Editing Hecate (section)

===History===
The earliest definitive record of Hecate's worship dates to the 6th century BCE, in the form of a small [[terracotta]] statue of a seated goddess, identified as Hecate in its inscription. This and other early depictions of Hecate lack distinctive attributes that would later be associated with her, such as a triple form or torches, and can only be identified as Hecate thanks to their inscriptions. Otherwise, they are typically generic, or [[Artemis]]-like.<ref name=rotting/>

Hecate's cult became established in [[Athens]] about 430&nbsp;BCE. At this time, the sculptor [[Alcamenes]] made the earliest known triple-formed Hecate statue for use at her new temple. While this sculpture has not survived to the present day, numerous later copies are extant.<ref name=rotting/> It has been speculated that this triple image, usually situated around a pole or pillar, was derived from earlier representations of the goddess using three masks hung on actual wooden poles, possibly placed at crossroads and gateways.<ref name=rotting/>