ABSTRACT
In this paper, I would like to explore the poetics o f hero cult as presented in Philostratos’s Heroikos. I am particularly struck by two facets o f hero cult as described in the dialogue: the important part played by hymns and laments in the rituals described, and the emphasis placed on the emotional bond between worshipper and hero. I propose to investigate these twin themes in some more depth, and to do this by focusing on some o f the examples provided by Philostratos himself, and more particularly on the cult o f Melikertes.
