ABSTRACT
This chapter reconstructs the religious experience of mariners during the 6th century, with particular emphasis on evidence derived from Gravisca and Naukratis. Divine presence was very much a concern in the lives of sailors and traders; the gods enabled economic successes but also were instrumental in ensuring human safety at sea, which was an especially perilous place where storms, slavers, and other dangers constantly threatened. Sanctuaries provided familiar places where people could find comfort in familiar material culture while thanking the gods for their protection. Their offerings could include purchased items but also self-made ones, such as carefully carved wooden boat models or haphazardly scratched graffiti on pottery sherds.
