Cults and Iconographies in Alexandria Troas in Light of Epigraphic and Archaeological Evidence

Abstract

Alexandria Troas, one of the largest settlements in northwestern Anatolia, has been home to various beliefs and cults since its foundation, as evidenced by both written sources and archaeological findings. One of the oldest cults in the ancient city is the cult of Apollo Smintheus. Among the oldest cults in the ancient city is the cult of Apollo Smintheus. This cult, one of the most ancient and revered in the Troas region -today roughly within the boundaries of the Çanakkale province- first appears in the verses of Homer’s Iliad under the epithet Smintheus. While the cult of Apollo Smintheus was recognized in Alexandria Troas from the city’s earliest phases, its strongest association occurred during the Roman Imperial Period, particularly as the Temple of Apollo Smintheus in Gülpınar became the city’s main cult center, persisting until the 3rd century CE. In addition to Apollo, the presence of the Dionysus and Aphrodite cults in the ancient city is confirmed through inscriptions. The goddess Tyche, known from depictions on coins during the Roman period, was likely one of the venerated cults, regarded as the city’s patron deity. A Greek inscription dated to 81 BCE in Lagina, located in the Caria region, reveals that the religious connection between Hecate and Alexandria Troas extends back to the early Late Hellenistic period. Furthermore, the discovery of three-bodied Hecate statues of varying sizes during recent excavations in the Forum provides tangible evidence of the cult’s presence during the Roman period. The Imperial cult was also introduced to the city following Emperor Augustus’ transformation of Alexandria Troas into a colony.

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