This thesis seeks to provide a new translation of Lucian's De Dea Syria, and a discussion of the cult at Hierapolis. The translation is intended to be a clear and simple rendition of the text. The location of Hierapolis, the city Lucian describes, in northern Syria makes it possible for the cult to be derived either from Asia Minor or from Syria. The discoveries of Ras Shamra, however, have provided a picture of a fertility cult of the second millennium B.C., and Hierapolis seems to exhibit a later version of this religious pattern. First of all, the names of the chief deities, Atargatis and Hadad, reflect a Syrian origin since both are Semitic. Second, the myths that Lucian relates of the Flood and of Stratonike and Kombabos also seem to derive from a Syrian or Mesopotamian background. Finally, the rites practised there fit in with the fertility cult of Syria satisfactorily. The possibility of influence from Asia Minor, especially in later times, must always be considered, however, and the presence of the Galli at Hierapolis, as well as some of the structure of the spring feast, may be a result of influence from there. In the main, however, the cult seems basically Syrian, and there seems no need to search for a non-Syrian origin. / Arts, Faculty of / Classical, Near Eastern and Religious Studies, Department of / Graduate

Was there such a thing as "orthodoxy" in earliest Christianity? That was the question raised by Walter Bauer in his classic monograph, Orthodoxy and Heresy in Earliest Chrsitianity. Bauer argued that the traditional Eusebian reconstruction of the primitive church was markedly defected, and against that reconstruction, he contended that heretical movements of the second century had as good a claim to apostolic traditions as did the catholic movement. Although I agree with Bauer that the traditional reconstruction of the early church is unsound, I do not find that Bauer has offered a reconstruction engendering any firmer confidence. I challenge Bauer at two points. First, in chapter three, I attempt to determine whether Bauer's reconstruction makes sense of all the evidence. Then, I analyze the process by which groups come to self-consciousness. That is a two-sided matter. One is the fixing of a pool of acceptable diversity in which a group relates itself to the larger world of diversity (chapter four). The second is the process by which a group excludes various other diverse positions (chapter 5). Attention to these matters makes possible a more sensitive evaluation of the complexities that confronted the Christian community as it sought to define itself. Having confined my investigation to the most significant area of the Christian mission at the turn of the century, my work provides a fresh reconstruction of the primitive church in western Asia Minor at a time when the process of self-definition was becoming the controlling issue. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

As one of the most popular gods in the Greek and Roman world, Dionysos inspired artists of virtually every medium. This resulted in a rich iconographic tradition that stretches over eleven centuries. Dionysos' continuous popularity in both public and private life, however, cannot be traced in all media. The mosaics of Greece and the coast of Asia Minor are at the present time the only medium in Greece and around the Mediterranean which allows us to trace Dionysiac imagery for over nine centuries. This thesis collects forty-three mosaics from Greece and the coast of Asia Minor, and analyzes their iconography, compositional schemata, and architectural context. By following the long history of Dionysiac mosaics in the Greek world, by examining their iconographic and stylistic characteristics, and by comparing them to similar representations in other media and on mosaics from different regions, we are able to trace the development of the iconography of Dionysos and his followers. But we are also able to address questions which are central to the overall mosaic tradition in Greece, such as for example the role that Greece played in the development of mosaics in the ancient world; methods and problems of chronology; controversies relating to suggestions of an unbroken Hellenistic tradition that lasted well into the imperial period; influences from developments in the West; and outside cultural influences in the Roman imperial period. Furthermore, the Dionysiac mosaics of Greece and the coast of Asia Minor raise questions which are important for mosaics from all regions of the ancient world, such as the method of transmission of motifs and the tendency of modem scholarship to assign specific non-residential uses for buildings which contain more than one Dionysiac mosaic . / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This thesis examines the evidence for Jewish communities in Asia Minor from the third century BCE through to the third century CE and beyond. The study begins with a discussion of the founding of the Jewish communities in Asia Minor, the nature of Roman support for these communities, and their religious concerns as they are revealed by the literary sources available to us. Chapters 2 to 4 present and analyse the evidence for five particular communities - those at Sardis, Priene, Acmonia, Eumeneia and Apamea. The evidence from archaeology, inscriptions, numismatics and literary sources is discussed in an attempt to draw together the material into a coherent account of the nature of Jewish communal life in these cities. Chapters 5 to 9 are thematic studies. The prominence accorded to women in some Jewish communities and in the cities of Asia Minor is discussed in Chapter 5. In Chapter 6 the use of the title(^a)'T'taro? for Yahweh and for pagan deities is analysed, along with the supposed link between Jewish communities and Sabazios. The existence of a number of "God-worshippers" in the synagogues of Asia Minor is discussed in Chapter 7. Chapter 8 discusses the provision of water sources in the synagogues of Asia Minor and relates this to Jewish purity concerns. Chapter 9 addresses the issue of Jewish communities and local and Roman citizenship and discusses the evidence which suggests that in some places Jewish communities were well integrated into city life.Concluding remarks draw out some of the implications of this study for our view of Diaspora Jewish communities. It seems clear that in Asia Minor Jewish communities were involved in and a part of the cities in which they lived whilst also retaining their identity as Jews. We can also recognise a significant diversity of Jewish life in Asia Minor, with local factors providing a strong formative influence on these communities. Yet they all saw themselves as worthy and legitimate heirs of Old Testament faith.I confirm that no part of the material offered has previously been submitted by me for a degree in this or in any other University.

