Kleidophoros Key-Bearing Ceremony and Hekatesia Festivals
Dossier in brief
Place, time and memory in one narrative.
The Kleidophoros (Key-Bearer) Ceremony was a grand ritual procession of ancient Caria in which a young maiden carried the sacred key of the goddess Hekate from the Sanctuary of Lagina along the 11-kilometer Sacred Way to the council house of Stratonikeia. Symbolizing Hekate's divine power to unlock the underworld and human fate, this annual event reinforced the civic bond between the city and its paramount sanctuary.
Translation status
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Source review status
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Historical event · MÖ 3. Yüzyıl — MS 4. Yüzyıl · Table and production · Culture and memory · A link to today
Research note
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Periods
- Hellenistic era
- Roman era