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Asklepios as a Mythological Figure Between Deification and Demonization

Year 2016, Volume: 13 Issue: 2, 154 - 182, 28.12.2016
https://doi.org/10.17131/milel.284851

Abstract

Greek mythology encloses whole of the sacred story that was told about

the paganism as adopted in the Hellenic world. Although they formed the

worldviews of human beings in ancient times as much as the Olympian gods

did, figures described as heroes in the mythical narrative about these gods

and their adventures have not been discussed adequately in academic

works. One of these is definitely Asklepios. Sources spoke of him as a man

but later he became a deity with the help of the cults and temples built in

his name. As the cult was deeply embraced by the Greco-Roman world,

with the Christian faith’s spreading in the same region, it was demonized

and gradually disappeared from the scene. This study presents a twofold

reading on the basis of the historical facts. The first one will deal with the

process of Asklepios’s deification while the second one will enlighten the

way towards his demonization.

References

  • Agelidis, Soi “Cult and Landscape at Pergamon”, Sacred Landscapes in Anatoliaand Neighboring Regions, Ed. by. C. Gates, J. Morin, T. Zimmermann, British Archeological Report, Oxford:2009.
  • Ancient Greek Lyrics, Trans by. Willis Barnstone, Indiana University Press, Indianapolis: 2010.
  • Antoninus, Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Trans. M. Hammond, Penguin Books, Londra:2006.
  • Apollodorus, The Library II, Harvard Univeristy Press, New York.
  • Bayatlı, Osman, Bergama Tarihinde Asklepion, Bergama Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 1993.
  • Burkert, Walter, Greek Religion, Harvard University Press, Massachussets: 1985.
  • Cameron, A., - Hall, s., Eusebios, Life of Constantine, Clarandon, Oxford: 1999.
  • Chaniotis, Angelos “Illness and Cures in the Greek Propitiatory Inscriptions and Dedications of Lydia and Phrygia”, Ancient Medicine in its Socio- Cultural Context, Ed. by. Horstmanshoff, Ph.J. van der Eijk and P.H. Schrijvers, Amsterdam-Atlanta:1995, vol. II.
  • Cicero, De Legibus, II, 8,19, De Natura Deorum, III.
  • Coldstream, J.N., “Greek Temples: Why and Where?, Greek Religion and Society, Ed. P. E. Easterling, J. V. Muir, Cambridge University Press, Cambrdige:1985.
  • Graves, Robert, The Greek Myths, I, The Folio Society, London: 1998
  • Grimal, Pierre, Mitoloji Sözlüğü: Yunan ve Roma, Kabalcı, İstanbul:2012
  • Gül, Ahmet,“Lokman Hekim ve Öğütleri”, Erciyes Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, S. 2, Kayseri:1985.
  • Harman, Ömer Faruk, “Lokman”, Diyanet İslam Ansiklopedisi, TDV, Ankara: 2003, c. 23.
  • Harrison, Jane, Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion, Meridian Books, New York:1955.
  • Hart, Gerald, “Asclepius: God of Medicine” Canadian Medical Association Journal, 1965: V. 92.
  • Hesiod, Homeric Hymns and Homerica, Ed. By. G. P. Gooldi Tr. Hugh G. Evelyn White, Harvard University Press, London:1982
  • Hippocrates I: Ancient Medicine, Trans. W. H. S. Jones, Cambridge University Press, Londra: 1957.
  • Homer, Iliad, Trans by. A.T. Murray, Harvard University Press, Londra:2001.
  • Lurie, Samuel; Glazerman, Marek, “The History of Ceserean Technique”, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2004, c.189, v. 6
  • Maksimovic, J., “Early Christian Martyrs Who Refused to Worship the Cult of Asclepius in the Times of Diocletian”, Acta Medico-Historica Adriatica, C. 8, S. 2, 2010.
  • Matyszak, Philip, The Greek and Roman Myths, Thames & Hudson, New York: 2010.
  • McCants, William F., Kültür Mitleri, Çev. Merve Tabur, İthaki, İstanbul: 2012
  • Mikalson, Jon D., Ancient Greek Religion, Blackwell, Malden, MA: 2005.
  • North, J. A., Roman Religion, Oxford University Press, Oxford:2000.
  • Ovid, The Metamorphoses, Bk. II, Trans. Horace Gregory, The Viking Press, New York: 1958.
  • Panagiotidoi, Olympia, “Asclepius’ Myths and Healing Narratives: Counter- Intuitive Concepts and Cultural Expectations“, Open Library of Humanities, c. 2, s. 1, 2016 (DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.16995/olh.34).
  • Petsalis-Diomidis, Alexia, Truly Beyond Borders: Aelius Aristides and the Cult of Asklepios, Oxford University Press, NewYork: 2010.
  • Pindar, Olympian Odes, Pythian Odes, Ed. and Trans. William H. Race, Harvard University Press, Londra:1997.
  • Plutarch, Moralia, Trans. by. Frank C. Babbitt, Harvard University Press, London:1962.
  • Porphyry, On Abstinence from Killing Animals, Trans. by. Gillian Clark, Bloomsbury, London:2000
  • Strabo, Geography, II, Trans. H. C. Hamilton, Bohn’s Classical Library, Londra:1856.

