Cities of Gods
Title: Cities of Gods
Subtitle: Unpacking the pagan experience in the Mediterranean
Number of episodes: 4 – 6
Duration of an episode: 45 – 50 minutes
Summary
“Cities of gods” is a documentary series that delves into the lesser-known religious passions of the ancient Mediterranean world, moving beyond the familiar stories of Greek mythology. This series explores the intense often ecstatic relationships devotees forged with divine figures outside the classical pantheon – highlighting the personal, emotional, and transformative nature of ancient worship.
Focusing on three major cults – Isis, Mithras, and Cybele – the series reveals how these religions offered exclusive paths to the divine. Through public celebrations, mystic rituals, initiations and personal devotions, followers formed deep spiritual bonds that shaped their identities.
“Cities of Gods” centers the lived experiences of devotees, revealing a world where the divine felt close and real. Long before Christianity took hold, cults like those of Isis, Mithras and Cybele were already offering followers something deeper: a sense of exclusive devotion, powerful personal connection, and the promise of salvation. Drawing on archaeology, ancient texts, and expert voices, each episode invites viewers into a world that was already moving toward more focused, even monotheistic, forms of connecting with divinities.
Who is who
Eleni Fassa (Script & Presentation)
Assistant Professor of Hellenistic and Roman History at the Department of History and Ethnology, Democritus University of Thrace. Eleni is fluent in English, making her an ideal presenter for international audiences.
Born in Athens, she completed her undergraduate studies in Classical Philology at the University of Athens. She pursued a PhD in History from the Department of History and Archaeology at the same university, and also holds an MA in Ancient Drama and Society from the Department of Classics and Ancient History, University of Exeter.
From 2017 to 2019, she served as a principal researcher in the research project “The Gods of Egypt in Macedonia: Religious experience of alterity and assimilation strategies in Greco-Roman times,” funded by IKY-ESPA, at the National Hellenic Research Foundation.
Her research focuses on the religious and cultural history of the Hellenistic and Greco-Roman East, covering the period from the late 4th century BCE to late antiquity. She is particularly interested in the establishment and development of the cults of Isiac and other “Eastern” deities in the Mediterranean, the cultic history of Macedonia, and the processes of integrating gods perceived as “foreign” into the traditional Greek world. Her research interests also include documenting the private individual’s religious experience as a shaper of cultic reality and the formation of intellectual communities in later Hellenism.
She has published numerous articles in international academic journals and collective volumes focusing on the cults of the Greco-Roman world. Her publications include “The Letters of Julian the Syrian” (introduction, translation, commentary, Stigmi Publications, Athens 2016) and the study “The Genesis of a Cult: Sarapis and the Ptolemies in 3rd Century BCE Alexandria.” In 2022, her book “Bread and Circuses: Violence and Entertainment in Greco-Roman Cities” was released.
Why invest in this documentary series
- Religion remains one of the most powerful forces shaping human identity and conflict today, making this series both timely and deeply relevant
- The series introduces viewers to fascinating but underexplored aspects of the ancient world, going far beyond the familiar stories of Greek and Roman gods.
- “Cities of Gods” sheds light on cults (Isis, Mithras, Cybele) that offered followers an intimate relationship with a single, powerful deity, anticipating monotheistic ideas well before Christianity prevailed.
- Filmed on location, the series showcases awe-inspiring temples, sanctuaries, and landscapes that remain hidden gems.
- With its combination of scholarly credibility and cinematic appeal, the series is designed to engage both general audiences and more knowledgeable viewers alike.
