The Supreme Gods of the Bosporan Kingdom: Celestial Aphrodite and the Most High God

384 Pages·1998·46.03 MB·English

by  Yulia Ustinova

THE SUPREME GODS OF THE BOSPORAN KINGDOM
RELIGIONS IN
THE GRAECO-ROMAN WORLD
EDITORS
R. VAN DEN BROEK H.j.W. DRIJVERS
H. S. VERSNEL
VOLUME 135
THE SUPREME GODS OF
THE BOSPORAN KINGDOM
Celestial Aphrodite and the Most High God
BY
YULIA USTINOVA
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BRILL
LEIDEN . BOSTON' KOLN
1999
1his series Religions in the Graeco-Roman World presents a Jorum Jor studies in the social and cul
tural fUnction rif religions in the Greek and the Roman world, dealing with pagan religions both in
their own right and in their interaction with and influence on Christianity and Judaism during a
lengt/ry period rif fUndamental change. Special attention will be given to the religious history rif regions
and cities which illustrate the practical workings rif these processes.
Enquiries regarding the submission rif works Jor publication in the series mqy be directed to Prqftssor
H J. w. Drijvers, Faculty rif Letters, University rif Groningen, 9712 EK Groningen, 1he Netherlands.
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ustinova, Yulia.
The supreme gods of the Bosporan Kingdom : Celestial Aphrodite and
the Most High God / by Yulia Ustinova.
p. em. - (Religions in the Graeco-Roman world, ISSN
0927-7633; v. 135)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 9004112316 (cloth: alk. paper)
I. Kerch Strait Region (Ukraine and Russia)-Religion. 2. Gods
-Kerch Strait Region (Ukraine and Russia)-History. 3. Gods, Greek-
-Kerch Strait Region (Ukraine and Russia)-History. 4. Aphrodite
(Greek deity)-Cult-Kerch Strait Region (Ukraine and Russia)
-History. I. Title. II. Series.
BL980.U38U88 1998
292.2'11'09395-dc21 98-21917
CIP
Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnahrn.e
Ustinova, Julija B.:
The supreme Gods of the Bosporan kingdom : celestial Aphrodite and
the most high God / by Yulia Ustinova. - Leiden ; Boston; Kaln :
Brill, 1998
(Religions in the Graeco-Roman world; Vol. 135)
ISBN 90-04-11231-6
ISSN 0927-7633
ISBN 9004 11231 6
© Copyright 1999 by Koninklijke Brill NY, Leiden, 1he Netherlands
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PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS
CONTENTS
Preface ................................................................................................ IX
INTRODUCTION
0.1 Major Works on Greeks and Indigenous Peoples
on the Bosporus .......................................................................... 2
0.2 Greeks on the Bosporus .............................................................. 3
0.3 Iranians in South Russia ............................................................ lO
0.4 Olijects if Art and their Interpretation ........................................ 18
0.4.1 Anthropomorphic Images in Scythian Art ........................ 20
PART ONE
GODDESSES OF THE BOSPORUS
1.0 Introduction 27
Chapter One
The Greek Goddesses of the Bosporus in the Sixth-Early
First Centuries BC
1.1.1 Aphrodite Apatouros ..... ........................................................... 29
1.1.1.1 Apaturum and Its Location .................................. .... 29
1.1.1.2 The Cult if Aphrodite Apatouros as Riflected in the
Early Epigraphic Evidence ........................................ 32
1.1.1.3 Aphrodite Ourania in Greek Tradition ...................... 35
1.1.1.4 Strabo's Erymological Legend and the Relation
between Aphrodite Apatouros and the Indigenous
Goddess .................................................................... 40
1.1.1.5 The Erymology if the Word Apatouros .................... 42
1.1.1.6 The Archaeology and Iconography if the Cult if
Aphrodite .................................................................. 44
1.1.1.7 The Qyeen Comosarye Monument ...................... ...... 51
1.1.1.8 Some Preliminary Conclusions .................................. 53
1.1.2 Demeter and Kore .................................................................... 54
1.1.2.1 The Epigraphy and Archaeology if the Cult in the
Greek Cities ............................................... ............. 54
1.1.2.2 The Bol'shaya Bliznitza Tumulus .......................... 56
VI CONTENTS
1.1.3 Artemis ................................................................................. . 60
1.1.4 Cybele ................................................................................... . 63
1.1.5 Hekate ................................................................................ .. 64
