Sparta:
Religion, Death and Burial: 4.1
 Gods and Goddesses:
The Spartans took their religion very seriously and obeyed the gods
strictly. They worshipped the 12 Olympian gods and goddesses.
 Artemis Orthia, Goddess of the hunt, wild animals and vegetation
whose sanctuary was outside the city on the banks of the Eurotas
River.
 Athena Poliouchos (Athena of the City) or Athena of the Bronze
House, whose temple with bronze doors was in the city area.
 Apollo Hyacinthia whose shrine, the Amyklaion, was near
Amyclae.
 Zeus was worshipped as the founder of Laconia and Sparta. Zeus
Lacedaemon was the patron god of the Agiad royal family and
Zeus Uranios was the patron god of the Europontids royal family.
 Demeter, as the guardian of women.
 Poseidon whose temple was on the coast in southern Laconia.
The Kings of Sparta were chief priests and held with the highest
reverence throughout, however it is more than likely that there were other
priests as well.
Artemis – Orthia: Artemis Orthia was an extremely significant goddess
to the Spartans as she was associated with childbirth. A religious festival
was held to honour Artemis Orthia each year. It involved boys running
between the Temple of Artemis Orthia and the alter to snatch cheese from
the alter while being whipped along the way. Archaeologists have
discovered a strange mask and hundreds of tiny lead figures around the
site believed to have been her sanctuary. It is believed that these masks
may be copies of masks worn during ritual dances to the goddess.
Poseidon: The god of the sea had a temple dedicated to him near Cape
Taenaron. According to mythology, this was the spot where Heracles
entered the Underworld for the last of his 12 labours or tasks. The twelfth
labour involved Heracles capturing the three-headed dog Cerberus who
guarded the entrance to the underworld.
Apollo: The festival Hyakinthia was held each year to honour the god
Apollo. A statue was found in the Sanctuary of Amyclae where Apollo is
armed with a bow and a spear, showing his war like nature.