The sanctuary of the Kaviroi, just 8km west of Thebes, was, from the Geometric period, the site of the worship of Kaviros, Pais, and Kavirian Demeter.
The Kavirioi, a bearded god wearing a garland of ivory, and the divine child Pais, came from the East. Their worship was secretive, and so it remains unknown what it involved. Boeotian Kaviros is often confused with Dionysos. At the sanctuary, in its final form from Roman times, apart from the temple, there were an arcade and other buildings inside a constructed enclosure, as well as a theatre, with an altar in the centre of the orchestra. It consisted of an amphitheatre of ten rows of seats and was used for events connected with worship.
The Kaviroi were believed to be the protectors of metal workers, the fertility of the land, and the healthy breeding of animals. The offerings of the faithful depended on the aspect of the gods: copper and clay idols, jewellery, children’s toys such as spinning tops, knuckle bones, rattles, and vases. Typical examples are the large black-painted kanthars and skyfoi [bowls], with depictions of scenes from mythology and worship, symposia and dances, in which the figures were rendered in a cartoon style.
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