Sabazios

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Sabazios(AncientGreek:)isthenomadichorsemanandsky
fathergodofthePhrygiansandThracians.InIndoEuropeanlanguages,
suchasPhrygian,thezioselementinhisnamederivesfromdyeus,the
commonprecursorofLatindeus('god')andGreekZeus.Though
theGreeksinterpretedPhrygianSabazios[3]as
bothZeusandDionysus,[4]representationsofhim,even
intoRomantimes,showhimalwaysonhorseback,asanomadic
horsemangod,wieldinghischaracteristicstaffofpower.
Contents
1 Thracian/PhrygianSabazios
2 Godonhorseback
3 Iconography,Depictions,andHellenisticAssociations
4 SabaziosinAthens
5 TransformationtoSabazius
6 Jewishconnection
7 References
8 Externallinks

Thracian/PhrygianSabazios

[ edit ]

ItseemslikelythatthemigratingPhrygiansbroughtSabazioswiththem
whentheysettledinAnatoliaintheearlyfirstmillenniumBCE,andthatthe
god'soriginsaretobelookedforinMacedoniaandThrace.Therecently
discoveredancientsanctuaryofPerperikoninmoderndayBulgariais
believedtobethatofSabazios.TheMacedonianswerealsonoted
horsemen,horsebreedersandhorseworshippersuptothetimeofPhilip

Bronzehandusedinthe
worshipofSabazios(British
Museum).[1]Roman1st2ndcentury
CE.Handsdecoratedwithreligious
symbolsweredesignedtostandin
sanctuariesor,likethisone,were
attachedtopolesforprocessional
use.Anothersimilarbronzehand
foundinthe16th/17thcentury
inTournai,Belgium,isalsoin
theBritishMuseum.[2]

II,whosenamesignifies"loverofhorses".
PossibleearlyconflictbetweenSabaziosandhisfollowersandtheindigenousmothergoddessofPhrygia
(Cybele)maybereflectedinHomer'sbriefreferencetotheyouthfulfeatsofPriam,whoaidedthePhrygiansin
theirbattleswithAmazons.Anaspectofthecompromisereligioussettlement,similartotheothersuchmythic
adjustmentsthroughoutAegeanculture,canbereadinthelaterPhrygianKingGordias'adoption"with
Cybele"[5]ofMidas.

Oneofthenativereligion'screatureswastheLunarBull.Sabazios'relationswiththegoddessmaybe
surmisedinthewaythathishorseplacesahoofontheheadofthebull,inaRomanmarblereliefat
theBostonMuseumofFineArts.[6]ThoughRomanindate,theiconicimageappearstobemuchearlier.

Godonhorseback

[ edit ]

Furtherinformation:Thracian
horseman
More"ridergod"stelesareatthe
BurdurMuseum,inTurkey.Under
theRomanEmperorGordian
IIIthegodonhorsebackappears
oncoinsmintedatTlos,in
Thracianhorseman,National
MuseumofRomanianHistory

neighboringLycia,andatIstrus,in
theprovinceofLowerMoesia,
betweenThraceandtheDanube.

Itisgenerallythoughtthattheyoungemperor'sgrandfathercamefroman
Anatolianfamily,becauseofhisunusualcognomen,Gordianus.[7]The
iconicimageofthegodorheroonhorsebackbattlingthechthonicserpent,
onwhichhishorsetramples,appearsonCelticvotivecolumns,andwith
thecomingofChristianityitwaseasilytransformedintotheimageofSaint

ThiscopperalloyRomanhand
ofSabazioswasusedinritual
worship.Fewhandsremainin
collectionstoday.WaltersArt
Museum,Baltimore.

GeorgeandtheDragon,whoseearliestknowndepictionsarefromtenth
andeleventhcenturyCappadociaandeleventhcenturyGeorgiaandArmenia.[8]

Iconography,Depictions,andHellenisticAssociations

[ edit ]

AmongRomaninscriptionsfromNicopolisadIstrum,SabaziosisgenerallyequatedwithJoveandmentioned
alongsideMercury.[9]SimilarlyinHellenisticmonuments,Sabaziosiseitherexplicitly(viainscriptions)or
implicitly(viaiconography)associatedwithZeus.OnamarbleslabfromPhilippopolis,Sabaziosisdepictedas
acurlyhairedandbeardedcentraldeityamongseveralgodsandgoddesses.Underhisleftfootisaram's
head,andheholdsinhislefthandasceptretippedwithahandinthebenedictiolatinagesture.Sabaziosis
accompaniedbybustsonhisrightdepictingLuna,Pan,andMercury,andonhisleftbySol,Fortuna,and
Daphne.[10]AccordingtoMacrobius,LiberandHelioswereworshippedamongtheThraciansas
Sabazios[11]thisdescriptionfitsotherClassicalaccountsthatidentifySabazioswithDionysos.Sabaziosisalso
associatedwithanumberofarcheologicalfindsdepictingabronze,righthandinthebenedictiolatinagesture.
Thehandappearstohavehadritualsignificanceandmayhavebeenaffixedtoasceptre(astheonecarried
bySabaziosonthePhilippopolisslab).Althoughtherearemanyvariations,thehandofSabaziosistypically
depictedwithapineconeonthethumbandwithaserpentorpairofserpentsencirclingthewristand
surmountingthebentringandpinkyfingers.Additionalsymbolsoccasionallyincludedonthehandsof
Sabaziosincludealightningboltovertheindexandmiddlefingers,aturtleandlizardonthebackofthehand,
aneagle,aram,aleaflessbranch,thethyrsos,andtheMountedHeros.[12]

