Egyptian Nocturnal Festival of Lamps in Honour of Athena-Neith

Abstract

Terracotta figurines – as a part of minor arts – have been produced and widely used throughout the long period of Graeco-Roman dominance over Egypt. They were cheaply made of fired Nile clay and display a wealth of motifs unparalleled in any other terracotta workshops from the ancient world. Many of them represent both Egyptian and foreign deities who were particularly thought to offer personal protection and many of them were moreover closely connected with religious feasts. This is also the case of Athena-Neith. The identification of Athena with the Egyptian warrior-goddess Neith led in the Roman period to the mass-production of distinctive lamps with Athena’s image. No wonder that some of them are also housed in several Czech museums and private collections.273