D.M.’s volume offers a solid and well-documented contribution to the study of religious and cultural transformations in Magna Graecia, with a particular focus on the cult of Hera at Poseidonia/Paestum. Based on a doctoral dissertation defended at the University of Helsinki, the work stands out for its extensive documentation, critical use of the relevant bibliography and careful analysis of the archaeological evidence. Through the examination of urban and extra-urban sanctuaries, votive deposits, and terracotta figurines from both the Greek and the Lucanian periods, D.M. reconstructs the features and developments of Hera’s cult, emphasising its continuity and adaptation within a progressively multicultural context. A key argument is that the Lucanians did not merely inherit the Greek cult system passively, but actively reinterpreted its elements, integrating them into their own religious and socio-political structures. In this framework, the goddess Mefitis – attested at the Lucanian sanctuary of Rossano di Vaglio – is proposed as a potential local hypostasis of Achaean Hera, pointing to a convergence of ritual and symbolic expressions between Greek and Italic traditions.

One of the strengths of the volume is its ability to link the study of cult practices with broader historical and cultural dynamics. The detailed survey of the votive record, the typological analysis of figurines, and comparisons with similar contexts in Magna Graecia and inland Italy enhance the documentary value of the work, making it useful to both archaeologists and scholars of ancient religion.

However, despite the robustness of the archaeological reconstruction and the consistency of the analysis, the study does not introduce major interpretative innovations compared to the existing historical and archaeological bibliography. The concept of ‘multiculturalism’, central for the investigation, is adopted as a starting point rather than explored in theoretical depth. Cultural interaction and hybridisation are well described in their material outcomes, but not critically examined on the basis of more recent approaches, such as postcolonial theory or current debates on identity and religious transformation. The work remains primarily descriptive and analytical, with limited engagement in broader theoretical reflection.

In some cases the interpretation of the evidence tends to confirm established views rather than open new directions. For instance, the analysis of the votive figurines – while detailed – is framed within interpretative models known from previous studies on female and agrarian cults. Similarly, the demonstration of cult continuity from the Greek to the Lucanian period is persuasive, but does not offer substantially new insights into the nature of religious change in the late Classical and Hellenistic periods.

In conclusion, D.M.’s book presents a reliable and up-to-date synthesis of the cult of Hera at Poseidonia/Paestum and its evolution under Lucanian and Roman influence. While it does not significantly alter the interpretative landscape, it provides a coherent account of religious continuity and transformation and stands as a useful reference for those studying ritual practices and cultural interaction in Magna Graecia.