A REVIEW ON MOTHER GODDESS PARADOX IN LYDIAN SYNCRETISM

Abstract

The cultural mosaic of the Lydian civilization manifests itself most intensely in its religious structure. Many gods and goddesses attract attention in Lydian syncretism. While goddesses stand out with their different characteristics, the problem of the mother goddess has long been a subject of curiosity for today's researchers. This situation has the nature of a paradox as there is no consensus on this situation with different opinions. Lydian goddesses of Anatolian and Greek origin stood out with their different characteristics and spheres of influence. However, which one is the mother goddess remains a mystery. Artemis, Demeter, Kore, Kybele and Athena are the goddesses most frequently mentioned in ancient sources and most frequently depicted in visual finds. In this case, the Greek goddesses, who are numerous in number, and the famous Anatolian goddess Kybele, whose sphere of influence is quite wide and in a powerful position, face each other in the same pantheon. In this study, an evaluation was made by considering the influence areas of Lydian goddesses and their frequency of reflection in existing epigraphic and numismatic finds. In this evaluation of the mother goddess paradox in Lydian syncretism, ancient artifacts, Sardis inscriptions and coins were mainly examined.