Previous attempts at understanding Revelation have stressed the common links between it and the rest of the New Testament writings, or else have tended to ignore entirely its distinctive perspective on the world. This thesis illuminates the content of John's unique message in respect to its particular life-situation. There are nine chapters and the first deals with a review of the date and authorship of the Apocalypse while the second looks at how genre criticism can help us understand the audience's predispositions and the author's strategy. The third chapter is also concerned with literary criticism in that it looks at how John presents himself to his audience and how this gives us clues to his social standing within the seven assemblies named in the text. Chapters four and five look in detail at John's use of two important titles, God as 'the Almighty' and Jesus as 'the Lamb'. Chapter six deals with the usefulness of sociology in helping us understand the dynamics of the life-setting in Asia Minor by reference to research on sects and millenarian movements. Chapter seven covers the manner in which Rome ruled and compares this to the brutal and vindictive images in Revelation. Chapter eight looks at how the Apocalypse differs from the indigenous religions of Asia Minor (especially the cult of Ephesian Artemis), the Jews in Sardis and the early Christian works of 1 Peter and Ignatius of Antioch. The ninth chapter forms our conclusions. John of Patmos wrote an apocalypse to seven named assemblies in Western Asia Minor. This was a genre with which his audience was familiar. He attempted to gain their confidence in Rev 1-5 by using a number of literary devices which stressed that he was a legitimate bearer of a transcendent message. The message was so unusual in its malevolent imagery that he needed to assure his audience that they could be confident in accepting his analysis of the world around them. John and his followers can be best characterised as a revolutionist sect and even a millenarian movement. Such groups separate themselves from the wider world and expect its imminent end. They tend to come from marginalised groups deprived of power and status. John's message was unique among the early Christian texts in that it presents Jesus in the role of a theriomorphic avenger and God is seen as the Almighty who wreaks indiscriminate torture and then utterly destroys his enemies. Such images are drawn as a counterpoint to John's understanding of Roman rule as violent and repressive. In response to this understanding he forms a theology based on brutality, vengeance and cruelty and desires power, honour and wealth, the crucial values in the Roman world, for the Almighty God and his most ardent followers.

The book of Revelation reflects a story of the past that speaks to the present. The Apocalypse presents a discourse that highlights a variety of Christians in Asia Minor who must decide whether they will remain faithful in their allegiance to Jesus Christ or demonstrate unfaithfulness to Christ and his kingdom by conforming to the majority culture by engaging in practices of the broader society that stand in contradiction to their faith. When faced with such a dilemma, various people, including Christians, respond in a variety of ways. For some, their responses bring glory to God while others bring disgrace to the name of the God they say they serve. Writers often discuss Christ’s confrontation and judgment of the Roman Empire. Few, if any, address Jesus’s confrontations with the seven churches of Asia Minor. This study combines Norman Fairclough’s theory of Critical Discourse Analysis and Jay Lemke’s theory of intertextuality to demonstrate that Rev 1-3, the incorporation of concepts and ideas appearing in other resources, the further development of the Apocalypse, and the historical context in which John composed the work present the kingdom of God as an alternative empire to which he belongs and commits himself as a citizen in resisting the power, practices, and allure of Rome. Though the assemblies to which he writes experience a variety of social, political, and religious circumstances, the messages to the churches come together to reveal that Christians, no matter their power or position in society, have a mandate to live as citizens of Christ’s kingdom who maintain a countercultural stance for the sake of the gospel. John depicts Christ as king of this alternative empire, who confronts each of his communities regarding their allegiance to him, demonstrated by their non-conformity to the practices of the broader culture regarding how they function in the various power structures in which they live. He then uses the later visions of the Apocalypse to depict Christ’s vindication of those who maintain a countercultural posture in relation to the Roman Empire and highlights the advantages and blessings of non-conformity, while noting the disadvantages and curses of conformity. Throughout the history of the Christian faith, various segments of the church have faced opposition from the surrounding culture. Christians today maintain the same mandate as the early church to resist the allure of the worldly powers that surround them and remain loyal to Jesus. In addition to providing an analysis of John’s writing for early Christians, this dissertation also presents a model for Christians—no matter their time or place in history—to follow regarding how they interact with the world around them. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This thesis is a contribution towards legal history of Roman Asia Minor from the creation of the province of Asia to the enfranchisement of the free population of the Empire by the emperor Caracalla. Chapter I is concerned with the Hellenistic background and with the theoretical framework for explaining the relationship between the suzerain and the cities in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. The possibility of using Bickerman’s ‘surrender and grant’ model for introducing much needed nuance into usual dichotomy of ‘free’ and ‘subject’ cities is argued for. Chapter II deals with the court of the Roman governor. It is argued that there was no limit set on govenor’s jurisdiction from below and that the main way in which governor’s burden was relieved or legal autonomy of local communities guaranteed was through delegation of decision at the apud iudicem stage of the proceeedings. An in-depth study of the procedure is provided. Chapter III provides an analysis of the assize circuit system, above all in the province of Asia. Arguments for continuity with the pre-Roman administrative structure are advanced and a new hypothesis of significant structural changes in the second century A.D. advanced. Chapter IV explores the jurisdiction of other Roman officials: proconsular legates, quaestors, and above all procurators and other imperial officials. The division of responsibility with the governor’s court and their role in covering the areas not usually penetrated by the governor’s jurisdiction is discussed. Chapter V deals with judicial autonomy of the ‘free’ and ‘federate’ cities. It is argued that the extent of these privileges was widely variant and the possibility that some of them applied only to the apud iudicem stage explored. Chapter VI is concerned with courts of the ‘subject’ communities. It is suggested on the basis of recently published evidence that ‘subject’ communities could retain a high degree of judicial autonomy. Different models used by the Romans are explored and compared. Chapter VII explores a vexed question of internal jurisdiction of Jewish diaspora communities in Asia Minor. The validity of Flavius Josephus' evidence is upheld and the role of 'ancestral laws' ideology in Roman interventions in support of Jewish courts discussed. Two appendices discuss a recently published inscription from Chersonesus Taurica and offer an annotated list of passages in the Corpus iuris civilis dealing with Asia Minor in our period respectively.

