Gods and cults in Anatolia from Hittite times up to the Roman period

Abstract

This volume examines the evolution, adaptation and syncretism of Anatolian deities across a diverse range of linguistic and cultural contexts, including Hittite, Luwian, Carian, Lycian, Phrygian and Greek traditions. Employing philological, linguistic, epigraphic and archaeological methodologies, the contributions cover a broad chronological span, from the second millennium BCE to the Roman Imperial period. Key themes include prehistoric sacral hunting, the iconography of the bull, divine epithets and ritual practices, as well as the assimilation of local cults into the Greek religious framework. Through close analysis of divine names and cultic vocabulary in both textual and material sources, the volume offers new insights into the processes of religious continuity, reinterpretation and localization in ancient Anatolia. It constitutes a substantial contribution to the study of ancient religion, Anatolian and Greco-Roman studies, as well as Indo-European historical linguistics.