Sunday, March 10, 2024 | 3:00 PM | Open to the Public

Join Dr. Amy Sowder-Koch of Towson University for an afternoon of archaeology. The island of Samothrace and its mystery cult that promised safety at sea and improved lives for its initiates are mentioned as early as the Homeric poems, but few finds indicate activity in the Sanctuary of the Great Gods prior to the Classical period. Today the Winged Victory statue is the most recognized feature associated with the Sanctuary.

Largely under the patronage of Macedonian and Hellenistic kings, the Sanctuary thrived from the 4^th century BC until a series of earthquakes damaged the site beginning in the early Roman period. Due to the secret nature of the initiation rites, there is relatively little in the way of textual or epigraphic evidence to tell us the functions of the great (and often unusual) buildings erected here.

This presentation will discuss evidence for the cult and its surviving physical remains in the sanctuary, demonstrating how the ancient architects capitalized on the natural topography of the site as well as constructed architecture to intentionally shape the ancient visitor’s experience at the site.