The Upright Tiara of the Persian King

This paper examines a piece ofheadgear, usually referred to in modern literature as a Phrygian or Persian cap, but variously described astiara, kurbasiaor kidaris/kitarisin the ancient sources. According to Greek texts only the Persian king had the right to wear the headgearin an upright position, usually referred to as tiara orthé. The cap was part of the so-called Median riding dress, and was worn together with trousers, a sleeved garment and akandys, i.e. a cloak used as a mantle. On the basis of literary sources and iconographic evidenceit is suggested that tiara orthéreferred to the attached hood of akandys, or alternativelyanother upper garment, in an upraised position, i.e.when it was worn upon the head. Xenophon, ourearliest andmost trustworthy sourceregarding the tiara orthé,explicitly wrotethat only the king may wear the tiaraupright, that is upon the head

To Drink Bull´s Blood : An analysis of the Story of Midas

This paper deals with the famous account of how Midas committed suicide by drinkingbull’s blood. There was a widespread ancient belief that you would die from consuming the blood of a bull, but from a medical point of view it is not poisonous to drink bull’s blood. This paper has its point of departure in this erroneous ancient perception, and analyses what may lay behind the idea that Midas as well as other prominent men, like Themistocles and Hannibal, committed suicide by drinking bull’s blood. It is suggested that the concept of drinking bull’s blood had its roots in religion, and parallels are drawn between Phrygian funerary material and the Hittite ritual ‘to drink the soul of the deceased king’ and ‘to drink a god’. On basis of the material examined it is plausible that a similar ritual existed in Phrygian religion

The triad from Ephesos : The Mother Goddess and her two companions

This volume contains studies on Classical Antiquity presented to Professor Pontus Hellström on his 75th birthday in January 2014. The 41 papers cover subjects ranging from the Etruscans and Rome in the west, to Greece, the landscape of Karia, and to the Sanctuary of Zeus at Labraunda. Many papers deal with new discoveries at Labraunda, but sites in the surrounding area, such as Alabanda, Iasos, and Halikarnassos are well represented, as well as Ephesos and Smyrna. Many architectural studies are included, and these examine both Labraundan buildings and topics such as masonry, Vitruvius, the Erechtheion, stoas, watermills, and Lelegian houses. Other papers deal with ancient coins, ancient music, Greek meatballs, and Karian theories on the origin of ancient Greece