Cyprus has been a melting pot of civilizations since ancient times, mixing different cultures. This is especially noticeable in the example of religious cults. Along with the gods of the Greek pantheon, Phoenician deities such as Astarte and Egyptian gods such as Isis, Anubis and Serapis were worshiped here.
Isis, or Isis, is the supreme deity of the pantheon of the ancient Egyptians, the sister and wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus. Since the pharaohs of Egypt were considered earthly incarnations of the god Horus, Isis was revered as their heavenly mother. Also in the Egyptian tradition, Osiris was identified with the Nile, and Isis with the land irrigated and fertilized by its waters. Another Egyptian tradition identifies Isis with the Moon.
The cult of Isis spread throughout the Mediterranean during the Hellenistic era.
Initially, her veneration was funereal and mournful in nature, but later she began to be worshiped as a deity of travel.
Photo polignosi.comThis goddess was also worshiped in ancient Cyprus. The cult is confirmed by epigraphic and other archaeological sources, and is also mentioned in literary monuments. For example, Strabo writes about the city of Soly: “The city of Soly has a harbor, a river and a temple of Aphrodite and Isis.” Indeed, archaeologists found a statue of Isis in the Sol area (today the outskirts of the city of Lefka), and images of it were found in Nea Paphos and Kourion. Inscriptions mentioning Isis and other Egyptian gods have been found on the Karpasia peninsula and in the city of Arsos in the Mesaoria valley.
In Cyprus, the goddess Isis was responsible for the peaceful course of family life. The cult of Isis included mysteries that aimed at purifying the soul and immortality.
The text was prepared based on materials from “Polygnosi”
Other materials about the cult of gods in Cyprus:
– Artemis – Apollo – Athena – Adonis – Astarte – Diomedes
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