BABESCH 87 (2012), 173-186. doi: 10.2143/BAB.87.0.2160697. Apollo mediating identities in ancient Greek Sicily Lieve Donnellan Abstract The importance of the cult of Apollo Archegetes of Naxos for Sicily is amply recognised, and is generally con- nected by scholars with Sicilian theoria and communal identity. It is claimed in this paper, however, that the reli- gious and political functions of Apollo Archegetes were more diverse and that Apollo Archegetes fulfilled an important local role, rather than being a symbol of a universal and well defined Sikeliot identity. Numismatic evi- dence indicates that Apollo Archegetes symbolised the opposition of Naxos, Leontinoi and Katane against Syracuse in the 5th century BC. Only in the 4th century BC, with the Timoleontic symmachia, was the image of Apollo Archegetes truly pan-Sikeliot. Sikeliot identity was in the Archaic period rather loose and of a religious nature. It is proposed to call this identity ‘proto-Sikeliot’, to distinguish it from a well defined Sikeliot identity, which crystallised only after the Athenian invasion, to become well established in the 4th century BC.* When ancient Greek colonists first landed in to demand its surrender. As his guards were Sicily, they founded the colony Naxos (fig. 1) and not admitted, he set sail to the river Onobalas they erected an altar for Apollo Archegetes; such and the temple of Aphrodite, and moored his is told by Thucydides, in his Sicilian Archaeology:1 fleet at the shrine of the Archegetes, the god of the Naxians, intending to pitch his camp there ‘Ελλνων δ πρ τ ι αλκιδς Ε ας and attack Tauromenium. The Archegetes is a πλεσαντες μετ Θ υκλ υς !κιστ " Ν$ ν small statue of Apollo, erected by the Naxians %&κισαν κα' (Απ*λλων ς (Αρ+ηγτ υ ωμ*ν, when they first migrated to Sicily.’ /στις ν"ν 0ω τς π*λε1ς στιν, 2δρσαντ , 3( %4, /ταν κ Σικελας θεωρ ' πλωσι, πρ τ ν Although a sanctuary for Apollo Archegetes has θ υσιν. never been found, the existence of the cult men- tioned in the texts is confirmed by the frequent ‘Of the Hellenes, on the other hand, the first to appearance of the head of Apollo, in some cases sail over were some Chalkidians from Euboea with the epithet ‘Archegetes’, on the coinage of who settled Naxos with Thukles as founder, some of the cities in Sicily.3 and built an altar in honour of Apollo Archege - tes. This is now outside the city, and on it sacred INTRODUCTION deputies, when they sail from Sicily, first offer sacrifice.’ A lot of attention has been paid to the cult for Apollo Archegetes, because of its significance for a A cult for Apollo Archegetes, still existing centuries pan-Sikeliot identity, that is, a shared identity of later in Naxos, is mentioned by Appian, when he all the Greek colonists of Sicily.4 As a conse- recounts the arrival of the fleet of Octavian in quence, it will be argued here, the local dimen- Tauromenion:2 sion of the cult of Apollo Archegetes has been overlooked. The pan-Sikeliot significance of Apollo λθ8ν δ( π' τ9 Ταυρ μνι ν πρ σπεμψε μν Archegetes has been generally linked to the arrival <ς =πα*μεν ς ατ*, δεαμνων δ τ ν of Greek colonists in Sicily. As Thucydides says, 3ρ υρ ν παρπλει τ9ν π ταμ9ν τ9ν (>ν $ - the foundation of the cult of Apollo Archegetes was λαν κα' τ9 2ερ9ν τ9 (Α3ρ δσι ν κα' <ρμσατ connected with Theokles, the oikistes of the first ς τ9ν (Αρ+ηγτην, Ναων τ9ν θε*ν, <ς +$ρακα colonists in Sicily. Pan-Sikeliot identity, as is gen- θησ*μεν ς ντα"θα κα' @π πειρ$σων τ " Ταυ - erally supposed, focused on this cult of Apollo ρ μεν υ. A δ (Αρ+ηγτης (Απ*λλων ς @γαλ - Archegetes, the first sanctuary of the first Greek μ$τι*ν στιν, B πρ τ ν στσαντ Ναων 2 colony in Sicily, thus representing Greekness and ε!ς Σικελαν @π%ωκισμν ι. foreigness in a new country, and connecting with the homeland, hence the sacrifice of the theoroi ‘Arriving at Tauromenium, he sent messengers (religious ambassadors) before embarking on their 173 Fig. 1. Map of Sicily showing the most important sites mentioned in the text. sacred mission, mentioned by Thucy dides.5 How - nificance was supreme for the colonists, it was ever, it is argued in this paper that the evidence this attribute, according to Malkin, which came to indicates that the connection Apollo Archegetes - overshadow all others, and as such the altar be - pan-Sikeliot identity, traditionally made by schol- came a permanent place of worship. The installa- ars, has been too fierce, and that the cult of Apollo tion of other colonies in Sicily, already in the late Archegetes should be assigned in the first place a 8th century BC, made that the altar of Apollo at religious importance, rather than a political one, for Naxos quickly became Archegetes of all