List Of Mycenaean Deities

This article contains text in Mycenaean Greek, written in Linear B. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols.

This is an incomplete list of these deities and of the way their names, epithets, or titles are spelled and attested in Mycenaean Greek, written in the Linear B syllabary, along with some reconstructions and equivalent forms in later Greek.

Deities

Pantheon


Name			Notes
English	Linear B	Transliteration	Comments	Footnotes
Pantes Theoi	𐀞𐀯𐀳𐀃𐀂	pa-si-te-o-i	"To All the Gods"; a special invocation, irrespective of sex, etc.; recurrently attested at Knossos

Gods


Name			Notes
English	Linear B	Transliteration	Comments	Footnotes
Anemoi	𐀀𐀚𐀗𐀂𐀋𐀩𐀊 / 𐀀𐀚𐀗𐄀𐀂𐀋𐀩𐀊	a-ne-mo-i-je-re-ja / a-ne-mo,i-je-re-ja	attested through *Anemohiereia or *Anemon Hiereia, "Priestess of the Winds"
Apollo(?)	𐀟𐁊	pe-rjo-, reconstructed a-pe-rjo-ne	perhaps attested through the lacunose perio
Ares	𐀀𐀩	a-re
Despotas(?)	𐀈𐀡𐀲	do-po-ta	unclear, perhaps house deity
Dionysus	𐀇𐀺𐀝𐀰	di-wo-nu-so
Dipsioi	𐀇𐀠𐀯𐀍𐀂	di-pi-si-jo-i	meaning obscure: perhaps "The Thirsty and hence the Dead Ones"; perhaps related to Thessalian month Dipsos
Drimios	𐀇𐀪𐀖𐀍	di-ri-mi-jo	unknown, in later times, son of Zeus, perhaps a predecessor of Apollo
Enesidaon	𐀁𐀚𐀯𐀅𐀃𐀚	e-ne-si-da-o-ne	possibly a theonym; possibly an epithet of Poseidon, assumed to mean "Earthshaker" or something similar
Enyalius	𐀁𐀝𐀷𐀪𐀍	e-nu-wa-ri-jo	a later epithet of Ares
Hephaestus	𐀀𐀞𐀂𐀴𐀍	a-pa-i-ti-jo	regarded as indirectly attested by the name *Haphaistios or *Haphaistion, presumed to be a theophoric name
Hermes	𐀁𐀔𐁀	e-ma-25* or e-ma-ha
Areias	𐀀𐀩𐀊	a-re-ja	epithet (Hermes)
Hyperion(?)	𐀟𐁊	pe-rjo-, reconstructed u-pe-rjo-ne	perhaps attested through the lacunose perio
Marineus(?)	𐀔𐀪𐀚 / 𐀔𐀪𐀚𐀸 / 𐀔𐀪𐀚𐀺	ma-ri-ne(-u?) / ma-ri-ne-we / ma-ri-ne-wo	unknown deity, perhaps "God of the Woolens", meaning obscure
Pade(?)	𐀞𐀆 / 𐀞𐀆𐀂	pa-de / pa-de-i	possibly unknown god, thought to be Cretan, Minoan in origin
Paean	𐀞𐀊𐀺𐀚	pa-ja-wo-ne	a precursor of Apollo
Poseidon	𐀡𐀮𐀅𐀃 / 𐀡𐀮𐀅𐀺𐀚	po-se-da-o / po-se-da-wo-ne	chief deity
Trisheros	𐀴𐀪𐀮𐀫𐀁	ti-ri-se-ro-e	theonym, "Thrice-Hero"; thought to attest, and pertain to, the veneration of the dead
Wanax	𐀷𐀙𐀏𐀳	wa-na-ka-te	"The King"; in this case, it is considered to be a theonym in the dative case, perhaps as an epithet of Poseidon
Zeus	𐀇𐀸 / 𐀇𐀺	di-we / di-wo	God of the sky
Diktaios	𐀇𐀏𐀲𐀍 𐀇𐀸	di-ka-ta-jo di-we	local epithet of Zeus on Crete

