ABSTRACT
The chthonic nature of Lucanian cults is encapsulated in one of the most important features of cult places, namely their connection with water. The rich epigraphic documentation from the sanctuary of Rossano di Vaglio, which mostly includes dedicatory inscriptions, enables people to make a cross-reading of written and material sources, thus providing a unique tool to reconstruct the nature of Lucanian cults. The case of Rossano reveals a striking divergence between the complex pantheon as it emerges from the dedicatory inscriptions and the quite homogeneous picture that they can reconstruct on the basis of the archaeological record. In the inscriptions from Rossano di Vaglio the name of Mefitis is accompanied by three epithets – Utiana, Caporoinna, and Aravina – which all refer to the multifaceted nature of Mefitis. The epigraphic record from Rossano di Vaglio has contributed to modify the idea of Mefitis as an infernal deity derived from the interpretatio Latina and some modern etymologies.
