ABSTRACT
Since the introduction of the Isiac deities in Hellenistic Greece and their interaction with the local ones, a continuous discourse developed between imported and local cultural and cultic features. The Isiac deities appeared alongside local ones and shared common characteristics. Archaeological and epigraphic evidence suggests that during the 2nd century CE local people in Achaea were significantly more productive in terms of material culture. Thus, this century makes an excellent case study for investigating religious interactions, not only due to the abundance of material culture – here focusing on sculpture and architecture in particular – and literary testimonies (mainly Pausanias) regarding ritual practices, but also because both Roman imperial and local elites were active agents in the formation of this balance between the local and the global, the present and the past. In this chapter I discuss how Achaea’s religious past expanded to include the Egyptian deities. I focus on two case studies: the sanctuary of the Egyptian deities at Marathon, and the sanctuary of Tithorea in Phocis. These two case studies reveal various ritual and cultural balances conceived by various groups who adopted and adapted these global deities. Additionally, they offer insights into the formation of a sacred landscape that included the past prominently in the religious present.
