The Social Context of Cult Practices in Pre-Roman Lucania

Abstract

The period of the late fifth to early third century B. C. in the Italic hinterland of Magna Graecia is marked by a number of important economic, social, and political transformations which have now been archaeologically documented. Increased knowledge of settlements now allows us to place the cultic activity established at Lucanian sites within a clearer architectural and societal context. Three types of indigenous cult places exist. Two are extramural, serve large population groups, and developed in the second half of the fourth century B. C. The third type, the focus of this paper, is the ceremonial area with a cultic association found in major residential complexes within fifth- and fourth-century nucleated or fortified settlements and is to be seen in connection with a monumentalizing trend in domestic architecture. The best example of this type of cult place has been found at the western Lucanian site of Roccagloriosa, discussed here in detail. Relevant analogies are found with neighboring Italic sites and with similar but earlier developments in both Archaic Etruria and early Rome for which much better textual and archaeological documentation exists.