Wikipedia

Kakasbos

Kakasbos (in Ancient Greek Κακασβος, but discovered only under the dative declination Κακασβω) is an ancient Anatolian deity. Linked to Herakles at latest at the beginning of the Roman Imperial Era, he has been venerated exclusively in Southern Asia Minor, more precisely in Lycia and Pisidia. As a club-bearing horse rider god, Kakasbos seems to be related to protection against wild dangers, but this hypothesis is still discussed among historians.

Etymology

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Scholarship suggests that the second part of the name, asbos, is related to words for horse in the Anatolian languages and, ultimately, derives from Proto-Indo-European language *h₁éḱwos.[1][2] A Lycian name, Xaxakba (or χaχakba), is also assumed to be "identical" to Kakasbos, from a reconstructed *Xaxasba, the second stem, *-asba, meaning 'horse'.[3]

Mythology

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The mythology around Kakasbos is unfortunately unknown since no text revealing this aspect of his cult has been unearthed until now. The probability of such a discovery stays thin when we consider that Lycians only produced a very small amount of texts, let alone texts that are not administrative or funerary in subject. Moreover, Greeks and Romans did not seem to be interested to Lycian and Pisidian cults. Only a tiny amount of texts mention Lycian or Pisidian deities such as Maseis or Tarchunt.

Cult

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Extent

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Kakasbos’ cult was limited to Southern Asia Minor, in Lycia and Pisidia. Almost all traces left by cultists were found in the region delimited by modern towns of Fethiye (formerly Telmessos) and Nebiler (about a dozen kilometers south-west of Korkuteli). Some steles dedicated to him were discovered in other Anatolian cities (Miletus or Halicarnassus, for example) or in Rhodes, but no doubt exists about their Lycian or Pisidian origin.

 
Stele dedicated to Kakasbos, Fethiye Museum, inv. 2.11.79.1481, 3rd-4th century AD, Limestone

Traces

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Kakasbos received a cult intimately linked to Herakles’. Traces left are in fact absolutely equivalent. The only way to actually distinguish the dedicatee is an explicit deity name in the dedication.[4] Near Yuvalak, close to Tefenni, a sanctuary regrouping several dozen wall bas reliefs showing Kakasbos and Heracles was found. However, most sculptures are highly eroded, giving historians very limited understanding of the deities or the archaeological site. Furthermore, the dozen inscriptions accompanying some of the reliefs were very damaged. Only four or five readable inscriptions remain, that are not enough for a solid analysis.

Other sources are, however, more revealing. 121 steles decorated with a relief and inscribed in Ancient Greek have been found in Northern Lycia and Southern Pisidia. The very short inscriptions – five to seven words – bear a dedicatory nature and adopt the same format, with few variations:[5] ‘Someone, son of Someone, [accomplished] to Kakasbos/Heracles his vow.’ They reveal that the dedications are made mainly by people bearing Greek names, but also by several dedicators bearing Anatolian names. A couple of Latin names occurred, not enough though to suggest any Latin influence. All combinations between the origin of dedicator’s name and dedicatee occur; no ethnic cleavage seems to appear. On the other side, the reliefs are well preserved generally speaking: some details in the face of the deity, in his equipment or in his mount are still evident. Moreover, uninscribed steles – more than a hundred – have been found in Lycia and Pisidia. They offer a useful complement to inscribed ones, but do not bring new comprehension material.

Finally, other sources were linked to Kakasbos. Coins bearing a horse riding deity wielding a weapon close to a club were unearthed, but none explicitly identified Herakles or Kakasbos. The name of Kakasbos seems to be written – in a distorted manner – on a gnostic gem, but the inscription is unique and cannot be linked to the deity. Figurines looking like an unidentified club bearing rider god were found in a temple in Sagalassos. However, several historians asserted that it was probably not Kakasbos, and that the temple was not dedicated to the Anatolian rider god.

