Maliya, Malija, Malis, Athena. From Kizzuwatna to the Aegean: Borrowings, Translations, or Syncretisms?

Abstract

Notwithstanding her Kizzuwatnean origins, Maliya becomes part of the Bronze Age Hittite State Cult thanks to Queen Puduḫepa, who advocates a renovation of the dynastic cult. Therefore, Maliya and her temple became protagonists of the Hittite religious festivals. In the Iron Age, the goddess cult spreads to Western Anatolian milieus (Lycian and Lydian), developing apparent syncretic convergences with deities of the Aegean context. This paper investigates how Maliya and her Aegean counterparts converged, arguing and discussing the most debated positions.