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Die Schöne und die Biester
Die Herrin der Tiere im bronzezeitlichen und früheisenzeitlichen Griechenland
The M.A.-thesis at hand analyzes the earliest depictions of Potnia Theron from the Bronze and early Iron Ages in Greece and on Crete. The concept behind this motive is widespread in the whole Mediterranean region, in Central and Southern Europe, as well as in the Near East and Egypt throughout numerous epochs and cultural environments. The study focusses on a group of portrayals of Potnia Theron from the 2nd and early 1st millennium BC. They depict a divine female figure in connection to animals. For this reason the name “Mistress of the Animals” (Potnia Theron) has become common. It is one of the most important pictorial subjects of Aegean and early Greek cult iconography - and one of the most difficult ones to interpret as well. The core themes of the study are the systematic examination of the different schemes the Potnia Theron is portrayed in and further the analysis of the character of the goddess. Therefore, the study attempts to find clues about the provenance as well as indications for continuity in the depiction. Moreover, it also sets out to discover evidence for cultural contact to the Near East and the Aegean.