Goddesses


Name			Notes
English	Linear B	Transliteration	Comments	Footnotes
Artemis	𐀀𐀳𐀖𐀵 / 𐀀𐀴𐀖𐀳	a-te-mi-to / a-ti-mi-te
Diwia	𐀇𐀄𐀊 / 𐀇𐀹𐀊	di-u-ja / di-wi-ja	possibly the female counterpart of Zeus, possibly Dione in later Greek
Doqeia(?)	𐀈𐀤𐀊	do-qe-ja	possibly an unknown goddess but could be only a feminine adjective
Eileithyia	𐀁𐀩𐀄𐀴𐀊	e-re-u-ti-ja	attested in the Cretan Eleuthia form; perhaps Minoan in origin
Eos	𐀀𐀺𐀂𐀍	a-wo-i-jo	perhaps attested through a personal name Ἀϝohιος related to the word for dawn, or dative form Āwōiōi
Erinyes	𐀁𐀪𐀝 / 𐀁𐀪𐀝𐀸	e-ri-nu / e-ri-nu-we	both forms of the theonym are considered to be in the singular, Erinys
Hera	𐀁𐀨	e-ra
Iphemedeia	𐀂𐀟𐀕𐀆𐀊	i-pe-me-de-ja	theonym; probably variant form of Iphimedia, name of a mythological person found in Homer's Odyssey
Komawenteia(?)	𐀒𐀔𐀸𐀳𐀊	ko-ma-we-te-ja	possibly unknown deity, possibly meaning "long-haired goddess"
Leto	𐀨𐀴𐀍 / 𐀨𐀵	ra-ti-jo / ra-to	perhaps attested through the forms Latios and Lato
Manasa	𐀔𐀙𐀭	ma-na-sa	unknown goddess
Mater Theia	𐀔𐀳𐀩𐄀𐀳𐀂𐀊	ma-te-re,te-i-ja	possibly "Mother of the Gods" or mother goddess
Pipituna	𐀠𐀠𐀶𐀙	pi-pi-tu-na	Reconstructed as *Πίπτυννα (Píptynna); unknown deity, considered to be Pre-Greek or Minoan
Posidaeia	𐀡𐀯𐀅𐀁𐀊	po-si-da-e-ja	probably the female counterpart to Poseidon
Potnia	𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊	po-ti-ni-ja	"Mistress" or "Lady"; may be used as an epithet for many deities, but also shows up as a single deity
Potnia Athena	𐀀𐀲𐀙𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊	a-ta-na-po-ti-ni-ja	or Potnia of At(h)ana (Athens(?)); reference of the latter is uncertain
Potnia Hippeia	𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊𐄀𐀂𐀤𐀊	po-ti-ni-ja,i-qe-ja	Mistress of the Horses; later epithet of Demeter and Athena
Potnia of Sitos	𐀯𐀵𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊	si-to-po-ti-ni-ja	Mistress of Grain; Bronze Age predecessor or epithet of Demeter
Potnia of the Labyrinth	𐀅𐁆𐀪𐀵𐀍𐄀𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊	da-pu₂-ri-to-jo,po-ti-ni-ja
Potnia, at Thebes	𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊𐄀𐀺𐀒𐀆	po-ti-ni-ja,wo-ko-de	of no attested name or title, other than that offers are made to her house, her premises
Potnia, of unidentified Pylos sanctuary	𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊	po-ti-ni-ja	unknown local(?) goddess of pa-ki-ja-ne (*Sphagianes?) sanctuary at Pylos
Potnia, of uncertain A place or epithet	𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊𐄀𐀀𐀯𐀹𐀊	po-ti-ni-ja,a-si-wi-ja
Potnia, of unknown E place or epithet	𐀁𐀩𐀹𐀍𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊	e-re-wi-jo-po-ti-ni-ja
Potnia, of unknown N place or epithet	𐀚𐀺𐀟𐀃𐄀𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊	ne-wo-pe-o,po-ti-ni-ja
Potnia, of unknown U place or epithet	𐀄𐀡𐀍𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊	u-po-jo-po-ti-ni-ja
Potnia, of unknown ? place or epithet	𐀀𐀐𐀯𐄀𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊	(?)-a-ke-si,po-ti-ni-ja
Preswa(?)	𐀟𐀩𐁚	pe-re-82* or pe-re-swa	generally interpreted as a dove goddess or an early form of Persephone
Qerasia(?)	𐀤𐀨𐀯𐀊	qe-ra-si-ja	unknown goddess, perhaps Minoan in origin or possibly connected with thēr
Qowia(?)	𐀦𐀹𐀊	qo-wi-ja	unknown deity, possibly meaning "She of the Cow(s)"
Wanasso(?)	𐀷𐀙𐀰𐀂	wa-na-so-i	"The Two Queens", possibly Demeter and Persephone; *wanassojin(?) regarded as a dative dual form
Possible goddesses
(?)	(?)	(?)	A possible sun goddess, predecessor to Helios, and possibly related to Helen. No unambiguous attestations of words for "sun" have yet been found, though the Mycenaean word for "sun" is reconstructed as *hāwélios.

