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Paul’s First Visit
Paul spent the night at Samothrace on his way from Asia Minor to Europe.
The ship left Troas and arrived at the island of Samothrace before
proceeding the next day to the port city of Neapolis. This was near the
beginning of his second missionary journey, and the start of Luke’s travels
with Paul. Acts 16:11 (KJV) “Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a
straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis.”
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Sanctuary of Great Gods
Samothrace became known as the center of worship of the pre-Greek gods, the
Cabiri. These twin gods were believed to protect sailors, and if their
wrath was aroused, they would stir up deadly storms. The worship of them
was later merged with that of the Roman twin gods, Castor and Pollux, also
patron gods of sailors. Worship at the cult center of Samothrace was
shrouded in mystery and participants were forbidden from recording in
writing any of the secret practices. |
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Sanctuary of Great Gods Initiation
Anyone, including women and slaves, could be initiated into the secrets,
which was a two-stage process. In the first stage, myesis, the participant
engaged in a ceremony simulating life, death, and rebirth. The second
stage, epopteia, connected cultic practice with a moral standard (rare in
Greek religion). Initiates into the rites of Samothrace include Herodotus,
King Lysander of Sparta, Ptolemaic queen Arsinoe II, and Emperor Hadrian.
The parents of Alexander the Great, Philip of Macedon and Olympias, met
each other at the island ceremonies. |
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