Diana (mythology) - Sanctuaries

Sanctuaries

Diana was an ancient goddess common to all Latin tribes. Therefore many sanctuaries were dedicated to her in the lands inhabited by Latins. The first one is supposed to have been near Alba Longa before the town was destroyed by the Romans.

The Arician wood sanctuary near the lake of Nemi was Latin confederal as testified by the dedicatory epigraph quoted by Cato.

She had a shrine in Rome on the Aventine hill, according to tradition dedicated by king Servius Tullius. Its location is remarkable as the Aventine is situated outside the pomerium, i.e. original territory of the city, in order to comply with the tradition that Diana was a goddess common to all Latins and not exclusively of the Romans.

Other sanctuaries we know about are listed below:

• Colle di Corne near Tusculum. where she is referred to with the archaic Latin name of deva Cornisca and where existed a collegium of worshippers.
• At Évora, Portugal.
• Mount Algidus, also near Tusculum.
• At Lavinium.
• At Tibur (Tivoli), where she is referred to as Diana Opifera Nemorensis.
• A sacred wood mentioned by Livy ad compitum Anagninum (near Anagni).
• On Mount Tifata, near Capua in Campania.
• In Ephesus, where she was worshipped as Diana of Ephesus and the temple Artemision used to be one of world's seven wonders.