Tanrılaştırma ve Şeytanlaştırma Arasında Mitolojik Bir Figür Olarak Asklepios

Year 2016, Volume: 13 Issue: 2, 154 - 182, 28.12.2016
https://doi.org/10.17131/milel.284851

Abstract

Yunan mitolojisi Helen coğrafyasında kabul gören paganizme ilişkin anlatılan

kutsal hikâyenin bütününü teşkil eder. Olimpos tanrıları ve onların

serüvenleri etrafında dönen bu mitik kurgu içerisinde kahramanlar olarak

ifade edilen kategoride yer alan bazı figürler esasında eskiçağ insanının

inanç dünyasını Olimpos tanrıları kadar şekillendirmekle birlikte akademik

çalışmalarda yeteri kadar ele alınmamıştır. Bunlardan birisi de kuşkusuz

Asklepios’tur. Kaynaklar ilk olarak ondan insan olarak bahsetmekteyken,

adına tesis edilen kült ve tapınaklar aracılığıyla tanrılaştırılmıştır. Greko-

Romen dünyanın en önemli kültlerinden biri olarak kabul gördüğü sırada,

Hıristiyan inancının aynı coğrafyada yayılması neticesinde bu kez şeytanlaştırılmış

ve buna bağlı olarak Asklepios kültü de zamanla ortadan kalkmıştır.

Bu çalışmada bilinen tarihsel verilerin ışığında iki aşamalı bir

değerlendirme öngörülmektedir. İlk aşamada Asklepios’un “tanrılaştırma”

süreci, ikinci aşamada ise “şeytanlaştırma” süreci metinler aracılığıyla

ortaya konulmaya çalışılacaktır.

