Cults of nymphs between Corinth, Corcyra and Syracuse: an initial review

This contribution explores the cults of nymphs in the interconnected contexts of Corinth, Corcyra and Syracuse and includes discussion on the role of the nymphs themselves, as guardians of the institution of marriage, and the significance of shared cult practices, as indicated in the archaeological record, for our understanding of the relations between these areas. Beginning with an analysis of recent work on key-sites in Corinth, the contribution presents comparisons with the evidence of practice in Corcyra. The third study explores the more complex case of Syracuse, including the figures of Arethusa and Kyane. This paper acknowledges the continuity of cult across the three sites, the common themes of liminality and the role of nymphs as mediators in female social and sexual transitions and addresses the more unique elements of the archaeology of cult, and practice, in the developed context of 5th-4th century BCE Sicily.