1.1.6 Athena ................................................................................ .. 64
1.1. 7 Conclusions 65
Chapter Two
The Local Goddesses
1.2.1 Herodotus on the Goddesses if the Scythian Pantheon 67
1.2.1. 1 Tabiti .................................................................. .. 69
1.2.1.2 Api ....................................................................... . 74
1.2.1.3 Argimpasa ............................................................ .. 75
1.2.2 The Anguipede Goddess and the Scythian Genealogical Myth .. .. 87
1.2.3 Iconography ........................................................................... . 93
1.2.3.1 The Anguipede Goddess ......................................... . 94
1.2.3.2 The Snake- or Tendril-Limbed Goddess Outside
South Russia .......................................................... 99
1.2.3.3 The Goddess with Raised Hands .......................... 107
1.2.3.4 The Winged Goddess ............................................ 108
1.2.3.5 A Seated Woman with a Man Facing Her ............ 113
1.2.3.6 The Karagodeouashkh Plate .................................... 123
1.2.4 Conclusions ............................................................................ 128
Chapter Three
The Great Goddess of the Bosporus in the Late First
Century BC-the Fourth Century AD
1.3.1 Epigraphic Evidence .............................................................. 129
1.3.1.1 Aphrodite Ourania Apatourou Medeousa .................. 129
1.3.1.2 Other Goddesses ...................................................... 135
1.3.2 Archaeology and Iconography.................................................. 140
1. 3.2.1 Coinage if the First-Third Centuries AD ...... .. ...... 140
1.3.2.2 Communion with the Goddess ................................ 144
1.3.2.3 Aphrodite if Tanais .............................................. 149
1.3.2.4 Other Representations if Goddesses in Sculpture ...... 152
1.3.2.5 The Tendril-Limbed Goddess .................................. 155
1.3.2.6 Terracotta Figurines ................................................ 158
1. 3.2.7 Vaults and Sarcophagi .............................. .............. 161
1.3.2.8 House Shrines if the Goddess and
Related Artifacts .................................................... 168
1.3.3 Conclusions ............................................................................ 173
CONTENTS Vll
PART Two
THEOS HYPSISTOS
2.0.1 Introduction ........................................................................... . 177
2.0.2 The Identification of the Bosporan Theos Hypsistos:
A Suroey of Approaches ...................................................... .. 178
Chapter One
Cult Associations on the Bosporus
2.1.1 The Collegia of Tanais ........................................................ 183
2.1.1.1 Membership and Organization ................................ 183
2.1.1. 2 Officials of the Collegia of Tanais ........................ 188
2.1.1.3 The Stele Commemorating the Day of Tanais ........ 192
2.1.2 Thiasotes from Other Cities of the Bosporus .......................... 196
2.1.2.1 Thiasotes of Panticapaeum .................................... 196
2.1.2.2 Thiasoi in Other Cities of the Cimmerian Bosporus 198
2.1.3 Conclusions ............................................................................ 201
Chapter Two
Theos Hypsistos and Judaism
2.2.1 Jewish Sympathizers? ............................................................ 203
2.2.1.1 Literary Evidence .................................................... 204
2.2.1.2 Epigraphic Data .................................................... 212
2.2.2 Theos llypsistos .................................................................... 216
2.2.2.1 Pagan Henotheism .................................................. 217
2.2.2.2 Epigraphic Evidence on the Hypsistos Cults .......... 221
2.2.3 The Jews if the Bosporus and the Synods if 77zeos Hypsistos 228
2.2.3.1 Jewish Inscriptions ................................................ 229
2.2.3.2 Jewish Names on the Bosporus .............................. 232
2.2.3.3 Sogous and His Proseuche: Jewish or Non-Jewish? .... 234
2.2.3.4 Bosporan Jews and the Bosporan Thiasotes .......... 237
2.2.4 Conclusions ............................................................................ 238
Chapter Three
The Most High God and Sabazios
2.3.1 The Expulsion of the Jews from Rome and the Cult
of Sabazios ............................................................................ 241
2.3.2 The Pirot Inscription ............................................................ 243
