N. E. Akyürek Şahin, The Cult of Hecate in Lydia: Evidence from the Manisa Museum, Gephyra 13, 2016, 1-48.
In this article, the cult of Hecate in Lydia is examined on the basis of both the Hecate monuments housed in the Manisa Museum and those whose Lydian origin is asserted by publications. The mo¬numents have been compiled in a catalogue and described archaeologically; they are com-mented on from the point of view of their significance for the cult of Hecate in Lydia. The cata-logue is divided into 5 parts: 1. The monuments whose provenance is established, 2. The monu-ments whose provenance remains unknown, 3. The monuments outside the museum, 4. Coins, 5. Two other monuments that may be related to Hecate. Till now only two inscriptions concerning the cult have been attested in Lydia (see cat. no. 6 and 8). Apart from the inscriptions, there are Hecateia and stelai and reliefs which depict the goddess. At the end we can state that the worship of Hecate is not particularly prevalent in Lydia. However, nearly 20 examples provide evidence for the existence of the goddess’ veneration in this region. Their find spots are Philadelphia, Maionia, Satala, Thyateira, Sardis, Kollyda and Sidas. By relying on their provenance, one can suggest that there were cultic places or local temples in the cities of Philadelphia and Maionia, and even in the countryside of Thyateira. We can learn from these monuments that the goddess was not wor-shipped in the whole of Lydia, but especially in the eastern parts of the region (north-western Lydian, i.e. the south of Mysia Abbaïtis). It is argued that this situation can be explained by the influences of Phrygian cult and culture on Lydia. In the west of Lydia, where this influence was not so strong and where Hellenization was very extensive, evidence for the cult of Hecate was quite scarce. Nearly all the monuments in this article date from the 2nd century A.D.
Keywords: Hecate; Lydia; Manisa Museum; Hecateion; Mysia Abbaïtis.
https://www.academia.edu/25729575/N._E. ... _2016_1-48