The urban expansion of the Isis cult: A quantitative approach

Abstract

This article presents a quantitative sociological study of the expansion of the worship of Isis in Greco-Roman antiquity focusing on the role of large urban centres. Receptivity to the cult is measured for a data set of 44 cities based on the presence or absence of archaeological remains. Statistical correlations between the spread of the Isis cult and city size, distance from Alexandria and distance from Rome (a secondary centre of the cult's expansion) support the thesis that distance from cultic centres was a significant factor in the spread of Isiac worship. The paper concludes with a number of suggestions for further research.