Religious Syncretism in the Near East: Allāt-Athena in Palmyra

Abstract

The aim of the present article is to examine those problems concerning the so-called Allāt-Athena, focusing on the case of Palmyra. It should be taken into account that the Greeks did not have any fixed religious dogmas, a matter that has been confirmed even through a detailed analysis of the attributes of Athena. It is not the purpose of the present author to give any exhaustive treatment of the artistic representations of the so-called Allāt- Athena cluster.

El propósito del presente artículo es examinar aquellos problemas relativos a la fusión Allāt-Athena, centrándose en el caso de Palmira. Ha de tenerse en cuenta, para ello, que los griegos no establecieron dogmas religiosos, asunto que queda confirmado, incluso, en un detallado análisis de los atributos de Athena. Vaya por delante que el autor no pretende ofrecer un tratamiento exhaustivo de las representaciones artísticas de la fusión Allāt- Athena.