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Temple Of Bel, Dura Europos
The Temple of Bel, also known as the Temple of the Palmyrene gods, was located in Dura Europos, an ancient city on the Euphrates, in modern Syria. The temple was established in the first century BC and is celebrated primarily for its wall paintings. Despite the modern names of the structure, it is uncertain which gods were worshipped in the structure. Under Roman rule, the temple was dedicated to the Emperor Alexander Severus. In that period, the temple was located within the military camp of the XXth Palmyrene cohort. Under Roman rule, the temple was dedicated to the Emperor Alexander Severus. In that period, the temple was located within the military camp of the XXth Palmyrene cohort. Discovery The temple's paintings were discovered in 1920 by M. C. Murphy. Photos of them reached James Henry Breasted, who studied both the paintings and the temple and would publish a monograph about them in 1924. Before Murphy's discovery, the site was unknown. Its identification with the ...
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Akitu
Akitu or Akitum is a spring festival held on the first day of Nisan in ancient Mesopotamia, to celebrate the sowing of barley. The Assyrian and Babylonian Akitu festival has played a pivotal role in the development of theories of religion, myth and ritual. While the purpose of the festival remains a point of contention among both historians of religion and Assyriologists, it is certain to have played a pivotal role in the regular setting of an agenda, priorities, and in the overall advancement of Western Civilization as being one of the first regularly occurring forums where proposals for social maintenance or change could consistently be made and crucial issues readily addressed. Babylonian Akitu The Babylonian festival traditionally started on 4 Nissan, the first month of the year, as a celebration of the sowing of barley. All the people in the city would celebrate, including the ''awilu'' (upper class), ''muskena'' (middle class), ''wardu'' (lower class), High Priest, and ...
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Julius Terentius Performing A Sacrifice (Dura Europos)
The gens Julia (''gēns Iūlia'', ) was one of the most prominent patrician families in ancient Rome. Members of the gens attained the highest dignities of the state in the earliest times of the Republic. The first of the family to obtain the consulship was Gaius Julius Iulus in 489 BC. The gens is perhaps best known, however, for Gaius Julius Caesar, the dictator and grand uncle of the emperor Augustus, through whom the name was passed to the so-called Julio-Claudian dynasty of the first century AD. The Julius became very common in imperial times, as the descendants of persons enrolled as citizens under the early emperors began to make their mark in history.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. II, pp. 642, 643. Origin The Julii were of Alban origin, mentioned as one of the leading Alban houses, which Tullus Hostilius removed to Rome upon the destruction of Alba Longa. The Julii also existed at an early period at Bovillae, evidenced by a very a ...
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Ancient Macedonian Army
The army of the Kingdom of Macedon was among the greatest military forces of the ancient world. It was created and made formidable by King Philip II of Macedon; previously the army of Macedon had been of little account in the politics of the Greek world, and Macedonia had been regarded as a second-rate power. The latest innovations in weapons and tactics were adopted and refined by Philip II, and he created a uniquely flexible and effective army. By introducing military service as a full-time occupation, Philip was able to drill his men regularly, ensuring unity and cohesion in his ranks. In a remarkably short time, this led to the creation of one of the finest military machines of the ancient world. Tactical improvements included the latest developments in the deployment of the traditional Greek phalanx made by men such as Epaminondas of Thebes and Iphicrates of Athens. Philip II improved on these military innovators by using both Epaminondas' deeper phalanx and Iphicrates' com ...
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Chiliarch
Chiliarch is a military rank dating back to antiquity. Originally denoting the commander of a unit of about one thousand men (a chiliarchy) in the Macedonian army, it was subsequently used as a Greek translation of a Persian officer who functioned as a kind of vizier and of the Roman military tribunes. It has subsequently been used for other similar ranks and positions in other armed forces. Name The English term ''chiliarch'' was borrowed from Latin , a transcription of Greek ''khilíarkhos'' () and ''khiliárkhēs'' (), both meaning "commander of a thousand". The name has also occasionally been written as chiliarcha, chiliarchus,. or chiliarchos or calqued as thousandman. The chiliad or chiliarchy controlled by a chiliarch derives from Latin , from Greek ''khiliarkhía'' (). Ancient Macedon and Persia In the Ancient Macedonian army, a chiliarch was the commander of a 1024-strong chiliarchy or of the and the hypaspists heavy infantry, subdivided into 64 files () of 16 men ...
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Chiliarch
Chiliarch is a military rank dating back to antiquity. Originally denoting the commander of a unit of about one thousand men (a chiliarchy) in the Macedonian army, it was subsequently used as a Greek translation of a Persian officer who functioned as a kind of vizier and of the Roman military tribunes. It has subsequently been used for other similar ranks and positions in other armed forces. Name The English term ''chiliarch'' was borrowed from Latin , a transcription of Greek ''khilíarkhos'' () and ''khiliárkhēs'' (), both meaning "commander of a thousand". The name has also occasionally been written as chiliarcha, chiliarchus,. or chiliarchos or calqued as thousandman. The chiliad or chiliarchy controlled by a chiliarch derives from Latin , from Greek ''khiliarkhía'' (). Ancient Macedon and Persia In the Ancient Macedonian army, a chiliarch was the commander of a 1024-strong chiliarchy or of the and the hypaspists heavy infantry, subdivided into 64 files () of 16 men ...