SabaziosinAthens

[ edit ]

TheecstaticEasternritespracticedlargelybywomeninAthenswerethrowntogetherforrhetoricalpurposes
byDemosthenesinundermininghisopponentAeschinesforparticipatinginhismother'sculticassociations:

"Onattainingmanhoodyouabettedyourmotherinherinitiationsandtheotherrituals,andread
aloudfromtheculticwritings...Yourubbedthefatcheekedsnakesandswungthemaboveyour
head,cryingEuoisaboiandhuesattes,atteshues[13]

TransformationtoSabazius

[ edit ]

TransferenceofSabaziostotheRomanworldappearstohavebeenmediatedinlargepart
throughPergamum.[14]ThenaturallysyncreticapproachofGreekreligionblurreddistinctions.LaterGreek
writers,likeStrabointhefirstcenturyCE,linkedSabazioswithZagreus,amongPhrygianministersand
attendantsofthesacredritesofRheaandDionysos.[15]Strabo'sSiciliancontemporary,DiodorusSiculus,
conflatedSabazioswiththesecret'second'Dionysus,bornofZeusandPersephone,[16]aconnectionthatis
notborneoutbysurvivinginscriptions,whichareentirelytoZeusSabazios.[17]TheChristianClementof
AlexandriahadbeeninformedthatthesecretmysteriesofSabazius,aspracticedamongtheRomans,involved
aserpent,achthoniccreatureunconnectedwiththemountedskygodofPhrygia:"Godinthebosomisa
countersignofthemysteriesofSabaziustotheadepts".Clementreports:"Thisisasnake,passedthroughthe
bosomoftheinitiates.[18]
Muchlater,theByzantineGreekencyclopedia,Suda(10thcentury?),flatlystates
"Sabazios...isthesameasDionysos.Heacquiredthisformofaddressfromtheritepertainingto
himforthebarbarianscallthebacchiccry'sabazein'.HencesomeoftheGreekstoofollowsuit
andcallthecry'sabasmos'therebyDionysos[becomes]Sabazios.Theyalsousedtocall'saboi'
thoseplacesthathadbeendedicatedtohimandhisBacchantes...Demosthenes[inthespeech]
'OnBehalfofKtesiphon'[mentionsthem].SomesaythatSaboiisthetermforthosewhoare
dedicatedtoSabazios,thatistoDionysos,justasthose[dedicated]toBakkhos[are]Bakkhoi.
TheysaythatSabaziosandDionysosarethesame.ThussomealsosaythattheGreekscallthe
BakkhoiSaboi."[19]
InRomansites,thoughaninscriptionbuiltintothewalloftheabbeychurchofSanVenanzioatCeperana
suggestedtoaRenaissancehumanist[20]ithadbeenbuiltuponthefoundationsofatempletoJupiter
Sabazius,accordingtomodernscholarsnotasingletempleconsecratedtoSabazius,theridergodofthe
openair,hasbeenlocated.[21]Smallvotivehands,typicallymadeofcopperorbronze,areoftenassociated
withthecultofSabazios.Manyofthesehandshaveasmallperforationatthebasewhichsuggeststheymay
havebeenattachedtowoodenpolesandcarriedinprocessions.Thesymbolismoftheseobjectsisnotwell
known.[22]

Jewishconnection

[ edit ]

ThefirstJewswhosettledinRomewereexpelledin139BCE,alongwithChaldaeanastrologersbyCornelius
Hispalusunderalawwhichproscribedthepropagationofthe"corrupting"cultof"JupiterSabazius,"according
totheepitomeofalostbookofValeriusMaximus:
GnaeusCorneliusHispalus,praetorperegrinusintheyearoftheconsulateofMarcusPopilius
LaenasandLuciusCalpurnius,orderedtheastrologersbyanedicttoleaveRomeandItalywithin
tendays,sincebyafallaciousinterpretationofthestarstheyperturbedfickleandsillyminds,
therebymakingprofitoutoftheirlies.ThesamepraetorcompelledtheJews,whoattemptedto
infecttheRomancustomwiththecultofJupiterSabazius,toreturntotheirhomes."[23]

BythisitisconjecturedthattheRomansidentifiedtheJewishYHVHTzevaot("sabaoth,""oftheHosts")
asJoveSabazius.
ThismistakenconnectionofSabaziosandSabaoshasoftenbeenrepeated.Inasimilar
vein,PlutarchmaintainedthattheJewsworshippedDionysus,andthatthedayofSabbathwasafestivalof
Sabazius.[24]PlutarchalsodiscussestheidentificationoftheJewishGodwiththe"Egyptian"Typhon,an
identificationwhichhelaterrejects,however.ThemonotheisticHypsistariansworshippedtheMostHighunder
thisname,whichmayhavebeenaformoftheJewishGod.

