DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4679#0114
88 III. HIERAPOLIS : THE HOLY CITY.
Empire, Hierapolis was penetrated with the Graeco-Roman civilization,
as is natural from its geographical position, and as is proved by the
personal names in the inscriptions, few of which are Anatolian, while
Greek and even Latin names abound1. Greek became the sole
language of the city, and a veneer of Greek civilization spread over it;
but the veneer was much thinner than at Laodiceia or Apameia.
Hierapolis maintained its importance through its religious position ;
and its remains and history bear witness to the strength of the
religious feeling in it. The religion continued to be Lydo-Phrygian,
and even Greek names for the gods were used less in Hierapolis than
in many other cities.
Even on coins, which usually show the hellenized spirit most
strongly, many traces of a native religious character appear, the gods
AAIPBHNOC, APXHTETHC, ZEYC • BOZIOC 2, ZEYC • TPHIOC, and
the heroes MO^OC and TOPPHBOC3 (the former probably symboliz-
ing the prophetic power, and the latter the priestly office; Mopsos is
widely known as a prophet from Colophon to Cilicia; Torrebos, clad
in a long cloak, holds a statuette of the goddess, and leans on a lyre).
Such types as Hades-Serapis with Kerberos, Men, Rape of Proserpina,
Men standing or on horseback (called generally an Amazon), head of
the Sun-god radiated, Apollo bearing the lyre, Dionysos, Asklepios,
Nemesis, and Selene in biga, illustrate the character of the cultus ;
and the type of a bull's head, surmounted by a crescent and two stars,
is also connected.
thoroughly greoized, the name becomes representative of the priestly function
Hiera-Polis. Often we find that literary (and doubtless as the first priest at the
men used the correct term Hiera-Polis, hieron), Torrebos introduced the music
where the city officials and the vulgar which was employed in the Lydian
used Hieropolis. See p. 107. ritual. Torrebos was son of Atys
1 The following are of the native (Xanthus ap. Dion. Hal. Antiq. Rom.
type : Akylas, Apphios, Attadianos (a I 28); in other words he was a Lydian
hybrid formation; Hogarth, perhaps form of Atys, the first priest of the
rightly, alters to Attalianos), Attiakos, Phrygian goddess. When Knaack (Berl.
Molybas, Motalis, Myllos or Moulos Philol. Wochenschr. 1890 p. 1643, to
(both on one sarcophagus), Tatios. On whom I am indebted for the quotations
Passtillas see no. 25. from Plutarch and Dion. Hal.) says that
2 On the title Bozios see Ch. IV § 11. on this coin die gegemiberstellung hat
3 TOPPHBOC is the correct reading, keine lief ere Bedeuhmg, he hardly catches
as Mr. Head now informs me; it is its meaning. The prophetic and the
wrongly given TOPPHCOC in his priestly functions of the hieron are put
Hist. Num. (a letter on the coin being side by side as equally important at
blurred). Torrebos introduced the Ly- Hierapolis. Whether this be a deep
dian style of music (Plut. de Mus. 15), meaning or not, it is at least a very
which is naturally connected with the important one, as showing the character
representation on this coin : as the of Phiygian religion.
Empire, Hierapolis was penetrated with the Graeco-Roman civilization,
as is natural from its geographical position, and as is proved by the
personal names in the inscriptions, few of which are Anatolian, while
Greek and even Latin names abound1. Greek became the sole
language of the city, and a veneer of Greek civilization spread over it;
but the veneer was much thinner than at Laodiceia or Apameia.
Hierapolis maintained its importance through its religious position ;
and its remains and history bear witness to the strength of the
religious feeling in it. The religion continued to be Lydo-Phrygian,
and even Greek names for the gods were used less in Hierapolis than
in many other cities.
Even on coins, which usually show the hellenized spirit most
strongly, many traces of a native religious character appear, the gods
AAIPBHNOC, APXHTETHC, ZEYC • BOZIOC 2, ZEYC • TPHIOC, and
the heroes MO^OC and TOPPHBOC3 (the former probably symboliz-
ing the prophetic power, and the latter the priestly office; Mopsos is
widely known as a prophet from Colophon to Cilicia; Torrebos, clad
in a long cloak, holds a statuette of the goddess, and leans on a lyre).
Such types as Hades-Serapis with Kerberos, Men, Rape of Proserpina,
Men standing or on horseback (called generally an Amazon), head of
the Sun-god radiated, Apollo bearing the lyre, Dionysos, Asklepios,
Nemesis, and Selene in biga, illustrate the character of the cultus ;
and the type of a bull's head, surmounted by a crescent and two stars,
is also connected.
thoroughly greoized, the name becomes representative of the priestly function
Hiera-Polis. Often we find that literary (and doubtless as the first priest at the
men used the correct term Hiera-Polis, hieron), Torrebos introduced the music
where the city officials and the vulgar which was employed in the Lydian
used Hieropolis. See p. 107. ritual. Torrebos was son of Atys
1 The following are of the native (Xanthus ap. Dion. Hal. Antiq. Rom.
type : Akylas, Apphios, Attadianos (a I 28); in other words he was a Lydian
hybrid formation; Hogarth, perhaps form of Atys, the first priest of the
rightly, alters to Attalianos), Attiakos, Phrygian goddess. When Knaack (Berl.
Molybas, Motalis, Myllos or Moulos Philol. Wochenschr. 1890 p. 1643, to
(both on one sarcophagus), Tatios. On whom I am indebted for the quotations
Passtillas see no. 25. from Plutarch and Dion. Hal.) says that
2 On the title Bozios see Ch. IV § 11. on this coin die gegemiberstellung hat
3 TOPPHBOC is the correct reading, keine lief ere Bedeuhmg, he hardly catches
as Mr. Head now informs me; it is its meaning. The prophetic and the
wrongly given TOPPHCOC in his priestly functions of the hieron are put
Hist. Num. (a letter on the coin being side by side as equally important at
blurred). Torrebos introduced the Ly- Hierapolis. Whether this be a deep
dian style of music (Plut. de Mus. 15), meaning or not, it is at least a very
which is naturally connected with the important one, as showing the character
representation on this coin : as the of Phiygian religion.