Neither Demeter nor Isis: the cult of Saint Agatha in the fi rst Millennium
Journal title ARCHIVIO STORICO PER LA SICILIA ORIENTALE
Author/s Cristina Soraci
Publishing Year 2026 Issue 2025/1-2
Language Italian Pages 26 P. 93-118 File size 668 KB
DOI 10.3280/ASSO2025-001008
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The essay provides a critical examination of the theories advanced by those who maintain that the feast of Saint Agatha in Catania preserves pagan elements derived from the cult of Isis. Through an analysis of literary, epigraphic, and archaeological evidence, it demonstrates that there is no historical foundation for a direct continuity between these cults and the Christian one. Certain features common to both ancient and modern celebrations – such as processions or the wearing of white garments – are better interpreted as widespread anthropological phenomena rather than signs of derivation.
Keywords: worship, Saint Agatha, Catania, Demeter, Isis, tradition
Cristina Soraci, Né Demetra, né Iside: il culto di sant’Agata nel primo millennio in "ARCHIVIO STORICO PER LA SICILIA ORIENTALE" 1-2/2025, pp 93-118, DOI: 10.3280/ASSO2025-001008