Phaselis' chief goddess Athena Polias and interaction within the Eastern Mediterranean

From earliest times in the worship of Athena, especially on the Aegean Islands and Hellas, the goddess was worshipped as the protectress of cities, institutions and mythological heroes and she manifested these functions in various of ways. Particularly during the Archaic and Classical periods, it was this aspect of Athena that, politically placed the Goddess most commonly found with the epithet Polias amongst the most important deities, together with Zeus and Apollo. The cult of the goddess was taken all over the Eastern Mediterranean in the great colonization movements. Myths relate the city of Phaselis was colonized in 691/690 B.C. by a group under the leadership of Lakios from Lindos and it was then that the Athena cult of the mother city was brought to Phaselis. From the founding of the city until the Late Roman period, the cult can be defined through epigraphic, numismatic, as well as from philological evidence that Athena was the chief goddess of the city and her temple was located on the acropolis of Phaselis. Further, the temple of Athena in the city obtained great renown after the spear of Trojan hero Achilles was dedicated there. In this work, the possible location of the temple of Athena is suggested after the goddess' position within the pantheon of Phaselis has been examined. Then the relationship of the local origin of Athena Polias in Lycia to that of Phaselis is addressed, finally, an attempt is made to describe the diffusion and interaction of this cult within the Eastern Mediterranean coastal cities particularly during the Archaic and Classical periods.