Naukratis: Religion in an Emporion
Naukratis is an emporion on the Canopic arm of the Nile delta, and according to Herodotus the only emporion in Egypt. The city was founded by or given to the Greeks between 625 BC and 570 BC, and was primarily populated by Greeks. My research focused on life in Naukratis, and particularly how religion was involved in contacts between the Greeks and other peoples in Naukratis in the archaic period. I will present the results of my research mainly with the example of the temple of Aphrodite, for this temple, in my view, best explains how religion helped establish and maintain contact between the Greek peoples. In fact, one might even speak of a Naukratite identity coming into existence.
In Naukratis there were various networks at work; it was after all an emporion, which means it was a settlement primarily focused on trade. In the first place as the city is located in Egypt, it was part of the Egyptian trade network. Naturally Naukratis also held a position in the trade networks of all the different poleis active there, and was frequented by Phoenicians as well. Herodotus names twelve poleis active in Naukratis, most of whom are attested archaeologically. It is worth noting the different poleis on the island of Rhodes were counted as one.
For this trade to exist, institutions were necessary to mediate between the different cities and the Egyptians, Phoenicians and perhaps others. These institutions could be laws and customs, but also religion. Religion was a means for the poleis to recognise their similarities and generate trust between the merchants. Unfortunately I couldn't find much evidence for religion being a player in contact between Greeks and other peoples in the archaic period, so by necessity I focus on the Greeks alone. |
The temple of Aphrodite
When one thinks of a Greek identity in Naukratis the temple that will probably spring to mind is the Hellenion - a temple build by the joined efforts of nine poleis - if only for the name. Hellenes is generally interpreted as 'all Greeks' or at the very least all the Greeks of Hellas. The temple of Aphrodite is possibly not even considered, undeservedly so, for Aphrodite does a better job at unifying the different Greek poleis in Naukratis than the Hellenion does. In my view it is the temple of Aphrodite which brokers between the different networks and creates a Naukratite identity.
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The temple of Aphrodite existed since the beginning of Naukratis, and was situated at the original landing site of ships coming to the city. Next to her traditional role of goddess of sexuality, she was also connected with the sea and worshipped in that context. It was probably for that connection her temple was placed at the old river bank. The temple of Aphrodite wasn't founded by a specific polis. Her temple was frequently visited, however, as it was the richest in materials found. The finds come from practically everywhere and could be just about anything. There are finds with Phoenician, Cypriote, Egyptian and East-Grecian influences all dedicated by Greeks. It is shown by sphinxes appearing on pottery and statuettes of Isis (and Horus). The slideshow gives these and some other examples of the various gifts to Aphrodite found in her temple in the archaic period. There is no uniformity at all, except for the basic trends of Chian pottery in the beginning and after about 550 BC attic pottery when the pottery market was taken over by Athens.
Who actually dedicated these gifts is a more difficult question to answer. Only in a few instances is the name of the polis of origin mentioned. There have been attempts to identify where the writer came from by the alphabet. It is useful when the person was a Dorian, for they had distinct letters. In the case of Ionians it is a lot more difficult, for their script is largely unified. After a certain date Dorian script fell out of use, making it even harder. Still it is reasonable to assume the dedicators came from all the poleis frequenting Naukratis. |
Aphrodite had a few epithets, but a common one was pandemos, usually translated as 'belonging to everyone'. Everyone could worship her as they wished - not necessarily under the aforementioned epithet, but pandemos explains her relation to the people of and doing business in Naukratis clearly. She was the goddess who brought harmony and order to Naukratis. This was the temple to go to when one wished to express their common identity as Naukratians (or Greeks). I think you can speak of Aphrodite as Naukratis' protector. She was the goddess of Naukratis as Hera was for Samos. Aphrodite's temple is also the only temple where some form of a Naukratite identity is expressed - the Hellenion can not claim this thus far.
What does this mean?
Clearly the temple of Aphrodite was important to the people of Naukratis. Their worship of her, and to a lesser extent the other deities in Naukratis, made them realise their common traits. They worshipped the same gods, they weren't so different after all. Trust could be build and trust meant trade. If two merchants trusted each other they were more likely to engage in trade than when they didn't trust each other. Or, to put it in network terms; religion and Aphrodite in particular were the brokers between different networks. They connected all the networks of the different poleis. It isn't a long stretch to think religion could do the same for the Egyptians and Phoenicians.
Sources and suggested further reading
- Daniels, M. ‘Sacred exchange: The Religious Institutions of Emporia in the Mediterranean World of the Later Iron Age.’ In: A.M. Kemezis (ed.). Urban Dreams and Realities in Antiquity: Remains and Representations of the Ancient City. Brill, Leiden, 2015.
- Demetriou, D. Negotiating Identity in the Ancient Mediterranean. The Archaic and Classical Greek Multiethnic Emporia. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2012.
- Malkin, I. A Small Greek World. Networks in the Ancient Mediterranean. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2011.
- Möller, A. Naukratis: Trade in Archaic Greece. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2000.
- Villing, A. et al. ‘Naukratis: Greeks in Egypt.’ http://www.britishmuseum.org/naukratis
- Demetriou, D. Negotiating Identity in the Ancient Mediterranean. The Archaic and Classical Greek Multiethnic Emporia. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2012.
- Malkin, I. A Small Greek World. Networks in the Ancient Mediterranean. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2011.
- Möller, A. Naukratis: Trade in Archaic Greece. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2000.
- Villing, A. et al. ‘Naukratis: Greeks in Egypt.’ http://www.britishmuseum.org/naukratis
M.H.J.