Heroes, mortals and other entities or concepts

Name			Notes
English	Linear B	Transliteration	Comments	Footnotes
Proteus	𐀡𐀫𐀳𐀄	po-ro-te-u	could be the theonym of the sea-god Proteus, but probably just the anthroponym of a nobleman

Notes

References

Sources

Books

Ventris, Michael; Chadwick, John (1973). Documents in Mycenaean Greek: Three Hundred Selected Tablets from Knossos, Pylos, and Mycenae. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521085588.
Chadwick, John (1976). The Mycenaean World. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-29037-6.
Burkert, Walter (1985). Greek Religion. Harvard University Press. ISBN 0674362810.
Castleden, Rodney (2003) [1990]. The Knossos Labyrinth. A New View of the 'Palace of Minos' at Knossos. Routledge. ISBN 9780415033152.
Anthology of Classical Myth: Primary Sources in translation. Edited and translated by Stephen M. Trzaskoma, R. Scott Smith, Stephen Brunet; with an Appendix on Linear B Sources by Thomas G. Palaima. Hackett Publishing. 2004. ISBN 0-87220-721-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
Larson, Jennifer (2016). Understanding Greek Religion. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-68845-1.
Budin, Stephanie Lynn (2004). The Ancient Greeks. New Perspectives. Understanding Ancient Civilizations. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 1576078140.
Schofield, Louise (2007). The Mycenaeans. The British Museum Press. ISBN 978-0-89236-867-9.
Fischer-Hansen, Tobias; Poulsen, Birte, eds. (2009). From Artemis to Diana. The Goddess of Man and Beast. 12 Acta Hyperborea. Collegium Hyperboreum and Museum Tusculanum Press. ISBN 9788763507882.
Duhoux, Yves; Morpurgo Davies, Anna, eds. (2011). A Companion to Linear B: Mycenaean Greek Texts and their World. Vol. 2. Peeters. ISBN 9782758401162.

Articles in journals, periodicals and of conferences

Suppléments au Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique. La Crète mycénienne: Actes de la Table Ronde Internationale organisée par l'École française d'Athènes. Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique. Vol. 30. Athens: Collections de l'Ecole française d'Athènes en ligne. 1997 [Date of Conference: 26–28 March 1991].
- Hägg, Robin (1997). "Religious syncretism at Knossos and in post-palatial Crete?": 163–168.
- Hiller, Stefan (1997). "Cretan sanctuaries and mycenaean palatial administration at Knossos": 205–212.
Proceedings from the International Conference Antiquitas Viva. Antiquitas Viva. Živa Antika. Vol. 50. 2000 [Date of Conference: 5–7 December 2000].
- Gulizio, Joann (2000). Hermes and e-ma-a₂: The continuity of his cult from the Bronze age to the historical period (PDF). pp. 105–116.
Deger-Jalkotzy, Sigrid; Lemos, Irene S., eds. (2006) [Date of Conference: 22–25 January 2003]. Ancient Greece: From the Mycenaean Palaces to the Age of Homer. Edinburgh Leventis Studies 3. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 0748618899.
- Palaima, Thomas G. (2006), Wanaks and related power terms in Mycenaean and later Greek (PDF), pp. 53–72
Sacconi, A., ed. (2008) [Date of Conference: 20–25 February 2006]. "Colloquium romanum: The Shepherds in the Cn Series at Pylos; M. Lindgren, Use of the Cypriot Syllabary in a Multicultural Surrounding; S. Lupack, the Northeast Building of Pylos and an 1281; M. Marazzi, Il "sistema" Argolide: l'Organizzazione territoriale del golfo argolideo; M. Meier-Brügger, Une lecture en langue mycénienne des textes de la série Ta de Pylos; T. Meissner, Notes on Mycenaean Spelling; A. Michailidou, Late Bronze Age Economy: Copper". Colloquium Romanum: atti del XII colloquio internazionale di micenologia (in two volumes). XII colloquio internazionale di micenologia. Rome. Pasiphae. et al. Eds. Pisa and Rome. ISBN 9788862270564.
- Gulizio, Joann (2008). "Mycenaean Religion at Knossos". Academia.edu.

Online databases and dictionaries

Mycenaean Greek and Linear B

Palaeolexicon. Word study tool of ancient languages. c. 2008 and forwards.{{citation}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
Aurora, Federico; Haug, Dag Trygve Truslew. DĀMOS: Database of Mycenaean at Oslo. Et alii. C. 2010 and forwards. University of Oslo. Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas.
Raymoure, K.A. "Linear B Transliterations". Dead Languages of the Mediterranean. C. 2012–2019. Archived from the original on 18 March 2016.

Ancient Greek, Latin and of English etymology

A Latin Dictionary. Founded on Andrews' edition of Freund's Latin dictionary. Revised, enlarged, and in great part rewritten by Charlton T. Lewis, Ph.D. and Charles Short, LL.D. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1879.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) At the Perseus Project, a digital library project of Tufts University.
Francisco, Aura Jorro; Francisco, Rodríguez Adrados (1999). Diccionario Griego-Español, volumen II. Madrid. ISBN 84-00-06129-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert (1889). An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press. At the Perseus Project.
Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert (1940). A Greek-English Lexicon. Revised and augmented throughout by Sir Henry Stuart Jones with the assistance of Roderick McKenzie. Oxford: Clarendon Press. At the Perseus Project.
Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary. C. 2000 and forwards.