Notes

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  1. ^ Locatelli, Lauriane. 2015. "Le Cheval Dans l’onomastique Du Sud-Ouest De l’Anatolie". In: Bulletin De l’Académie Belge Pour l’Étude Des Langues Anciennes Et Orientales 4 (mai), 101-105. https://doi.org/10.14428/babelao.vol4.2015.20053.
  2. ^ Lebruin, René; Tavernier, Jan. "Syro-Anatolica Scripta Minora VIII". In: Le Muséon 123 (2010): 4-5. Peeters Publishers. ISSN 0771-6494.
  3. ^ Högemann, Peter; Oettinger, Norbert (2018). "Wer waren die Lyder?". Lydien: Ein altanatolischer Staat zwischen Griechenland und dem Vorderen Orient (in German). Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter. pp. 65-119 [76n48]. doi:10.1515/9783110436020-005. ISBN 978-3-11-043602-0.
  4. ^ Despite what asserted I. Delemen, nudity is not exclusive to Heracles. G.H.R. Horsley and M. Drouin identified a stele illustrating a naked club bearing rider god dedicated explicitly to Kakasbos, though the text is difficult to read.
  5. ^ Variations occur essentially in the word order (mainly irrelevant in Angient Greek), the occasional presence of the epithet Θεω, ‘to the god [K. or H.]’ (which does not modify the meaning), and the rare addition of a dedicatory formula. Steles containing the last peculiarity have been seen as potential epitaphs by G.H.R. Horsley. However, M. Drouin did not find enough clues supporting this hypothesis to consider it plausible.

Bibliography

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  • Locatelli, Lauriane. 2015. "Le Cheval Dans l’onomastique Du Sud-Ouest De l’Anatolie". In: Bulletin De l’Académie Belge Pour l’Étude Des Langues Anciennes Et Orientales 4 (mai), 101-10. https://doi.org/10.14428/babelao.vol4.2015.20053.

