The worship of the goddess Despοina at Lykosura probably reflects an ancient Arcadian tradition. In the cella of the Temple of Despoina, the renowned sculptor Damophon from Messene crafted a colossal marble statue group (measuring approximately 5.80–5.90 m in height), which the majority of scholars have dated to the end of the 3rd and the beginning of the 2nd century BC. The cult statues of Lykosura illustrate a female group comprising four figures: the goddesses Artemis, Demeter, Despoina, and Anytos. Artemis is depicted as the goddess of hunting, accompanied by a dog and a quiver. Furthermore, Artemis can be identified with Hekate, as both goddesses were depicted with a torch and snakes, and Artemis was also the sister of Despoina and daughter of Demeter according to the local Arcadian tradition. In this representation, Demeter is depicted holding a torch in her right hand while her left rests on Despoina’s right shoulder. She was depicted as a seated statue positioned alongside Despoina. Despoina, the Mistress, was depicted holding a scepter in her left hand and a mystiké kíste on her lap with her right. According to Pausanias description: “Demeter holds a torch in her right hand, while the other lays upon Despoina. Despoina holds a sceptre and the kíste on her knees, which she holds with her right hand. On both sides of the throne: by the side of Demeter stands Artemis clad in a deerskin; she has a quiver on her shoulders, and she holds a torch in the one hand while in the other holds two snakes; beside Artemis lies a hunting dog. By the statue of Despoina stands Anytos, as an armed figure. The priests of the sanctuary say (maintain) that Despoina was brought up by Anytos, who was one of the called Titans. (……) The legend about Anytos is based on an arcadian tradition”.
The myth about Despoina’s birth is also based on a local arcadian tradition. Despoina was born after the secret coitus of Demeter and Poseidon. While Demeter was searching for her daughter Persephone, Poseidon pursued her. The god transformed into a horse, thus enabling him to rape the goddess. According to this tradition, daughter was born through this coitus, whose name was forbidden to be revealed to those who were not initiated to the Mysteries of her mother Demeter. The cult of Despoina in Lykosura is related to this religious tradition, as evidenced by Pausanias's account of his visit to Lykosura, in which he states that: “The Arcadians venerate this goddess among the most gods, namely Despoina. They say (maintain) that she was the daughter of Poseidon and Demeter. Most of them use the name Despoina, which is a byname of the goddess, just like the other daughter of Demeter and Zeus, who was called Kore, although her primary name is Persephone (…….). I was afraid to reveal the name of Despoina to those who were not initiated.”
It is challenging to determine with precision whether the origins of the cult at Lykosura can be attributed to a period preceding or contemporary to that of the worshipping cult group. However, there is evidence that indirectly speaks of its antiquity. It can be reasonably inferred from the available sources that the sanctuary of Lykosura was the site of ancient cultic activities. The sacrificial rituals that Pausanias describes during his visit to the temple may have been the inheritors of an older tradition. Furthermore, the terracotta statuettes from the Archaic period, which were discovered at the Megaron in Despoina’s sanctuary, offer valuable insight into the practice of older cult activities. The votive figures are both anthropomorphic and zoomorphic, with most of them holding an animal in front of their torso or a basket over their head.
In addition, a bronze tablet from the late Archaic Period (c. 500 BC) that was found on Mount Lykaion is recent evidence about sacrifices and festivals sacred for Zeus Lykaios, who – according to a local myth – was born and brought up on it. J. Heinrichs examined the tablet and postulates that the cult of Despoina may have originated in the 6th century BC. This is based on the connection he draws between the name of the goddess Despoina and Kachila, whose presence according to the scholar is evidenced by the appearance of a goddess on some coins from Arcadia dating to the 5th century BC. Furthermore, J. Heinrichs hypothesises that Kachila’s name is also mentioned in the tablet and that she was Despoina in her youth who was venerated with Zeus Lykaios.
In Arcadia, the cult of Demeter and Despοina at Lykosura, where the mysteries in honour of the goddess Despοina were held, was considered one of the most important mystery cults. The cult group of Lykosura, apart from Anytos, is accompanied by attributes related to the secret ceremony during the initiation process and the myth about Despoina in Arcadia. Considering the available descriptions by Pausanias and archaeological findings, it can be surmised that the attributes accompanying the goddesses were as follows: Artemis was depicted with a torch and snakes, Demeter with a torch and Despoina with a scepter and the mystiké kíste. The preserved head and part of the torso of Demeter and some garments, in particular the decorated garment of Despoina, contribute to our understanding of how the goddesses were dressed and they can also lead us to interpret the mystery cult in Lykosura. The secret character of the Lykosura cult is similarly corroborated by the Tritonesses, the marine figures that decorated the throne of Demeter and Despoina. The female figures are depicted carrying the mystikaí kístai, or secret baskets, over their heads, symbolising the religious regulations. These figures could be also characterised as “Kistophorai” in a way.
