ll culto di Ercole e l’economia dei santuari del Lazio

The cult of Hercules, a multifunctional divinity, is well documented in Latium Vetus and Latium Adiectum. The analysis of various sanctuaries and votive deposits has highlighted the location of these sites along the main road and commercial transport routes. This brief paper aims to analyse the relationship between the presence and activities of Hercules, as evidenced by literary and epigraphic sources as well as by votive materials (small bronzes in particular), and the topographical distribution of these sanctuaries. By comparing data and contexts that have been revealed in ancient Latium it is possible to put forward an economic interpretation for some of the functions performed by certain places of worship, which are characterized by specific expressions of the cult of Hercules.