References

[ edit ]

1.^BritishMuseumCollection

12.^https://books.google.com/books?

2.^BritishMuseumCollection

id=NtQUAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA183&lpg=PA183&dq=bene

3.^Variantspellings,likeSawadiosininscriptions,may

dictio+latina&source=bl&ots=N72SqGMQnE&sig=zq3

provediagnosticinestablishingorigins,Ken

SIzQwZKs

DowdensuggestedinreviewingE.N.Lane,Corpus

vu4ubZRvWOxOSGI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjiga

CultisJovisSabazii1989forTheClassicalReview,

ll

1991:125.

3OAhVLmR4KHWYIDgYQ6AEIRzAL#v=onepage&q=b

4.^SeeinterpretatioGraeca.
5.^LaterGreekmythographersreducedCybele'srole

enedictio%20latina&f=true
13.^Demosthenes,Decorona260Attis,serpentcult,

to"wife"inthiscontextinitiallyGordiaswillhave

Sabazios,Dionysus(Aeschinesischaracterisedas

beenrulingintheGoddess'sname,ashervisible

"ivybearer"and"liknoscarrier"),and"culticwritings",

representative.

whichmayhaveinsinuatedOrphicconnectionsas

6.^ZeusSabaziosattheMuseumofFineArtsBoston

well,arenototherwiselinkedincult,saveintheir

7.^Sabaziosoncoins,illustratedintheM.Halkam

foreignnessinfifthcenturyAthens.

collection.

14.^Lane1989.

8.^SeeSaintGeorgeandtheDragon

15.^Strabo,Geography,10.3.15.

9.^https://books.google.com/books?

16.^DiodorusSiculus,4.4.1.

id=NtQUAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA183&lpg=PA183&dq=bene

17.^E.N.Lanehastakenpainstodismissthis

dictio+latina&source=bl&ots=N72SqGMQnE&sig=zq3

widespreadconflation:Lane,"Towardsadefinitionof

SIzQwZKs

theiconographyofSabazios",Numen27(1980:933),

vu4ubZRvWOxOSGI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjiga

andCorpusCultisJovisSabazii:,intudes

ll

PrliminairesauxReligionsOrientalesdansl'Empire

3OAhVLmR4KHWYIDgYQ6AEIRzAL#v=onepage&q=b
enedictio%20latina&f=false
10.^https://books.google.com/books?

Romain:Conclusions100.3(Leiden,etc:Brill)1989.
18.^ClementofAlexandria,Protrepticus,1,2,16.
19.^Sudas,under'Sabazios,''saboi'Sider,David.

id=NtQUAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA183&lpg=PA183&dq=bene

"NotesonTwoEpigramsofPhilodemus".The

dictio+latina&source=bl&ots=N72SqGMQnE&sig=zq3

AmericanJournalofPhilology,103.2(Summer

SIzQwZKs

1982:208213)pp209f.

vu4ubZRvWOxOSGI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjiga

20.^AntonioIvani,writingtohisfellowhumanist

ll

AntonioMedusei,15July1473notedinRoberto

3OAhVLmR4KHWYIDgYQ6AEIRzAL#v=onepage&q=b

Weiss,TheRenaissanceDiscoveryofClassical

enedictio%20latina&f=false

Antiquity,1969:116.

11.^https://books.google.com/books?

21.^Lane,E.N.CorpusCultisJovisSabazii,intudes

id=NtQUAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA183&lpg=PA183&dq=bene

PrliminairesauxReligionsOrientalesdansl'Empire

dictio+latina&source=bl&ots=N72SqGMQnE&sig=zq3

Romain100.3Conclusions(Leiden,etc:Brill)

SIzQwZKs

1989:48.

vu4ubZRvWOxOSGI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjiga

22.^M.J.Vermaseren,CorpusCultisJovisSabazii,

ll

intudesPrliminairesauxReligionsOrientalesdans

3OAhVLmR4KHWYIDgYQ6AEIRzAL#v=onepage&q=b

l'EmpireRomain100.1(Leiden,etc:Brill)1983

enedictio%20latina&f=true

assemblesthecorpusofthesehands.

23.^(ValeriusMaximus),epitomeofNineBooksof
MemorableDeedsandSayings,i.3,2
seeEXEMPLUM3.[Par.]

24.^Plutarch.Symposiacs,iv,6.