Mycenaean deities#HaE|Gulizio (2000)]
  28. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  29. [List of Mycenaean deities#PAL|Palaeolexicon]
  30. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  31. Logozzo and Poccetti, p. 644
  32. [List of Mycenaean deities#TKL|Castleden (2003)]
  33. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  34. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  35. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  36. [List of Mycenaean deities#TMW|Chadwick (1976)]
  37. Book: Palaima, Thomas G. . Δώρον. Τιμητικός Τόμος για τον καθηγητή Σπύρο Ιακωβίδη . . 2009 . Danielidou . Despoina . Σειρά Μονογραφιών. 6 . Athens . 527–536 . Festschrift for Spyros Iakovides . Continuity from the Mycenaean Period in a historical Boeotian Cult of Poseidon (and Erinys) . Thomas G. Palaima . http://www.utexas.edu/research/pasp/publications/pdf/continuity.pdf.
  38. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  39. [List of Mycenaean deities#PAL|Palaeolexicon]
  40. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  41. Web site: Trckova-Flamee . Alena . Thrice-Hero . 2012-04-27 . The Book of Threes.
  42. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  43. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  44. [List of Mycenaean deities#PAL|Palaeolexicon]
  45. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  46. [List of Mycenaean deities#PAL|Palaeolexicon]
  47. Chadwick . John . Baumbach . Lydia . Lydia Baumbach . 1963 . The Mycenaean Greek Vocabulary . Glotta . 41.3&4 . 157–271, p. 176f; s.v. Ἄρτεμις . a-te-mi-to- (genitive).
  48. Souvinous . C. . 1970 . A-TE-MI-TO and A-TI-MI-TE . Kadmos . 9 . 42–47 . 10.1515/kadm.1970.9.1.42 . 162990140.
  49. Christidis . T. . 1972 . Further remarks on A-TE-MI-TO and A-TI-MI-TE . Kadmos . 11.2 . 125–28.
  50. [List of Mycenaean deities#PAL|Palaeolexicon]
  51. [Marie-Louise Nosch|Nosch, Marie-Louise]
  52. Palaima . Thomas G. . 2008 . Hitchcock . Louise A. . Laffineur . Robert . Crowley . Janice . DAIS The Aegean Feast. Proceedings of the 12th International Aegean Conference . 12th International Aegean Conference. University of Melbourne . 383–389 . http://www.utexas.edu/research/pasp/publications/pdf/PalaimaDais.pdf . The Significance of Mycenaean Words Relating to Meals, Meal Rituals and Food . Date of Conference: 25–29 March 2008 . Aegaeum . Liège, Austin.
  53. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  54. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  55. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  56. [List of Mycenaean deities#PAL|Palaeolexicon]
  57. Luján, Eugénio R. "Los temas en -s en micénico". In: Donum Mycenologicum: Mycenaean Studies in Honour of Francisco Aura Jorro. Edited by Alberto Bernabé and Eugenio R. Luján. Bibliothèque des cahiers de L'Institut de Linguistique de Louvain Vol. 131. Louvain-la-Neuve; Walpole, MA: Peeters. 2014. p. 68.
  58. Lejeune, Michel. "Une présentation du Mycénien". In: Revue des Études Anciennes. Tome 69, 1967, n° 3–4. p. 281. [DOI: https://doi.org/10.3406/rea.1967.3800]; www.persee.fr/doc/rea_0035-2004_1967_num_69_3_3800
  59. Nakassis, Dimitri. "Labor and Individuals in Late Bronze Age Pylos". In: Labor in the Ancient World. Edited by Piotr Steinkeller and Michael Hudson. Dresden: ISLET-Verlag. 2015 [2005]. p. 605. .
  60. [Anna Morpurgo Davies|Davies, Anna Morpurgo]
  61. Jorro, Francisco Aura. "Reflexiones sobre el léxico micénico" In: Conuentus Classicorum: temas y formas del Mundo Clásico. Coord. por Jesús de la Villa, Emma Falque Rey, José Francisco González Castro, María José Muñoz Jiménez, Vol. 1, 2017, pp. 307. .
  62. Chadwick, John, and Lydia Baumbach. "The Mycenaean Greek Vocabulary". In: Glotta 41, no. 3/4 (1963): 198. Accessed March 12, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40265918.
  63. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  64. [List of Mycenaean deities#PAL|Palaeolexicon]
  65. [List of Mycenaean deities#PAL|Palaeolexicon]
  66. [List of Mycenaean deities#PAL|Palaeolexicon]
  67. [List of Mycenaean deities#PAL|Palaeolexicon]
  68. [Robert S. P. Beekes|Beekes]
  69. Web site: ra-ti-jo . February 16, 2023 . www.palaeolexicon.com.
  70. Web site: ra-to . February 16, 2023 . www.palaeolexicon.com.
  71. [List of Mycenaean deities#TKL|Castleden (2003)]
  72. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  73. Web site: Mother Goddesses . Timeless Myths: Classical Mythology.
  74. [List of Mycenaean deities#GR|Burkert (1985)]
  75. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  76. [List of Mycenaean deities#PAL|Palaeolexicon]
  77. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  78. [List of Mycenaean deities#PAL|Palaeolexicon]
  79. .
  80. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  81. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  82. Web site: Lesson 26: Narrative. Mycenaean and Late Cycladic Religion and Religious Architecture . Aegean Prehistoric Archaeology . Dartmouth College.
  83. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  84. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  85. [List of Mycenaean deities#GR|Burkert (1985)]
  86. Book: Chadwick, John . Proceedings of the Cambridge Colloquium on Mycenaean Studies . Cambridge University Press . 1966 . Palmer . L.R. . 29 . The Olive Oil tablets of Knossos . Chadwick . John . https://books.google.com/books?id=s-48AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA30.
  87. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  88. [List of Mycenaean deities#PAL|Palaeolexicon]
  89. [List of Mycenaean deities#WaRPTiMalG|Palaima (2006)]
  90. Book: Bartoněk, Antonín . Handbuch des mykenischen Griechisch . Universitätsverlag C. WINTER . 2002 . 3825314359 . Heidelberg . 165–6 . 2. Substantiva und Adjektiva der I., II. und III. Deklination: I. Deklination (Substantiva) . Antonín Bartoněk.
  91. Book: Kristiansen . Kristian . The Rise of Bronze Age Society: Travels, Transmissions and Transformations . Larsson . Thomas B. . Cambridge University Press . 2005.
  92. [List of Mycenaean deities#RKA|Linear B Transliterations]
  93. Book: Bartoněk, Antonin . Recherches en linquistique grecque . L'Harmattan . 2002 . 2-7475-2742-5 . Clairis . Christos . 94 . Mycenaean words in Homer . https://books.google.com/books?id=KKWlkCfX1ZsC&pg=PA94.
  94. [List of Mycenaean deities#PAL|Palaeolexicon]