This study investigates the evolving roles and iconography of the Seven Hathors, tracing their transformation from Egyptian textual references to their ritualized depictions in temple art during the Graeco-Roman period. Through a multidisciplinary analysis of literary and visual sources, the research documents a shift from invisible fate-declarers and oracular figures to embodied maternal deities and cosmic musicians. In later temple scenes, their portrayal becomes increasingly standardized: crowned women bearing ritual instruments or tenderly nursing divine children. This evolution signifies their expanding role as nurturers, protectors, and harmonizers of cosmic and royal order. A comparative analysis highlights symbolic affinities with the Greek Pleiades, suggesting a possible intercultural dialogue rooted in shared celestial motifs and mythological functions. While the transformation in their functional identity is well-supported, the influence of Greek tradition remains only partially validated, inviting further interdisciplinary research. Ultimately, the Seven Hathors appear as multifaceted figures whose representation reflects both internal religious developments and cross-cultural integration in a dynamic historical context.
Wessam Fekry Ibrahim Moussa (Mon,) studied this question.