Healers in Lycaonia According to Epigraphy Sources

Abstract

Diseases and their treatment have held an important place in the lives of all societies, and therefore have been the subject of mythological narratives. Furthermore, since religion, magic, and healing were seen together in ancient times, oracles and healers were found in temples. Asclepius, the patron god of medicine, and his daughter Hygeia, along with the Asclepions, which were centers for healing, have distinguished themselves in the field of health. The presence of inscriptions mentioning Asclepius and Hygeia, as well as statues dedicated to these deities, in Lycaonia reveals the existence of an Asclepius cult in the region. On the other hand, alongside healthcare centers, physicians who treat illnesses have always been among the most respected people in the communities in which they live. Indeed, this was also true for Lycaonia, as evidenced by the presence of numerous physicians in inscriptions found in the region. Numerous studies have been conducted to date on the history, historical geography, and archaeology of the Lycaonia region. However, studies on the social and cultural conditions of the region are quite limited, and there are no studies specifically on the cult of Asclepius and healthcare professionals. Therefore, this study aims to determine the extent of Asclepius worship and the presence of physicians in the region, based on inscriptions found in Lycaonia.

Keywords

• Epigraphic sources
• Lycaonia
• Asclepios
• healing
• physician

Ethical Statement

The author declared that ethical principles were followed during the preparation of this study.

Epigrafik Kaynaklara Göre Lykaonia’da Şifa Vericiler

Abstract

Toplumların hayatında hastalıklar ve tedavisi önemli bir yer tuttuğundan mitolojik anlatılara konu olmuştur. Eski çağlarda din, büyü ve tedavi bir arada görüldüğünden tapınaklarda kahin ve şifacılar bulunmuştur. Tıbbın koruyucu tanrısı Asklepios ile kızı Hygeia şifa vericiler, Asklepion’lar ise şifa veren merkezler olarak sağlık alanında öne çıkmışlardır. Lykaonia’da ele geçmiş Asklepios ile Hygeia’nın geçtiği yazıtlar, söz konusu tanrılara adanmış heykeller, bölgede Asklepios kültünün varlığını ortaya koymaktadır. Öte yandan sağlık merkezleri yanında hastalıkları tedavi eden hekimler de daima içinde yaşadıkları toplumun en saygın insanlarından olmuşlardır. Bu durumun Lykaonia için de geçerli olduğu bölgeden ele geçmiş yazıtlarda çok sayıda hekimin varlığıyla belgelenmiştir. Lykaonia Bölgesi’nin tarihi, tarihi coğrafyası ve arkeolojisine dair çok sayıda çalışma yapılmıştır. Bununla birlikte bölgenin sosyal ve kültürel durumuna dair çalışmaların sayısı oldukça sınırlı olup Asklepios kültü ve sağlıkçılarla ilgili olarak yapılmış bir çalışma yoktur. Bu nedenle çalışmada Lykaonia’dan ele geçmiş yazıtlardan hareketle bölgede Asklepios tapınımının boyutu ve hekimlerin tespiti amaçlanmıştır.

Keywords

• Epigrafik kaynaklar
• Lykaonia
• Asklepios
• şifa
• hekim

Ethical Statement

Çalışmanın hazırlanma sürecinde etik ilkelere uyulduğu yazar tarafından beyan edilmiştir.

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