Hecate at Lagina: Cult, Temple, and Sacred Authority

Hecate at Lagina: Cult, Temple, and Sacred Authority

Saturday, March 21, 2026 | 12–2 p.m. EST

In this workshop, we turn to one of the most important sanctuaries dedicated to Hecate in the ancient world: her cult center at Lagina in Caria, in southwestern Anatolia. Rather than focusing on later literary associations with magic or crossroads, we will examine Hecate as she was honored in her monumental temple complex near Stratonikeia.

Drawing on archaeological remains, inscriptions, relief sculpture, and the sacred processional road that linked Lagina to the city, we will explore how Hecate functioned as a civic and regional goddess. We will look closely at the temple’s friezes, priesthoods, festivals, and political symbolism under Hellenistic and Roman rule.

This session situates Hecate within Anatolian religious landscapes and examines how her cult at Lagina shaped her identity as a powerful public deity, not merely a liminal figure but a central…