Серапіс у системі світоглядних традицій населення римської провінції Азії

Abstract

In the process of the formation of empires or significant in terms of size and variety states, sooner or later the question of unification of the population arises. One of the means of such consolidation is changes in spiritual culture. In the Hellenistic period, such processes were particularly vivid, and one of the manifestations of the integration of society was the creation of new cults. One of them was the cult of Serapis. The peculiarities of the role of Egypt and the western coast of Asia Minor in the economic life of the Mediterranean became the guarantee of this cultural and religious integration. Archaeological and numismatic sources allow us to trace the main ways of spreading the new cult and their local features. The topic of the iconography of Serapis and other Egyptian deities is not new, but the article focuses on the Roman province of Asia, where the figure of Serapis became one of the ways of preserving Greek identity. On the basis of a significant array of numismatic sources, the main types of representation of Serapis and local specificity are shown. Since the region was one of the centers of worship of Hades, there is a combination of these cults, and Serapis begins to be depicted as the ruler of the underworld on a throne, with a spear, and Cerberus at his feet. Also, the bust of Serapis was often placed on coins with the personification of such important phenomena as the personification of the demos or the personification of the senate. Thanks to coin types with Serapis, it is possible to reconstruct the cults of other local deities, the symbolism of which is placed together. The long-term use of coin types, their stability and wide geography indicate that Serapis was an important symbol and way of self-representation of the population of the province in the regional market.