Hieron

E798995

Hieron is a central sacred building within the Sanctuary of the Great Gods on Samothrace, associated with important mystery cult rituals in ancient Greek religion.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Hieron canonical 2

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (44)

Predicate Object
instanceOf ancient Greek temple
archaeological site feature
religious building
accessibleTo archaeologists
architecturalStyle Hellenistic architecture
associatedDeityType chthonic deities
associatedRitual initiation into Samothracian Mysteries
associatedWith mystery cult of the Great Gods
pan-Hellenic pilgrimage
country Greece
culture ancient Greek
currentCondition ruin
dateOfConstruction late 4th century BCE
dedicatedTo Great Gods of Samothrace
excavatedBy American School of Classical Studies at Athens
Karl Lehmann
function central sacred building for mystery rites
ritual space for initiation ceremonies
hasFeature altar area
deep pronaos
elaborate interior for ritual use
monumental cella
monumental entrance
raised interior platform
hasGreekName Ἱερόν
linked to: Heraion
hasType freestanding temple building
heritageStatus part of the archaeological site of Samothrace
locatedIn North Aegean Sea
linked to: northern Aegean Sea

Sanctuary of the Great Gods
Thrace
locatedOn island of Samothrace
material stone
nameMeaning sacred place or sanctuary in Greek
orientation east–west
partOf Sanctuary of the Great Gods architectural complex
religious landscape of Samothrace
period Hellenistic period
religion ancient Greek religion
significance key monument for study of Greek mystery religions
major center of mystery cult practice in the northern Aegean
usedFor mystery cult rituals
religious ceremonies
visitedBy ancient pilgrims
initiates into the Great Gods mysteries

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.