Crete offers rich material for investigating questions at the heart of research on social organization in ancient Greece. The essays in these proceedings use archeological and historical approaches to analyze the processes of structural change that took place in the cities of Crete during the archaic and classical periods, bringing together for the first time various research methods to develop a coherent perspective.

This collection of essays provides an overview of recent archaeological research into cults in Antiquity. It features unpublished or previously neglected material, presents current research findings, and opens up a new perspective that raises further questions. The authors of the individual essays are not only young researchers but also renowned scholars specializing in this complex set of issues. The book covers almost the entire spectrum of research into cults in Antiquity.