Bithynia tanrıları ve kültleri

Abstract

Bithynia is an ancient settlement area in Northwestern Anatolia in Antiquity. In Northern part of Bithynia is Black Sea, in South Phrygia, in West Propontis, in East Paphlagonia and in Southwest Mysia. The Bithyns are a tribe, who gave their names to the region, and they crossed Northwestern Asia Minor through Thrace and settled in Bithynia region. Being a Thracian tribe, Bythns lived by the Strymon river, later they were displaced by Teukers and Mis from their region, and they settled in Northwestern Anatolia in second half of 7th century. Bithynia is a passage area, which has connection with the Northern Europe in North- West and with the other countries of Mediterranean in the South, and which connects the Europe and Asia through roads. The religion of the Bythnia region, which has a strategical important position, played a major role in Anatolia's and ancient West's (Greek-Roman) religious interaction. During our study about Bythnia' s Gods and Cults, the Calendar Gods guided us. These twelve Calender-Gods are Hera, Hermes, Meter, Dionysos, Heracles, Zeus, Bendis, Zeus Stratios, Priapos, Ares, Aphrodite and Demeter. During the imperial period, Dionysos, Heracles, Zeus, Hermes, Demeter, Aphrodite and Meter were respected, but Bendis, Priapos and Stratios lost their effect entirely, and Hera, Ares played only a minor role. 366In addition to the Calendar-Gods, there were such gods, which had a general importance under the term of State-Gods in the Roman-Empire. These were imparator, Rome, Iuppiter Optimus Maximus and Capitolinium Trias, Antinoos, Helios and Sarapis. Additionally, in Bythnia there were Gods such as Apollon, Artemis, Poseidon, Asklepios, Athena, Hephaistos and river-, mountain- and tree-gods, which were not accepted by everyone, and, the local-gods such as Hylas. 367