The present thesis aims to analyse the manner in which the ethnically and culturally diverse environment of Eastern Anatolia during the Hellenistic era has influenced the royal houses of the Mithradatids, Ariarathids, Ariobarzanids and Commagenian Orontids. The focus of analysis will be represented by the contact and osmosis between two of the major cultural influences present in the area, namely the Iranian (more often than not Achaemenid Persian) and Greco-Macedonian, and the way in which they were engaged by the ruling houses, in their attempt to establish, preserve and legitimise their rule. This will be followed in a number of fields: dynastic policies and legitimacy conceptions, religion, army and administration. In each of these fields, discrete elements betraying the direct influence of one or the other cultural traditions will be followed and examined, both in isolation and in interaction with other elements, together with which they form a diverse, but nevertheless coherent whole. The eventual result of this analysis will be to demonstrate how the intersection of cultures and the willing appropriation by the ruling houses of what we might call, using a modern term, ‘multiculturalism’ has created a new, interesting and robust tradition, whose influence would endure well into the Roman era.

This thesis, depending on some Ottoman archival documents, examines the effects of the Tanzimat reforms on the Ottoman Armenians and Kurds and the origins of the conflicts amongst these communities in the Ottoman Empire. The reforms initiated in the Tanzimat era had such a transformative effect both on the Ottoman Armenian and Kurdish societies that social, political and economic structures of the two communities changed radically. Due to the effects of the Tanzimat reforms and of these structural changes, the relations between the Ottoman Armenian and Kurdish communities started to deteriorate and the communal conflicts emerged during the Tanzimat era. These conflicts between the Armenian and Kurdish communities continued after the Tanzimat era.

The last twenty years have seen an increasing interest in ancient economic studies, and especially criticism of the primitivist approach to the ancient economy. Although the current state of ancient economic studies shows a range of different approaches, and has produced new models to interpret the ancient economy beyond the great debate between the modernists and the primitivists, there is still room for discussion of both old and new approaches to the study of urban economies. This thesis studies the resources and the economy of Roman Nicomedia, a city where systematic excavation has not yet been conducted but where archaeological survey research has being carried out since 2005. The aim of this study is to assess the production, consumption, and distribution patterns of the city within its own dynamics. In terms of methodology, it takes into consideration Louis Robert’s work on the Bithynian cities within the longue durée and accordingly, evaluates accounts from the pre-industrial period of Nicomedia, modern İzmit, under the Ottoman Empire. This study particularly takes into account the travellers’ notes from the 18th to the 19th centuries along with available primary and secondary sources in order to grasp the moments of the transformation and change in the production and consumption patterns in Nicomedia/İzmit over time. Finally, the thesis, which synthesizes textual and material evidence from Nicomedia as well as from the region of Bithynia, ascertains the city’s income and expenses. The thesis challenges the Finleyan idea of self-sufficiency and scrutinizes the limits of the ‘consumer city’ model. By focusing on the case of Roman Nicomedia, rather than falling into generalisation, this study attempts to investigate the effects of production and consumption patterns in the development of the non-agricultural sector in general, and pays particular attention to the underestimated role of trade in the urban economy. The thesis also evaluates the role of the Roman state and army in the economy of the city and asks whether this should be seen as a stimulus or burden affecting consumption and distribution patterns. This study therefore examines the resources, the self-sufficiency, the commercial commodities, trading activities and the level of connectivity of Roman Nicomedia. The case of Nicomedia should encourage other case studies to reveal the dynamics of urban economies under the Roman Empire.