2.3.3 Theos llypsistos on the Western Black Sea Littoral.............. 244
2.3.3.1 Sabazios in Thrace and Moesia Iriferior ................ 244
2.3.3.2 Theos Hypsistos in Thrace and Moesia Iriferior .... 245
2.3.3.3 Anonymous Gods in Dacia .................................... 250
Vlll CONTENTS
2.3.4 Sabazios and the Bosporus .................................................. .. 252
2.3.5 Conclusions ........................................................................... . 254
Chapter Four
The Most High God of the Bosporus and Iranian
Tradition
2.4.1 Tanais: Some Ethnic and Cultural Characteristics ...... ............ 255
2.4.2 Iconographic Evidence ............................................................ 261
2.4.2.1 17ze Divine Horseman on the Bosporus in the First
Centuries AD ........................................................ 261
2.4.2.2 17ze God Portrayed on the Karagodeouashkh
Rhyton .................................................................. 264
2.4.2.3 17ze Divine Horsemen if Eurasia: Multiple
Identifications ........................................................ 269
2.4.2.4 17ze Mounted God if the Bosporus, Indigenous
Solar Gods, and Mithra if Trapezus .................... 270
2.4.2.5 Eagles and Other Birds if Pny in Iranian Imagery 275
2.4.2.6 17ze Name if 17zeos Hypsistos in Tanais .............. 276
2.4.3 17ze ~nods if 17zeos Hypsistos and Iranian Mannerbiinde.... 277
2.4.4 Conclusions ............................................................................ 282
Summary ........................................................................................ 285
Abbreviations .......... .............................. ........................ ..... ............. 289
Bibliography .................................................................................... 293
Addenda ............................... ....................................................... 321
Index ............................................................................................ 323
Sources of the Plates .................................................................... 339
Plates and Maps ............................................................................ 341
PREFACE
Celestial Aphrodite and the Most High God dominated the pan
theon of the Bosporan Kingdom in the first centuries AD. Epigraphic
and archaeological data indicate that during the period following the
wars of Mithradates Eupator the religious life of the Bosporus was
focused on the worship of these two deities, which obscured the cults
of other gods. This book is thus dedicated to a comprehensive study
of the available evidence concerning Bosporan religion in the first
fourth centuries AD and is aimed towards unveiling its unique traits,
created by the mingling of the cultural traditions of the Greeks and
the indigenous peoples of the area.
Russian scholars before the revolution were well aware of the rule
Rossica non leguntur and published their major works either in Latin
or in modern Western European languages. Mter 1917 scientific pub
lication in a foreign language became a difficult and sometimes even
dangerous endeavor; until the reforms of the 1990's only a few works
by Russian scholars appeared in the West. Inside the Soviet Union
studies on Classical history, philology, and archaeology (the latter
dealing mainly with the Northern Black Sea littoral) were extensively
published, but as a rule remained unknown to Western colleagues.
The situation is changing gradually, and a number of works by Rus
sian scholars have appeared in the West, despite the harshness of
research conditions in today's Russia.
The desire to write on Bosporan religion grew not only out of
my wish to familiarize non-Russian readers with the results of research
published in Russian, but emerged primarily because this subject has
not yet been systematically treated, and numerous papers or brief
remarks on Bosporan cult and mythology have failed to embrace
the manifold aspects of this unique and fascinating phenomenon. I
feel that the bulk of archaeological, epigraphic, and other evidence
permits an inclusive study in a broad historical perspective, account
ing equally for the Greek and the indigenous strands in the religion
of the Bosporus. The later period in its history was chosen because
it was then that this fusion manifested itself in its most conspicuous
form. Aspects of early Bosporan and local cults are also discussed
in the book.
It is a most pleasant duty to thank those who have in various