Résumé
From at least the Archaic period onwards, the cults of gods called "saviours" (Σωτήρ/Σώτειρα) spread remarkably quickly across the Mediterranean, so that there was hardly any region where they are not attested. Approached with innumerable prayers, sacrifices and dedications, these "saviour" gods had the power to grant an important blessing, σωτηρία ("deliverance", "safety", "salvation"), which is arguably one of the favours most frequently sought from the gods. This seminar looked at the multivalent power of these "saviour" gods and the nature of soteria which they offered. What did soteria mean for the ancient Greeks, and how did they experience it? Sought in circumstances ranging from warfare to seafaring, childbirth, healing, farming, earthquakes, plagues and so on, soteria in Greek antiquity was about the safety and well-being of communities as much as that of their individual members. What did the Greeks have in mind when calling a god "saviour"? Which categories of the divine were thus called, and how did these gods actually "save"? Given the plurality of "saviours" in Greek polytheism, another difficult question is how individuals decided which ones to appeal to in the hour of need. Using both literary and epigraphic evidence, we explored the multiple levels on which the "saviour" gods operated, the values attached to soteria, and whether the concept of soteria contained any eschatological connotations in the Greek world (as is sometimes thought). It emerged that, far from being fixed and clearly-delimited, the pantheon of "saviour" gods could be constantly expanded, and their power and personality continually configured and re-configured, though within certain limits, according to the experiences, needs and decisions of communities and individuals.
