Research Article

Priapus in Rough Cilicia?

Volume: Suppl. 1 August 31, 2016
  • Günder Varinlioğlu
  • Ender Varinlioğlu
TR EN

Priapus in Rough Cilicia?

Abstract

The phallic imagery encountered across Rough Cilicia has traditionally been associated with Hermes, the second most common deity in the region. An inscription on a door post from Güvercinlik, dating from the third or fourth centuries CE, challenges this assumption. The inscription and phallus, which serve the purpose of protecting the crop against the plunderers, recalls a similar epigram inscribed on a statue of Priapus from Acireale in Sicily, dating from the second or third century CE. In the West, Priapus was a common figure in Roman domestic spaces. The Güvercinlik inscription, on the other hand, belongs to a rural landscape with limited agricultural capacity, which nevertheless was aggressively exploited and inhabited from the Late Roman period till the end of antiquity. In light of the Güvercinlik inscription and the widespread occurrence of phallic symbols across this rural territory, we argue that a cult of Priapus may have existed in semi-urbanized rural contexts of Rough Cilicia, affected by Roman traditions.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Linguistics

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Günder Varinlioğlu This is me

Ender Varinlioğlu This is me
Türkiye

Publication Date

August 31, 2016

Submission Date

January 16, 2018

Acceptance Date

-

Published in Issue

Year 2016 Volume: Suppl. 1

APA
Varinlioğlu, G., & Varinlioğlu, E. (2016). Priapus in Rough Cilicia? PHILIA, Suppl. 1, 906-916. https://izlik.org/JA47KW99EA
AMA
1.Varinlioğlu G, Varinlioğlu E. Priapus in Rough Cilicia? PHILIA. 2016;Suppl. 1:906-916. https://izlik.org/JA47KW99EA
Chicago
Varinlioğlu, Günder, and Ender Varinlioğlu. 2016. “Priapus in Rough Cilicia?”. PHILIA Suppl. 1 (August): 906-16. https://izlik.org/JA47KW99EA.
EndNote
Varinlioğlu G, Varinlioğlu E (August 1, 2016) Priapus in Rough Cilicia? PHILIA Suppl. 1 906–916.
IEEE
[1]G. Varinlioğlu and E. Varinlioğlu, “Priapus in Rough Cilicia?”, PHILIA, vol. Suppl. 1, pp. 906–916, Aug. 2016, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA47KW99EA
ISNAD
Varinlioğlu, Günder - Varinlioğlu, Ender. “Priapus in Rough Cilicia?”. PHILIA SUPPL. 1 (August 1, 2016): 906-916. https://izlik.org/JA47KW99EA.
JAMA
1.Varinlioğlu G, Varinlioğlu E. Priapus in Rough Cilicia? PHILIA. 2016;Suppl. 1:906–916.
MLA
Varinlioğlu, Günder, and Ender Varinlioğlu. “Priapus in Rough Cilicia?”. PHILIA, vol. Suppl. 1, Aug. 2016, pp. 906-1, https://izlik.org/JA47KW99EA.
Vancouver
1.Günder Varinlioğlu, Ender Varinlioğlu. Priapus in Rough Cilicia? PHILIA [Internet]. 2016 Aug. 1;Suppl. 1:906-1. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA47KW99EA