The cult of heron in Egypt

Abstract EN

The cult of the warrior karian god heron appeared in egypt during the ptolemaic period, its main cult center was at fayoum.

his worship at fayoum is mainly attributed with the greek mercenaries who came to fayoum during the reign of ptolemy i.

he was depicted upon the roman temples of the choras of fayoum as magdola, theadelphia and narmouthis, his worship also appeared as a domestic-cult between the fayoums' communities during the graeco- roman period; his depictions the domestic houses there as karanis, soknopaious neso and dionysius.

heron's figure is also appeared on the objects and the small materials which were found at fayoum as on the stelae and terra-cottas.

it’s a worthy notice that the cult of heron in egypt was not only illuminated at fayoum; it also appeared outside fayoum and his figures appeared on the walls of deir el-medina and deir el-hagar at dakhla.

heron as a cavalier; he always depicted in military dress is surmounting upon horseback or standing beside his horse, turning his glance towards the viewer.

a tree and a serpent standing next to the god as his main attributes and the serpent is usually coiled around the tree.

the greek mercenaries as usual assimilated heron with the egyptian gods who carry the same military aspects; so the cult of heron connected mainly with egyptian gods as horus, the two crocodile gods, harpocrates, and the sun god re; he is also acted as horus as a sun-bird.

the heron’s connection with the sun’s cult, give his the characteristic to act as a burial god, the deceased depicted himself in the form of heron, especially upon the stelae or terra-cottas; the deceased appeared as a rider upon a horse to be as heron under the protection of the sun god in his afterlife.

heron also attributed with other hellenistic gods as herakles, serapis and the diskouri.