Further reading

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  • G.E. Bean, « Notes and Inscriptions from Cibyratis and Caralitis », ABSA, 51 (1956), p. 136-156.
  • G.E. Bean. « Inscriptions in the Antalya Museum », Belleten, 22 (1958), p. 21-91.
  • G.E. Bean, « Notes and Inscriptions from Pisidia. Part I », Anat. St., vol. 9 (1959), p. 67-117.
  • G.E. Bean, « Notes and Inscriptions from Pisidia. Part II », Anat. St., vol. 10 (1960), p. 43-82.
  • G.E. Bean, Journeys in Northern Lycia 1965-1967. Vienne, Kommissionsverlag der Österreicher Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1971, 36 p. Coll. « Ergänzungsbände zu den Tituli Asiae Minoris », 4.
  • Bibliothèque de l’École évangélique de Smyrne, Μουσείον και Βιβλιοθήκη της Ευαγγελικής Σχολής Σμύρνης, vol. 2. Smyrne, Typois Nikolaou A. Damianou, 1876, 221 p.
  • A. Conze et Musée Royal de Berlin (Königliche Museen zu Berlin), Beschreibung der antiken Skulpturen mit Ausschluss der Pergamenischen Fundstücke. Berlin, Verlag von W. Spemann, 1891, p. 256, no 689.
  • T. Corsten (dir.), Die Inscriften von Kibyra, Vol. 1. Bonn, R. Habelt, 2002, 381 p.
  • Inci Delemen, Anatolian Rider-Gods: A Study of Stone Finds from the Regions of Lycia, Pisidia, Isauria, Lycaonia, Phrygia, Lydia, Caria in the Late Roman Period. Bonn, R. Habelt, 1999, 228 p. Coll. « Asia Minor Studien », 35.
  • W. Drexler, « Kakasbos », dans W. H. Roscher, Ausführliches Lexikon der griechischen und römischen Mythologie, vol. 2, tome 1. Leipzig, B. G. Teubner, 1890, 1776 p.
  • P. Frei, « Die Götterkulte Lykiens in der Kaiserzeit », ANRW, 18.3 (1990), p. 1729-1864.
  • D. French « Isinda and Lagbe », dans D. French, Studies in the History and Topography of Lycia and Pisidia. Londres, British Institute at Ankara, 1994, 119 p.
  • J. Gagé, « Deux dieux cavaliers », MEFRA, 43 (1926), p. 103-123.
  • R. Heberdey et E. Kalinka, Bericht über zwei Reisen im südwestlichen Kleinasien, ausgeführt im Auftrage der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Vienne, C. Gerold's Sohn, 1897, 56 p. Coll. « Kaiserliche Akademie der Wissenschaften, Philosophisch-historische Klasse, Denkschriften », 45, 1.
  • G.H.R. Horsley, The Greek and Latin Inscriptions in the Burdur Archaeological Museum. Londres, The British Institute at Ankara, 2007,  Coll. « Regional Epigraphic Catalogues of Asia Minor », V.
  • G.H.R. Horsley, The Rider God Steles at Burdur Museum in Turkey, Compte-rendu d’une conference donnée à la New England University, 1999, 60 p.
  • B. Iplikçioglu et alii, Epigraphische Forschungen in Termessos und seinem Territorium II. Vienne, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1991, 45 p.
  • B. Iplikçioglu et alii, « Kuzey Likya'dan Yeni Yazıtlar », Arastırma Sonuçları Toplantısı, vol. 9 (1992), p. 183-192.
  • S. Kütük, « Kakasbos ve Kültü », Türk Tarih Kongresi, 9, (1986), p. 405-413.
  • E. Loewy, « Unediertes aus Rhodos », AEMÖ, 7 (1883), p. 107-139.
  • F. von Luschan et E.A.H. Petersen, Reisen in Lykien, Milyas und Kibyratis - Reisen im südwestlichen Kleinasien, Vol. II. Vienne, Gerold, 1889, 248 p.
  • A. Maiuri, « Viaggo de esplorazione in Caria, Parte III », ASAA, vol. 4-5 (1921-1922), p. 461-488.
  • M. Mazoyer et O. Casabonne (dir.), Studia anatolica et varia – Mélanges offerts au professeur René Lebrun. Paris, L’Harmattan, 2004, p. 362.
  • B.H. McLean, Greek and Latin Inscriptions in the Konya Archaeoligical Museum. Londres, British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara, 2002, p. 134.
  • H. Metzger, Catalogue des monuments votifs du Musée d'Adalia. Paris, E. de Boccard, 1952, 74 p.
  • N.P. Milner, An Epigraphical Survey in the Kibyra-Olbasa Region conducted by A.S. Hall. Londres, British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara, 1998, XIX-127 p.
  • H.A. Ormerod et E.S.G. Robinson, « Inscriptions from Lycia », JHS 34 (1914), p. 1-35.
  • B. Pace « Inscrizone di Pednelissos », ASAA, 3 (1916/1920), p. 149-159.
  • B. Pace, « La zona costiera da Adalia a Side », ASAA, 3 (1916/1920), p. 29-71.
  • R. Paribeni, et P. Romanelli, « Studi e ricerche archeologiche nell' Anatolia meridionale », Monumenti Antichi, 23 (1914), p. 5-277.
  • E. Raimond, « Quelques cultes des confins de la Lycie », dans M. Mazoyer et O. CASABONNE, Studia anatolica et varia, p. 293-314.
  • Louis Robert, « Documents d’Asie Mineure », BCH, 107-1 (1983), p. 497-599.
  • Louis Robert, « Pierres errantes, muséographie et onomastique », Berytus Archaeological Studies, 16 (1966), p. 5-40.
  • Louis Robert. « Un dieu anatolien : Kakasbos », Hellenica, 3 (1946), p. 38-73.
  • T.J. Smith, 1997, with an Epigraphical Appendix by N.P. Milner: ‘Votive Reliefs from Balboura and its Environs’ Anatolian Studies 47: 3-49.
  • T.J. Smith, 2011: ‘Highland Gods: Rock-cut Votive Reliefs from the Pisidian Survey’ Anatolian Studies 61:133-50.

On the Heracles-Kakasbos connection

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