Extract

Epiphany occurs in both myth and cult when a god reveals his presence or manifests his power to a mortal or group of mortals, who ‘see’ or ‘recognize’ the god. Gods may appear in anthropomorphic form (as extraordinarily beautiful or larger than life; in the likeness of their cult statue; or disguised as ordinary mortals), as a disembodied voice, or as animals. Divine epiphanies take the form of waking or *dream visions; they may be accompanied by miracles or other displays of power (ἀρεταί), be protective or punitive; they may be sudden and spontaneous, or occur in response to a prayer. The concept is much older than the term (Hdt. 3. 27. 3; Syll.3 398. 17, 278 bce). As early as the Minoan period, scenes of divine epiphany in cultic settings appear on seal rings. From Homer onwards, epiphany scenes constitute an essential element of epic narrative (*Athena in Il.