ABSTRACT
Dedications to the gods lie at the heart of ancient Greek religious practice. This chapter provides rich evidence of the central sanctuary of Olympia in the eighth century BCE as the basis for a general discussion of the religious meanings of votive offerings portraying various species. It begins by examining the interpretative framework by assessing a horse statuette before considering other types of animal votives that were uncovered in this major Panhellenic shrine. The chapter focuses on a group of dedications from a sixth-century BCE sanctuary in the Peloponnese that provides a helpful starting point for contemplating human and divine interactions with animals. It also focuses primarily on bronze figurines. Although, as seen in Olympia, simpler clay figurines were very popular, bronze statuettes tend to be better preserved and are therefore more amenable for analysis. The examples discussed are from mainland Greece from the eighth to the fourth century BCE.
