New Inscriptions from Northeast Phrygia: The Cult of Hosios and Dikaios

Abstract

Since 2014, I have been conducting an epigraphic survey of more than half of the province of Eskişehir in central Anatolia in Turkey, an area which lies between the cities of Juliopolis, Dorylaion, Gordion and Amorion and which includes the imperial estate Choria Considiana as well as the cities Colonia Germa and Pessinous, Akkilaion and Midaion. 1 The question of which city or estate the first survey area (Mihalıççık County) belongs to is an important issue as none of the inscriptions found so far bear a place name, such as that of an estate or city. 2 Juliopolis, a city located in Gülşehri, 2 km away from Çayırhan in the modern province of Ankara, was the closest neighbouring city. 3 The territory of Juliopolis, however, is difficult to ascertain since the city was flooded after the construction of the Sarıyar Dam on the Sakarya river (ancient Sangarios) between 1951 and 1956. 4 The city was situated to the north of the Sangarios river with the Skopas stream (Aladağ Çay) to its east. 5 Its main neighbours were Dorylaion (Eskişehir) to the southwest, Claudiopolis (Bolu) to the north and Göynük, which was in the territory of Nicaea (İznik), to the west. 6 Some inscriptions were found during an epigraphic survey conducted by the Anatolian Civilisations Museum in Çayırhan and Nallıhan (which were principal parts of the territory of Julipolis during the Roman Imperial period), but they do not provide evidence about the territorial borders of Juliopolis. 7 To date, the inscriptions found in our survey do not reveal any territorial connection with Juliopolis. We

New Inscriptions from Northeast Phrygia: The 2021 Survey

“…9 However, a recently published inscription found in Mihalıççık and now in the Eskişehir Museum reads: διὰ τῶν Καίσαρος χωρίων κωμῶν and ἐν ταῖς τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Καίσαρος κώμαις. This refers to the imperial estate, Choria 1 See previous publications from the surveys: Güney 2016Güney , 2018aGüney , 2018bGüney , 2018cGüney , 2018dGüney , 2019aGüney , 2019bGüney , 2019cGüney , 2020aGüney , 2020bGüney , 2020cGüney , 2021 Talbert 2000, Phrygia, map 62: https://pleiades.stoa.org/places/609442 (11.05.2022).…”

Dionysiac Associations among the Dedicants of Hosios kai Dikaios Revisiting Recently Published Inscriptions from the Mihalıççık District in North-West Galatia

“…Belgelerin dağılımına göre kült Phrygia-Epiktetos'un kuzey doğusunda ortaya çıkmış, orada yoğunlaşmış ve oradan tüm Batı Anadolu ve ötesine kadar yayılmıştır. M. Ricl (1991; sayesinde önceden bilinen belgeleri gözden geçirip adak formülasyonlarının unsurlarını sınıflandırdıktan sonra, bu makalede H. Güney (2018a) tarafından (1 tanesi yeniden) yayımlanmış 5 yazıt için ufak düzeltmeler ve yorumlar sunulmaktadır. İmparator kölesi Khryseros'un köylü hemşehrileri ile birlikte bu tanrılara adak adadığı belgelenmiştir (no.…”

“…According to the distribution of the evidence, the cult originated and remained concentrated on the north-east of Phrygia Epiktetos, but spread all over western Asia Minor and even beyond. After surveying the documents known previously especially thanks to M. Ricl (1991; and classifying elements of the dedication formula, slightly improved readings and interpretations are offered for the five inscriptions (re-) published by H. Güney (2018a): twice, the imperial slave Chryseros is attested as fulfilling vows to the gods together with his fellow villagers (nos. 2, 3); three other instances, however, involve associations: perhaps a Β[ακχῖ]ον, the obscure Παρ[---]διᾶται, and the Κταηνοῖ, further specified as the Βα<κ>χῖον τὸ περὶ Τύραννον (nos.…”

“…2 The evidence for the divine pair Hosios kai Dikaiois deserves closer attention. Güney (2018a) has catalogued five inscriptions representing dedications to those gods. Four of them are her recent discoveries, whereas no.…”