Anazarbus, also known as Justinopolis (Ancient Greek: Ἀναζαρβός / Ίουστινούπολις, medieval Ain Zarba; modern Anavarza; Arabic: عَيْنُ زَرْبَة), was an ancient Cilician city. Under the late Roman Empire, it was the capital of Cilicia Secunda. Roman emperor Justinian I rebuilt the city in 527 after a strong earthquake hit it. It was destroyed in 1374 by the forces of the Mamluk Empire, after their conquest of Cilician Armenia.
Mithraic monuments of Anazarbus
Mithraic inscription from Anazarbus
This dedicatory inscription by Aurelius Seleucus, found in Cilicia, aligns with Plutarch’s account of Cilician pirates performing foreign sacrifices and secret rites of Mithras.
CIMRM 27bis
Brothers attested in Anazarbus
Inscriptions from Anazarbus
Mithraic inscription from Anazarbus
[[- - - - - ]]
[[ὑπάτου τὸ]] β’, π[ατρὸς] π[ατρίδος] · [Μ. Αὐρή-]
λιος Σέλευκος ἱε[ρεύς καὶ]
πατὴρ διὰ βίου Διὸς [‘Ηλίου
ἀνείκητου Μίθρα τὸν [. .
...] καθ’ ὑπέσχετο τῇ πατ[ρίδι].
[[ὑπάτου τὸ]] β’, π[ατρὸς] π[ατρίδος] · [Μ. Αὐρή-]
λιος Σέλευκος ἱε[ρεύς καὶ]
πατὴρ διὰ βίου Διὸς [‘Ηλίου
ἀνείκητου Μίθρα τὸν [. .
...] καθ’ ὑπέσχετο τῇ πατ[ρίδι].
[[- - - - - ]] [[Of the consul]] [2nd year], pater of the homeland; [M. Aurēlius] Seleucus, priest and father for life of Zeus [Helios], the invincible Mithras, who [...] as he pledged to the homeland.
References
- Michael Gough (1957) A new Mithraic inscription from Anabarzos
- Michael Gough (1952) Anazarbus