References

  • Agelidis, Soi “Cult and Landscape at Pergamon”, Sacred Landscapes in Anatoliaand Neighboring Regions, Ed. by. C. Gates, J. Morin, T. Zimmermann, British Archeological Report, Oxford:2009.
  • Ancient Greek Lyrics, Trans by. Willis Barnstone, Indiana University Press, Indianapolis: 2010.
  • Antoninus, Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Trans. M. Hammond, Penguin Books, Londra:2006.
  • Apollodorus, The Library II, Harvard Univeristy Press, New York.
  • Bayatlı, Osman, Bergama Tarihinde Asklepion, Bergama Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 1993.
  • Burkert, Walter, Greek Religion, Harvard University Press, Massachussets: 1985.
  • Cameron, A., - Hall, s., Eusebios, Life of Constantine, Clarandon, Oxford: 1999.
  • Chaniotis, Angelos “Illness and Cures in the Greek Propitiatory Inscriptions and Dedications of Lydia and Phrygia”, Ancient Medicine in its Socio- Cultural Context, Ed. by. Horstmanshoff, Ph.J. van der Eijk and P.H. Schrijvers, Amsterdam-Atlanta:1995, vol. II.
  • Cicero, De Legibus, II, 8,19, De Natura Deorum, III.
  • Coldstream, J.N., “Greek Temples: Why and Where?, Greek Religion and Society, Ed. P. E. Easterling, J. V. Muir, Cambridge University Press, Cambrdige:1985.
  • Graves, Robert, The Greek Myths, I, The Folio Society, London: 1998
  • Grimal, Pierre, Mitoloji Sözlüğü: Yunan ve Roma, Kabalcı, İstanbul:2012
  • Gül, Ahmet,“Lokman Hekim ve Öğütleri”, Erciyes Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, S. 2, Kayseri:1985.
  • Harman, Ömer Faruk, “Lokman”, Diyanet İslam Ansiklopedisi, TDV, Ankara: 2003, c. 23.
  • Harrison, Jane, Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion, Meridian Books, New York:1955.
  • Hart, Gerald, “Asclepius: God of Medicine” Canadian Medical Association Journal, 1965: V. 92.
  • Hesiod, Homeric Hymns and Homerica, Ed. By. G. P. Gooldi Tr. Hugh G. Evelyn White, Harvard University Press, London:1982
  • Hippocrates I: Ancient Medicine, Trans. W. H. S. Jones, Cambridge University Press, Londra: 1957.
  • Homer, Iliad, Trans by. A.T. Murray, Harvard University Press, Londra:2001.
  • Lurie, Samuel; Glazerman, Marek, “The History of Ceserean Technique”, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2004, c.189, v. 6
  • Maksimovic, J., “Early Christian Martyrs Who Refused to Worship the Cult of Asclepius in the Times of Diocletian”, Acta Medico-Historica Adriatica, C. 8, S. 2, 2010.
  • Matyszak, Philip, The Greek and Roman Myths, Thames & Hudson, New York: 2010.
  • McCants, William F., Kültür Mitleri, Çev. Merve Tabur, İthaki, İstanbul: 2012
  • Mikalson, Jon D., Ancient Greek Religion, Blackwell, Malden, MA: 2005.
  • North, J. A., Roman Religion, Oxford University Press, Oxford:2000.
  • Ovid, The Metamorphoses, Bk. II, Trans. Horace Gregory, The Viking Press, New York: 1958.
  • Panagiotidoi, Olympia, “Asclepius’ Myths and Healing Narratives: Counter- Intuitive Concepts and Cultural Expectations“, Open Library of Humanities, c. 2, s. 1, 2016 (DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.16995/olh.34).
  • Petsalis-Diomidis, Alexia, Truly Beyond Borders: Aelius Aristides and the Cult of Asklepios, Oxford University Press, NewYork: 2010.
  • Pindar, Olympian Odes, Pythian Odes, Ed. and Trans. William H. Race, Harvard University Press, Londra:1997.
  • Plutarch, Moralia, Trans. by. Frank C. Babbitt, Harvard University Press, London:1962.
  • Porphyry, On Abstinence from Killing Animals, Trans. by. Gillian Clark, Bloomsbury, London:2000
  • Strabo, Geography, II, Trans. H. C. Hamilton, Bohn’s Classical Library, Londra:1856.
There are 32 citations in total.

Details

Journal Section Makaleler
Authors

Bilal Patacı

Publication Date December 28, 2016
Submission Date October 5, 2016
Published in Issue Year 2016 Volume: 13 Issue: 2

Cite

ISNAD Patacı, Bilal. “Tanrılaştırma Ve Şeytanlaştırma Arasında Mitolojik Bir Figür Olarak Asklepios”. Milel ve Nihal 13/2 (December 2016), 154-182. https://doi.org/10.17131/milel.284851.

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