CAVI Lecture: Professor Mary Bachvarova, Thursday, 18 Oct. @ 7:30 pm, CLE A212

The second meeting of the 2018-19 Academic year will take place on Thursday, 18 October at 7:30 pm in Clearihue, A212.

Professor Mary Bachvarova (Professor, Willamette University) will present a lecture entitled:

Was the Bronze Age Anatolian Sun-goddess the Ancestor of Hecate?
In Classical and Hellenistic Greece Hecate was renowned as a witch and moon goddess, but her origins remain a mystery, especially since her earliest mentions in literature and archaeological finds seem to describe a very different personality: a city goddess of Miletus, amenable to prayer (Hesiod's Theogony), and a maidenly helper of Demeter (Homeric Hymn to Demeter). I delve into possible parallels with Bronze Age goddesses in Anatolia, using Hittite narratives, prayers, and magical incantations performed by "Old Women" that mention the Sun-goddess of the Earth and the Sun-goddess of the holy city Arinna to explain both the prehistory of her seemingly anomalous characterization in the Archaic period, and how she morphed into the witch goddess of later times.

The Classical Association of Vancouver Island is UVic’s organization for people interested in the Greek and Roman worlds. Monthly lectures by local and international scholars take place at UVic. Everyone is welcome. To join CAVI and be on our mailing list, please send your name, contact information (address/email), and membership dues (10$/year, cheques payable to CAVI):

CAVI – Department of Greek and Roman Studies
PO Box 1700 STN CSC Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2

For more information, please contact: Dr. Brendan Burke, Chair, Department of Greek and Roman Studies (bburke@uvic.ca) or the Administrative Assistant (grsadmin@uvic.ca).