The Homarium, Homagyrium or Amarion (Ancient Greek: Ἀμάριον) was the common sanctuary of the

Achaean League The Achaean League () was a Hellenistic period, Hellenistic-era confederation of polis, Greek city-states on the northern and central Peloponnese. The league was named after the region of Achaea (ancient region), Achaea in the northwestern Pelopon ...

, built at

Aegium Aegium or Aigion (), or Aegeium or Aigeion (Αἴγειον), was a town and polis (city-state) of ancient Achaea, and one of the twelve Achaean cities. It was situated upon the coast west of the Selinountas (river), river Selinus, 30 stadion (unit ...

. It was so named as it was dedicated to Zeus Amarios (Ancient Greek: Ἀμάριος) or Homarios (Ὁμάριος) or Homagyrios (Ὁμαγύριος) (Latinized as ''Homarius'' and ''Homagyrius'', the exact meaning of the

epithet An epithet (, ), also a byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) commonly accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a real or fictitious person, place, or thing. It is usually literally descriptive, as in Alfred the Great, Suleima ...

s is uncertain, but probably "god of the assembly, he who unites"), and was used, according to

Polybius Polybius (; , ; ) was a Greek historian of the middle Hellenistic period. He is noted for his work , a universal history documenting the rise of Rome in the Mediterranean in the third and second centuries BC. It covered the period of 264–146 ...

, for meetings and debates on Achaean lines.

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-si ...

describes it as a grove, near a temple of

Demeter In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Demeter (; Attic Greek, Attic: ''Dēmḗtēr'' ; Doric Greek, Doric: ''Dāmā́tēr'') is the Twelve Olympians, Olympian goddess of the harvest and agriculture, presiding over cro ...

Panachaia.

Descriptions

Again, according to Polybius :93resolutions to internal Achaean disputes during the Social War were recorded on a

stele A stele ( ) or stela ( )The plural in English is sometimes stelai ( ) based on direct transliteration of the Greek, sometimes stelae or stelæ ( ) based on the inflection of Greek nouns in Latin, and sometimes anglicized to steles ( ) or stela ...

erected near the altar of

Hestia In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Hestia (; ) is the virgin goddess of the hearth and the home. In myth, she is the firstborn child of the Titans Cronus and Rhea, and one of the Twelve Olympians. In Greek mythology, newborn Hestia, alo ...

or Vesta. Pausanias described the Homarium at Aegium in the 2nd century: :"By the sea at Aigion n Akhaiais a sanctuary of . . . Zeus Homagyrios (the Assembler). Here are images of Zeus, of Aphrodite and of Athena. The surname Assembler was given to Zeus because in this place Agamemnon assembled the most eminent men in Greece, in order that they might consult together how to make war on the empire of Priamos. Among the claims of Agamemnon to renown is that he destroyed Troy and the cities around her with the forces that followed him originally, without any later reinforcements . . . Even in my time the Akhaian assembly still meets at Aigion, just as the Amphiktyones do at Thermopylai and at Delphoi." He also mention the priesthood and organisation of the temple: :"There are at Aigion n Akhaiaother images made of bronze, Zeus as a boy and Herakles as a beardless youth, the work of Ageladas of Argos. Priests are elected for them every year, and each of the two images remains at the house of the priest. In a more remote age there was chosen to be priest for Zeus from the boys he who won the prize for beauty. When his beard began to grow the honor for beauty passed to another boy. Such were the customs." The Acahean colonies in Italy,

Sybaris Sybaris (; ) was an important ancient Greek city situated on the coast of the Gulf of Taranto in modern Calabria, Italy. The city was founded around 720 BC by Achaeans (tribe), Achaean and Troezenian settlers and the Achaeans also went on ...

, Caulon and Kroton similarly established a Homarium as a common forum. Pope, in his 1715 ''Essay'' introducing his translation of Homer's Iliad, refers a temple erected to Homer as "the true Homærium", and comments on dispute over its locality. By 1872 this was described as a

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Zeus Amarios

Nineteen states of the Achaean League minted triobols (or hemidrachms), small silver coins worth three obols, carrying a bust of Zeus Amarios on the obverse. Later bronze coins were minted by the members of the league, also bearing the image of Zeus Amarios, holding a miniature

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...

, presenting him a wreath. The later bronze mintage is remarkable for the number of towns and villages that produced coins, some forty five, and the number of die used, estimated at 1600.

Achaean oath

The Achaean oath was taken upon the trinity of Hamarium Zeus, Hamarium Athena and Aphrodite.

References

{{Use dmy dates, date=April 2017 4th-century BC religious buildings and structures Achaean League Aigio Temples of Zeus