“… then Hercules will go to the mountain.” New insights on Hercules’ cult in 1st millennium BC central Apennine Italy.

Monti, Dario;Lancini, Loredana
(2025) 31st EAA Annual Meeting –Intertwined pasts — Location: University of Belgrade (entire conference moved online) (2.September.2025)

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This paper explores the relationship between the mountainous environment of central Apennines Italy and the cult of Hercules, examining the ways in which this specific landscape may have influenced the practices and beliefs of the local societies. It also seeks to evaluate whether, and to what extent, talking about an ‘Italic Hercules’ has meaning, and what were his main cultic traits. While earlier studies have highlighted the association of Hercules worship with transhumance, this research takes a broader view, questioning whether the mountainous context itself contributed to the development of distinct cultic features in these regions. To do so, particular attention will be given to the spatial and topographical distribution of the cult. The cult of Hercules in central Italy appears, as already proposed by some, to have been shaped not only by pastoralism but also by other forms of mobility, such as trade. By examining both archaeological and epigraphic evidence, this paper aims to investigate whether there were regional patterns in the expression of the cult that may have been linked to the unique characteristics of the mountain environment. It also aims to investigate the types of contacts that could have taken place in areas sacred to him, and the identity of their protagonists. The paper also considers the possibility that the cult’s spread and forms were also partly adapted to the specific challenges of mountainous life, offering new insights into how religious practices were interwoven with the local environment. By addressing the mountain environment’s influence on the cult of Hercules, this paper seeks to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the cultural and societal dynamics in these often-overlooked regions of the ancient Mediterranean. In doing so, it highlights the central role that mountain communities played in shaping both religious and social landscapes in pre-Roman Italy.
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Monti, D., & Lancini, L. (2025). “… then Hercules will go to the mountain.” New insights on Hercules’ cult in 1st millennium BC central Apennine Italy. 31st EAA Annual Meeting –Intertwined pasts, University of Belgrade (entire conference moved online). https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/266610