The hero shrine of Opheltes/Archemoros at Nemea: A case study of Ancient Greek hero cult

The Sanctuary of Zeus at Nemea preserves an important example of a Greek hero shrine in a Panhellenic setting. The remains of this shrine, discovered in 1979 and excavated over various seasons thereafter, are substantial. The first chapter presents for the first time the results of a thorough and synthetic study of the entire archaeological record for the shrine and its environs. The data permit conclusions about the shape and construction of the shrine, its relationship to the surrounding early athletic facilities for the Nemean Games, its date of construction, its subsequent history, and the ritual activity conducted within. Accompanying this study is an appendix presenting a detailed catalogue of objects pertinent to the hero shrine; another appendix treats the texts of four curse tablets from the shrine, of which three are published here for the first time.;The shrine was dedicated to the legendary child hero Opheltes, renamed Archemoros after his death. The second and third chapters present the most comprehensive examination to date of the literary, epigraphic, and artistic sources that relate to the myth of this child hero and its aetiological connection to the Nemean Games. This examination, in light of the excavated remains, leads to new interpretations of many of the sources as well as corrections of several earlier interpretations advanced by scholars. A separate appendix gathers the literary and epigraphic testimonia discussed in the text.;The hero shrine of Opheltes/Archemoros at Nemea now becomes one of the best archaeologically documented examples of Greek hero cult, and therefore makes an important contribution to the study of this aspect of ancient Greek religion. Among the issues that benefit from this study are the origin and development of hero cult, the morphology of hero shrines, the association of hero cult with funeral games and athletic competitions, and the nature of hero cult ritual.