Denkmäler des Kybele-Meterkultes in Ephesos / eingereicht von Feristah Soykal

• VerfasserIn: Soykal, Feristah
• Place / Publishing House: 1998
• Year of Publication: 1998
• Language: German
• Physical Description: III, 220, LXXI Bl.; Ill.

ger: Kybele wurde in der Forschung oefter als Vorgaengerin der Artemis Ephesia angesehen. In dieser Arbeit wurde versucht alle epigraphischen und archaeologischen Kultzeugnisse des Kybele-Meterkultes in Ephesos vom 2. Jt. bis in das 2. Jh. n. Chr. zusammenstellen und auszuwerten. Die fruehen Kultzeugnisse der Kybele aus dem Artemision sprechen dafuer, dass ein erste Kybelekult im Temenos des Artemisions angesiedelt war. Unklar ist jedoch, ob Kybele hier die urspruengliche Goettin war, oder ob sie neben Artemis in einem unabhaengigen Kultplatz verehrt wurde. Als Resultat meiner Untersuchungen ist festzuhalten, dass dieser Goetterverein in Ephesos erst ab dem Anfang des 3. Jh. v. Chr. auf den Reliefs auftritt. Seine Entstehung koennte in Verbindung mit den Kabiren stehen, die bei der Neugruendung von Arsinoeia und durch den Einfluss der thrakischen Kulte, die von Lysimachos vermutlich besonders gefoerdert wurden, noch Ephesos kamen. Die Datierungen der Reliefs lassen vermuten, dass das Heiligtum bis ins 1. Jh. n. Chr. grossen Zulauf hatte

eng: The name of the 'Hittite city of Apes could have to do with the original goddess (Ephesia) who was not yet called Artemis. The earliest evidence and the cult of Cybele in Ephesus came to light only in the archaic Artemisium. Later evidence on this cult is to be found in the rock sanctuary on Mt. Panayurdag. Here, the oldest epigraphic and archaeological testimonies of the cult prove that the cult precinct was dedicated to Meter, Zeus Patroius, Apollo Patrious, and finally to Zeus Mainalos, in the 5th century BC. The gods here venerated and the choice of place show that the Ephesians had founded the sanctuary in remembrance of the first Greek settlement nearby and its original gods. As a result of my research work it has to be emphasized that this union of gods appears on the Ephesian reliefs, only from the beginning of the 3rd century BC onwards. Its origin could be seen in relation to the Cabirs who were brought to Ephesus because of the founding of Arsinoeia and the influence of the Thracian cults, which seem to have been particularly promoted by Lysimachus. The Ephesian reliefs on which this union of gods is to be seen, are found also in other centers, as in Ionian Metropolis, Samus, Tyrrha, Smyrna, Magnesia on the Maeander, and in Lydian Magnesia. These might be imported from Ephesus or were worked according to the Ephesian model. This union of gods was also known in Athens and Rome. On a relief of the 2nd century AD that was found in the Ephesian 'Bath Lane', the goddess was fused with other goddesses (Athena and Tyche- Fortuna) and thereby put into a different union of gods. In the area of the 'State Market' images of Attis dating to the 2nd century AD were found which I see as part of the veneration of Meter-Cybele. Therefore the question arises whether the cult of Meter had a sanctuary in the Roman Imperial period.