Greek the Greek colonists of Sicily, and that the cult had foundations on the island. Malkin sees a similar an important local significance for Naxos and her development in Massalia with the pan-Ionian cult daughter cities Leontinoi and Katane. As a conse- of Apollo Delphinios there. quence, the pan-Sikeliot ‘ethnic’ dimension of the Because of its supposed pan-Sikeliot role, Mal - cult of Apollo Archegetes needs to be reassessed. kin, and others, have connected the sanctuary of Most attention to the pan-Sikeliot role of Apollo Apollo Archegetes in Naxos with the oracle of Apollo Archegetes has been given by Irad Malkin.6 He at Delphi, although no oracle for the foundation stresses the joint Dorian - Ionian veneration of the of Naxos has been given, or survived.8 The oracle god, and points to the fact that the theoria (reli- of Apollo at Delphi is known to have fulfilled a gious embassy) proves its regional importance. central role in the Greek colonisation movement. Malkin is, at the same time, convinced that the Delphi initiated, sanctioned and guided colonial oikistes Theokles, mentioned by Thucydides and enterprises. It was the god Apollo who legitimated other ancient writers, did not initially erect the colonisation through his oracle. It was from Apollo altar for Apollo as god of colonisation. He claims that the founder, the oikistes, received his power, re - that the reason for the erection of the altar should sulting in his honouring and remembrance through be sought in Apollo’s maritime functions: first he cult, even after his death. Colonies, which were not was Apollo of happy landing (ekbasios), the pre- founded by the guidance of Delphi invented ora- server of ships (neossoos), and the god of the shore cles to add prestige to their colony.9 Apollo Arche - (aktios, aktaios).7 Since Apollo was also the Arche - getes of Naxos, thus, connects to Delphi. getes, the leader of foundations, a title whose sig- This connection has been heavily disputed, for 174 others have tried to connect Apollo Archegetes of Apollo Archegetes pan-Sikeliot identity was rather Naxos with Delos.10 It is thought that, apart from loose and related to religion (the theoria to the the Chalkidians mentioned in the sources, a con- sanctuary of Apollo Archegetes) rather than politi- tingent of colonists originating from the Cycladic cal unity or ethnic identity. It is argued that other island Naxos participated in the foundation.11 dynamics caused a crystallisation of a clear com- Cycladic Naxos is known to have dominated the munal pan-Sikeliot identity. island of Delos, the birth place of Apollo, and to Several attempts to locate the sanctuary of Apol - have erected costly dedications there, therefore a lo Archegetes have been undertaken in the past, connection of the homonymous Sicilian foundation however, without success: it has been proposed with Delos has been proposed by some scholars.12 that the altar of Apollo Archegetes should be sought That the Naxian domination of Delos, however, on the place where a statue was erected, in AD can be dated only a century after the foundation 1691, in the memory of the seventh centenary of of the colony Naxos, itself dated by Thucydidian Saint Pancratius, the saint who had defeated local chronology in 734 BC, a date confirmed by pot- paganism. Later, it was suggested that the sanc- tery, as well as the lack of a clear Delian connec- tuary was located in the so-called area of Scalia, tion with colonisation, makes this proposed link where, during excavations, an altar was found, between Delos and Sicilian Naxos very unlikely.13 which would coincide with Thucydides’ descrip- Apollo Archegetes fulfilled a key role for the tion. However, in the same sanctuary, a dedication Sicilian colonies, not only as a reference point for for the goddess of bloody close combat, Enyò, identity, but also as anchor point for the chronol- was found.15 A satisfying alternative for the loca- ogy of the foundation of the colonies. Oswyn tion of the altar of Apollo has not yet been pro- Murray states that the Thucydidian chronology is posed, but will be attempted here as well. the only set of coherent foundation dates we have, calculated in years, and not in generations, and THE LOCAL DIMENSION OF APOLLO ARCHEGETES OF that this is probably due to the correlation of the NAXOS foundation dates of the other colonies with Naxos, and with the installation of the sanctuary Apollo Archegetes and the Representation of the of Apollo Archegetes.14 This implies that the pri- Foundation of Naxos macy of Naxos was recognised by the other col - onies, although Naxos was a relatively small and Sanctuaries transcending the purely local level unimportant polis.