Glycon snake

The Glykon Serpent of Constanța

Pentassarion minted under Philip II (Caesar from 244 to 247 AD) in Markianopolis . The reverse of the coin depicts a glycon serpent with a beard.

The glycon is a mythical creature of Greek mythology and became a cult object of Asklepios -Kultes in ancient South and Southeast Europe.

The animal is described as a chimera consisting of an antelope head (also interpreted as a human head) with human hair and ears and a snake's body that ends in a lion's tail .

This animal acquired a cultic significance in connection with the Glycon oracle . This was mentioned in the time of the reign of Antoninus Pius in the Paphlagonian city of Abonuteichos and staged by a deceiver, Alexander von Abonuteichos , to do business with the superstitions of the people.

Objects

In the ruins of the ancient port city of Tomis on the Black Sea , today on the site of the Romanian city of Constanța , an ensemble of Greek statues of gods was uncovered during excavations in 1962 , which were probably buried in the 4th century for fear of destruction by Christian zealots. These objects also include a perfectly preserved marble figure of a glycon snake. The work of art was carved out of a single block. The art object is now in the Archaeological Museum (Muzeul de Istorie Națională și Arheologie Constanța).

A relief in the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden shows a bearded human head with a snake body and a lion's tail; it is interpreted as a sarapis with a snake body.

Further evidence of glycon snakes is provided by coinage and rare small figures that were probably used in rituals.

literature

Wilhelm Drexler : Glycon . In: Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher (Hrsg.): Detailed lexicon of Greek and Roman mythology . Volume 1. Teubner, Leipzig 1884–1890, Sp. 1692–1693 ( online ).

Web links

Jona Lendering: Glycon . In: Livius.org (English)
Painting by John Coulthart

supporting documents

↑ Rothraut Wittstock-Reich: Fortuna with the cornucopia. On the trail of Greek and Roman art in Constan Kona . In: Come with '88 (Romania Travel Guide). Verlag Neuer Weg, Bucharest 1988. p. 99.
↑ 2007, NO. 8 Dan ROMALO, Are "Şarpele Fantastic" tomitan analog istoric? ( Memento from July 19, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) illustrated web article on Glycon snakes (Romanian)

[1] Rothraut Wittstock-Reich: Fortuna with the cornucopia. On the trail of Greek and Roman art in Constan Kona . In: Come with '88 (Romania Travel Guide). Verlag Neuer Weg, Bucharest 1988. p. 99.

[2] 2007, NO. 8 Dan ROMALO, Are "Şarpele Fantastic" tomitan analog istoric? ( Memento from July 19, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) illustrated web article on Glycon snakes (Romanian)