Gods and Mortals at Olympus: Ancient Dion, City of Zeus

by: Pandermalis, D.

Edited by Dimitrios Pandermalis Essays by Katerina Boli, Angelos Chaniotis, Fritz Graf, Maria Katsakiori, Sophia Kremydi, Richard P. Martin, Dimitrios Pandermalis, and Semeli Pingiatoglou. Located on the eastern slopes of Mount Olympus and atop the bubbling source of the ancient river Baphyras, the city of Dion and its natural environment were interpreted by the ancient Greeks as divine. Dion's proximity to the gods was reflected in the cults and daily existence of local residents but also prompted the area's critical role in establishing the identity of the royal house of Philip and Alexander the Great. With Zeus Olympus as their principal deity, generations of royalty and their followers celebrated their dedication to the god with sanctuaries, festivals, temples, statues, and public buildings, transforming the city into a central sacred site and a monumental urban center. The exhibition presents highlights of the finds of the last fifty years of archaeological excavations and is organized by the Onassis Foundation (USA) and the Dion Excavations, in collaboration with the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports--Ephorate of Antiquities of Pieria.

Contents:
Essays. Ancient Dion: a chronicle of the excavations / Dimitrios Pandermalis
The Cult of Demeter at Dion / Semeli Pingiatoglou
From the kingdom of Macedonia to the colony of Dion: the use and function of coinage / Sophia Kremydi
Snippets of everyday life in Roman Dion / Angelos Chaniotis
Greek myths at Dion: divine family in a human landscape / Richard P. Martin
Zeus Olympios and his cult in Greece / Fritz Graf
Mount Olympus and its natural wealth / Katerina Boli & Maria Katsakiori
Catalogue. The Sanctuary of Zeus Olympios / Maria Iatrou
The Sanctury of Zeus Hypsistos / Maria Iatrou
The Sanctuary of Demeter / Semeli Pingiatroglou
The Sanctuary of Isis / Maria Iatrou
The Villa of Dionysus / Dimitrios Pandermalis
The Great Baths / Maria Iatrou
Finds from the city and the necropolis / Maria Iatrou

Curated by Dimitrios Pandermalis, president of the Acropolis Museum and director of the excavations at Dion since 1973, Gods and Mortals at Olympus: Ancient Dion, City of Zeus offers public access to Dion's daily, cultural, and religious life. These works, never before seen in the USA, are a selection from the thousands of artifacts that have been unearthed at the site in the course of forty years of systematic and scientific archaeological excavation. Images and videos of the city's ruins and natural landscapes will immerse the visitor in the natural backdrop of the artifacts, and bring the ancient city of Dion to life. The exhibition is accompanied by public programs for all ages and interests

159 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), color maps ; 30 cm
 

Gods and Mortals at Olympus: Ancient Dion, City of Zeus

by: Pandermalis, D.

• ISBN-13: 9780990614227 / 978-0-9906142-2-7
• ISBN-03: 0990614220 / 0-9906142-2-0
• Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation (USA) & the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, Athens, Greece, New York, 2016