Sunken Cities Part 3: Thonis-Heracleion, the City of Commerce and Ceremony - TPM 24

In this episode, we’ll explore the rediscovery and legacy of Thonis-Heracleion, a sacred port city that was lost beneath the Mediterranean Sea for over 1200 years. During its peak, the city stood as both a major checkpoint for foreign merchants entering Egypt and a spiritual center tied to the worship of Amun, Khonsu, Osiris, Aphrodite, and many more Egyptian and Greek deities. Rituals connected the site to Canopus through the Osirian Mysteries, and I'll share details about the archaeological evidence of these rites, including a sacred barge that carried the statue of Osiris between the two cities. As with its neighbor Canopus, Thonis-Heracleion became closely associated with a Greek mythical hero. According to Herodotus, this was where Heracles (Hercules) set foot in Egypt for the first time and Heracles became syncretized with Khonsu over time. Listen now to explore how the rediscovery of Thonis-Heracleion has helped reshape our understanding of Egypt’s sacred coastline during the Late Period and Ptolemaic Dynasty. Transcripts For transcripts of this episode head over to: https://archpodnet.com/tpm/24 Links See photos related to episode topics on Instagram Loving the macabre lore? Treat your host to a coffee! ArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet APN Shop Affiliates Motion Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.