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Aurelian
Aurelian ( la, Lucius Domitius Aurelianus; 9 September 214 October 275) was a Roman emperor, who reigned during the Crisis of the Third Century, from 270 to 275. As emperor, he won an unprecedented series of military victories which reunited the Roman Empire after it had nearly disintegrated under the pressure of barbarian invasions and internal revolts. Born in humble circumstances, near the Danube River, he entered the Roman military in 235, and climbed up the ranks. He went on to lead the cavalry of the emperor Gallienus, until Gallienus' assassination in 268. Following that, Claudius Gothicus became emperor until his own death in 270. Claudius' brother Quintillus ruled the empire for three months, before Aurelian became emperor. During his reign, he defeated the Alamanni after a devastating war. He also defeated the Goths, Vandals, Juthungi, Sarmatians, and Carpi. Aurelian restored the Empire's eastern provinces after his conquest of the Palmyrene Empire in 273. The follow ...
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Iarhibol Altar From The Temple Of Bel
Yarhibol or Iarhibol is an Arameans, Aramean god who was worshiped mainly in ancient Palmyra, a city in central Syria. He was depicted with a solar nimbus and styled "lord of the spring". He normally appears alongside Bel (mythology), Bel, who was a co-supreme god of Palmyra, and Aglibol, one of the other top Palmyrene gods. Origins It is believed that Yarhibol was originally the patronus/genius loci of the source Efqa in Palmyra; it is known that his title was "Lord / Guardian [Gad] of the Source". In general, however, his onomastics indicates an earlier connection with the lunar, not the solar, cult. His name translates as "the moon of Bel", and at the same time shows a connection with the North-Western Semitic (Ancient Canaanite religion, Canaanite) moon god Jarih (Yariḫ). It is characteristic that on the stele in Dura Europos (2nd century AD), apart from the radiant crown, it is additionally decorated with a crescent. Earlier Yarhibol must have been a local deity of ancesto ...
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Canaanite Religion
The Canaanite religion was the group of ancient Semitic religions practiced by the Canaanites living in the ancient Levant from at least the early Bronze Age through the first centuries AD. Canaanite religion was polytheistic and, in some cases, monolatristic. Beliefs Deities A group of deities in a four-tier hierarchy headed by El and Asherah were worshiped by the followers of the Canaanite religion; this is a detailed listing: * Aglibol, god of the moon and brother of Malakbel. Part of a trio of gods of Palmyra, Syria along with Bel and Yarhibol. Also part of another trio with Baalshamin and Malakbel. * Anat, virgin goddess of war and strife, sister and putative mate of Ba'al Hadad. * Arsay, goddess of the underworld, one of the three daughters of Ba'al Hadad. * Arsu, god of the evening star and twin brother of Azizos. * Ashtar-Chemosh, wife of Chemosh and goddess of the Moabites. * Asherah, queen consort of El (Ugaritic religion), Elkunirsa (Hittite religion), Yahweh ...
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Temple Of The Gadde
The Temple of the Gadde is a temple in the modern-day Syrian city of Dura-Europos, located near the agora (insula H1). It contained reliefs dedicated to the protective deities (in Aramaic, Gaddē) of Dura-Europos and the nearby city of Palmyra, after whom the temple was named by its excavators. The temple was excavated between 1934 and January 1936 by the French/American expedition of Yale University, led by Michael Rostovtzeff. Description The city of Palmyra (also known as Tadmor, in Semitic languages) is located about 220 kilometers west of Dura-Europos. The oasis city flourished due to its participation in caravan trade. The presence of Palmyrenes in Dura-Europos is attested from 33 BCE onwards, where they lived as merchants or soldiers hired by the Roman army for their expert archery. Based on surviving text, the Temple of the Gadde was built by and for Palmyrenes living in or visiting Dura-Europos. The age of the temple complex is unknown. According to the preliminary e ...
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Aglibol
Aglibol is a god from Palmyra, originating from a north Syrian immigrant community. He is a moon god who was worshiped in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra as part of a trinity alongside Bel and Yarhibol, and associated with the sun god Malakbel. Evidence of Aglibol's worship is primarily epigraphical. The earliest known mention of Aglibol was an inscription which dates back to 17 BCE and associates him with the sun god Malakbel. Several other inscriptions made by the Bene Komare also associate him with Malakbel, including a bilingual inscription from 122 CE in which Aglibol and Malakbel sponsor a citizen by the name of Manai for his piety. Several second century CE inscriptions attest that Aglibol was venerated with Malakbel in a sanctuary known as the "Sacred Garden" (gnt' 'ilym), which was one of the four principal sanctuaries of the city. The Bene Komare tended to this sanctuary. The sanctuary had two altars, a sacred cypress and a bath. One of the reliefs found in the Temp ...
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Bel (mythology)
Bêl (; from akk, bēlu) is a title signifying "lord" or "master" applied to various gods in the Mesopotamian religion of Akkad, Assyria, and Babylonia. The feminine form is ''Bêlit'' ('Lady, Mistress') in Akkadian. ''Bel'' is represented in Greek as Belos and in Latin as Belus. ''Belit'' appears in Greek form as Beltis (Βελτις). Linguistically, ''Bel'' is an East Semitic form cognate with the Northwest Semitic Baal with the same meaning. ''Bel'' was especially used for the Babylonian god Marduk in Assyrian and neo-Babylonian personal names or mentioned in inscriptions in a Mesopotamian context. Similarly, ''Bêlit'' mostly refers to Marduk's spouse Sarpanit. Marduk's mother, the Sumerian religion, Sumerian goddess often referred to in the Sumerian language as Ninhursag, Damgalnuna, Damkina, and Ninmah, was often known as ''Belit-ili'' ("Lady of the Gods") in Akkadian. Other gods called "Lord" were sometimes identified totally or in part with Bel Marduk. The god Malak-b ...
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