ABSTRACT
In this paper, I would like to explore the poetics of hero cult as presented in Philostratos’s Heroikos. I am particularly struck by two facets of 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 of the examples provided by Philostratos himself, and more particularly on the cult of Melikertes.
