Ἔλαφος. Intorno alle focacce rituali connesse alle feste in onore di Artemide e alla caccia al cervo

The article discusses the customary celebration of the Elaphebolia in honor of the goddess of hunting, Artemis, and the practice of offering a small cake called elaphos, shaped like a deer. In the past, the festivals involved sacrificing deers, later replaced by offering ritual food. According to a brief report, which incorporates findings from archaeological and zoological research, the substitution of sacrificial animals with ritual food might have occurred due to the scarcity of deers in the region and attempts to shed light on the significance of the performance.