Two goddesses in Iasos and their epithets. Artemis Astias and Basileia Didymeia

This paper presents an analysis of the epithets of two divinities of Iasos: Artemis Astias and the goddess of the sanctuary of Çanacık Tepe, a hill at a short distance facing the city, defined as Mētēr Theōn kathēgēmonōn Basileia Didymeia. The paper explores the character of Artemis Astias, as expressed in beliefs in her wondrous capacity, in the figurative art and the institutional and devotional practices. The analysis demonstrates that Artemis played a pivotal role in conjunction with her brother Apollo in the political life and identity of the city: the Iasians chose to hold their assemblies on the birthday of the goddess, had as eponymous official her stephanephoros, but Apollo substituted, when lacking, the mortal officials and had for a long time a preeminent role on the city coinage, later shared with his sister. The distinctive ‘urban’ connotation of the epithet Astias is considered from the perspective of the history of the city and from the point of view of its intrinsically hybrid Graeco-Carian cultural character. The essay provides also a compelling rationale for identifying the goddess of the Çanacık Tepe sanctuary with Leto, and situates the cult of the Apollonian triad within its Hellenistic historical and cultural context. Furthermore, the identity of the Basileia mentioned in two other inscriptions from Didyma and Iasos (SEG 66, 1215 l. 21, SEG 65, 987) is re-evaluated.