Apollon Smintheus’un Kutsal Fareleri

Öz

Apollon, şair Homeros tarafından ‘smintheus’ adıyla ilk kez çağrılmış ve salgınlarla düşmanlardan intikam alan bir tanrı olarak anılmıştır. Bu düşünce Antik Çağ boyunca devam etmiştir. Fareler her zaman Apollon Smintheus ile ilişkilendirilmiş ve tanrının kutsal hayvanı olarak görülmüşlerdir. Antik kaynaklara göre fareler, Smintheion’da (Apollon Smintheus kült alanı) özel korumaya alınmış ve beslenmişlerdir. Özellikle Apollon Smintheus altarı etrafında özgürce koşuşturan beyaz fareler, kutsal kabul edilmiş ve koruma altına alınmışlardır. Apollon’un Troas bölgesinde ve Gülpınar’daki kutsal alanında Smintheus (Farelerin Apollonu) olarak anılması ve tapınılması yine antik metinlere göre çiftçilerin ürünlerini zararlı tarla farelerinden korumasından kaynaklandığı ifade edilmiştir. Apollon, smintheus sıfatıyla Troas coğrafyası merkez olmak üzere Ege’nin doğu sahilleri ve adalarında da tapınım gördüğü anlaşılmaktadır. Fareler ile hem kralları, yöneticileri ve rahipleri cezalandırmış hem de adına kurbanlar kesildikten ve tapınaklar inşa edildikten sonra kendisine bu jestleri yapanları ödüllendirmek amacıyla zararlı fareleri öldürerek insanların ürünlerini kurtardığı ifade edilmiştir. Bu yüzden tanrının fareleri kutsal kabul edilmiş ve tanrıya tarımın ağırlıklı olduğu coğrafyalarda Apollon Smintheus olarak tapınılmıştır. Smintheion’da son dönemde yapılan araştırmalarda ise farenin değil kuzgunun Apollon Smintheus’un kutsal hayvanı olduğu anlaşılmaktadır. Çünkü Smintheion Roma döneminde ağırlıklı olarak bir kehanet merkezidir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Apollon Smintheus
• Smintheion
• Fareler
• Kutsal Fareler
• Beyaz Fareler

The Sacred Mice of Apollo Smintheus

Öz

Apollo was first referred to as “smintheus” by the poet Homer and was known as a god who took revenge on enemies through epidemics. This belief persisted throughout the Ancient Times. Mice have always been associated with Apollo Smintheus and were seen as the god's sacred animals. According to ancient sources, mice were specially protected and fed at Smintheion (the cult site of Apollo Smintheus). White mice, in particular, which ran freely around the altar of Apollo Smintheus, were considered sacred and protected. The worship of Apollo as Smintheus (Apollo of the Mice) in the Troad region and at his saanctuary in Gülpınar is also attributed, according to ancient texts, to his protection of farmers' crops from harmful field mice. Apollo, under the epithet Smintheus, appears to have been worshipped primarily in the Troad region, as well as along the eastern shores of the Aegean Sea and its islands. It is said that he punished kings, rulers, and priests with mice, but then rewarded those who made these gestures to him by killing the harmful mice and saving people's crops after sacrifices were made and temples were built in his name. For this reason, mice were considered sacred to the god, and he was worshipped as Apollo Smintheus in regions where agriculture was predominant. However, recent research in Smintheion suggests that it was the raven, not the mouse, that was the sacred animal of Apollo Smintheus. This is because Smintheion was primarily an oracle center during the Roman period.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Apollo Smintheus
• Smintheion
• Mice
• Sacred Mice
• White Mice

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