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- Title
Here Lies Hecate: Poetry and Apotheosis in Second-Century Mesembria.
- Authors
Johnston, Sarah Iles
- Abstract
The article "Here Lies Hecate: Poetry and Apotheosis in Second-Century Mesembria" examines a tombstone from the second century AD in Mesembria. The inscription on the tombstone states that Julia, the daughter of Nicias, has become the goddess Hecate. The inscription also includes figurative reliefs, including Artemis with a bow and arrows. The significance of this inscription and why Julia became Hecate is discussed. It is noted that Hecate was worshipped in Thrace, but there is more evidence for the cult of other Greek gods in the region. The significance of the phrase "now I am immortal and ageless" in the inscription is also examined. The text describes how in various mythological narratives, mortals are made immortal and ageless by gods. Three female mortals are mentioned who have received these qualities: Ariadne, Phylonoe, and Iphimede. Particularly relevant is the case of Iphimede, who is referred to as Artemis-Enodia in the inscription. This name refers to the goddess Hecate, who possesses similar qualities to Artemis. The inscription on a tombstone suggests that the father of the deceased, Nicias, considers his daughter to be a kind of goddess and associates her with Artemis and Hecate. This can be seen as an act of faith in a new belief that builds upon an existing mythological narrative.
- Subjects
THRACE; BOW &; arrow; SEPULCHRAL monuments; INSCRIPTIONS; GODS; GODDESSES; DEAD
- Publication
Archiv für Religionsgeschichte, 2023, Vol 24, Issue 1, p305
- ISSN
1436-3038
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1515/arege-2022-0014