Greek Mythology >> Greek Gods >> Daemones (Spirits) >> Soteria

SOTERIA

Greek Name

Σωτηρια

Transliteration

Sôtêria

Roman Name

Salus

Translation

Safety, Deliverance

Soteria | Greco-Roman mosaic from Daphne C5th A.D. | Hatay Archeology Museum, Antakya — Soteria, Greco-Roman mosaic from Daphne C5th A.D., Hatay Archeology Museum

SOTERIA was the goddess or personified spirit (daimona) of safety, and deliverance and preservation from harm.

Her male counterparts were the daimon Soter and the god Dionysos Soter. The Romans named her Salus (Preservation).

PARENTS

Presumably a daughter of ZEUS or DIONYSOS (both gods were titled Soter)

ENCYCLOPEDIA

SOTE′RIA (Sôtêria), i.e., the personification of safety or recovery (Lat. Salus) was worshipped as a divinity in Greece, and had a Temple and a statue at Patrae (Paus. vii. 21. § 2,24. § 2).

Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.

CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES

Pausanias, Description of Greece 7. 24. 3 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) :
"[In Aigion (Aegium) in Akhaia (Achaea)] they also have a sanctuary of Soteria (Safety). Her image may be seen by none but the priests, and the following ritual is performed. They take cakes of the district from the goddess and throw them into the sea, saying that they send them to Arethousa at Syrakousa (Syracuse)."

Pausanias, Description of Greece 7. 19. 7 & 21. 7 :
"Eurypylos [a hero of the Trojan War] opened the chest [containing a sacred idol of Dionysos], saw the image, and forthwith on seeing it went mad. He continued to be insane for the greater part of the time, with rare lucid intervals . . .
There is a sanctuary [in Patrai (Patrae) in Akhaia (Achaea)] with an image of stone. It is called the sanctuary of Soteria (Deliverance), and the story is that it was originally founded by Eurypylos on being cured of his madness."

Ovid, Fasti 3. 879 ff (trans.Boyle) (Roman poetry C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) :
"March 30 Comitialis. When the shepherd feeds and pens his kids four more times and the grasslands whiten with four fresh dews, Janus should be worshipped and gentle Concordia (Concord), Salus Romana (Safety of Rome) and the Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace)." [N.B. Salus was the Roman equivalent of Soteria.]

SOURCES

GREEK

Pausanias, Description of Greece - Greek Travelogue C2nd A.D.

ROMAN

Ovid, Fasti - Latin Poetry C1st B.C. - C1st A.D.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page.