How did Greek influence help spread the cult of Atargatis?

The spread of the cult of Atargatis was significantly facilitated by Greek patronage and the movement of people throughout the Hellenistic world. A key turning point occurred around 300 BCE when Queen Stratonice, the wife of Seleucus I, rebuilt the goddess's chief sanctuary at Hierapolis.

This royal support helped elevate the profile of the deity, and her cult was subsequently carried to various parts of the Greek world by Greek merchants and mercenaries. As the cult moved into these new regions, it underwent a process of Hellenization; the goddess was generally identified by the Greeks as a form of Aphrodite, making her more accessible and recognizable within the broader context of Hellenistic religion.12