The figure of Demeter, the mother of Despoina, is depicted as a seated woman, clad in a girded chiton, while a long-folded veil also covers her head. Demeter is depicted holding a long torch, a characteristic attribute of the goddess. With her left hand, she leans on Despoina’s shoulder, while her head turns towards her daughter. The connection between mother and daughter is also evident in this cult group, as in Eleusis. The fact that the two deities are sharing the throne indicates the significance of their collective worship in Lykosura. Unfortunately, Despoina’s head was not discovered during the excavations. However, the discovery of parts of her torso, her garments, and her attributes allows for the reconstruction of the figure.
The divine figure holds the scepter in her left hand and the mystiké kíste in her right. Despoina is responsible for maintaining the secrecy of the rituals, reminding of Persephone's role in Eleusinian mysteries . The goddesses are not identical, but they share common characteristics. The decorated garment rendered in relief has been extensively studied by scholars as a symbol of the cult practices in the sanctuary. The various topics depicted in relief by the garment represent the multifaceted character of the cult. Other findings from the same area, such as terracotta snakes, also confirm the link between the Mysteries of Despoina and the underworld.
According to the inscription from the 3rd century BC, dedicated to the goddess Despoina, purple, flower-coloured or black clothing was not permitted for dedication. Consequently, visitors to the sanctuary were prohibited from wearing these colours or garments with these decorations.
The preserved decorated marble garment from the Lykosura group, discovered in the cella of the temple of Despoina and depicted in relief, also suggests such a religious interpretation. The fragment is exhibited in the Hellenic National Archaeological Museum of Athens, and it is 1.13 m high. It is divided into zones depicting figures and ornaments. The various zones illustrate different topics related to Despoina’s cult and rituals in the sanctuary. Consequently, we observe ornaments, eagles and thunderbolts, olive leaves and fruits, Tritons, Nereids, dolphins and a kétos from the zone of the ‘marine thiasos’. Furthermore, in the lower part of the garment, Nikai are depicted carrying censers. At the bottom of the garment, we see the so-called 'Animal zone'. This zone features figures, some of whom are depicted on animal masks, and they are leading a dance ritual procession probably before the initiation to the mysteries.
The eagles and thunderbolts, for example, in the second zone of the upper part of the garment attest to the presence of Zeus in Arcadia. Zeus was the most venerated god on Mount Lykaion, and it is known from ancient sources that his cult was widespread in the Peloponnese. The hypothesis that mythical connections between Zeus-Demeter-Persephone, and Poseidon-Demeter-Despoina, are reflected in the representation of Zeus' as well as Poseidon's symbols on the garment is also conceivable.
In the central zone, the figure of the Nikai, depicted as a flying figure holding censers as cult objects, can be related to the ritual procession during the teleté at Lykosura. The zone allows for a variety of iconographic interpretations, as it dominates the garment and emphasises its religious character. The Nikai, who also represent the victory of life, nature and its vegetation at Lykosura, are related to Demeter and Despoina as the goddesses of nature and fertility. A similar religious characterisation can be observed in Eleusis. Demeter and Persephone represent the power of nature and the happiness derived from its regrowth. If we accept that Despoina, the daughter of Poseidon and another daughter of Demeter, was also connected to the underworld as Persephone, then the presence of the Nikai on the garment symbolises the life and rebuilding of nature. As daughter and mother, whose relationship to Megale Meter was undoubtedly strong, they were responsible for the fertility of the land and its fruits.
The human beings depicted on the bottom of the garment, who accompanied the goddesses at Lykosura, depicted as animal-headed figures, can also be paralleled with the myth of Demeter and Despoina. For example, the equine masks are closely connected to the cult of Poseidon Hippios at Lykosura. The ritual dance contributed to a deeper connection to the divine, both mental and psychic.
— Mysteries and interactivity: the relationship between Demeter-Persephone at Eleusis and Demeter-Despoina at Lykosura, Sotiria Dimopoulou
