Abstract:

The ancient town of Zeugma, one of the four important settlements of the Commagene kingdom andining this importance during the Roman Empire period, is 10 km from the province of Gaziantep or Nizip. It is located near the east. Thro history, thanks to its privileged location, it is an important passage point in the trade network between Mesopotamia and Anatolia. These trails were before the Great Alexander's Asian trip even before the E.E. 2nd It is known to be used in thousands. However, the settlement, which was previously small, along with the Greater Alexander's journey and the Helenistic kingdoms established after it, was a tampon area and a military base against the parties during the Roman Empire. In addition to its military importance as well as its commercial activities, it is a moving transition point, from the Late Hellenistic Period to the Roman Empire Period, especially in the US. And in the 2nd century it was literally a bridge between the east and the west and an important center at which the heart of trade was thrown. Many of the works of the Roman Empire, in which they have lived their brightest periods, come to us as physical reflections of the city’s wealth and glory. In this article, it was found in 1999-2000 excavations in the ancient town of Zeugma Poseidon Villa and exhibited in the Gaziantep Zeugma Mosaic Museum, IS. The 2nd century Statue of Mars, which is considered unique for its general iconography, will include some assessments of its identity, starting from the object in which it has been held in the left hand. Considering the legionists displaced in the ancient town of Zeugma, especially the cult activities of Legio IV Scyhtica and the findings of the Poseidon Villa where it was occupied, it will be discussed whether the statue has a mixed iconography that has been affected by the war god Mars as well as other cults. Although it is not a common type in the Ares/Mars iconography, it is believed that in the Zeugma example, the curved branches holding the statue in the left hand emphasize the identity of Mars in Rome as well as symbolizing the coming of spring and prosperity. In order to reveal the association of the statue with Mars and other cults, it will be compared with some types of Mars dated by the Roman era and 2–3. The town of Zeugma and the legion's cult organizations where Legio IV Scythica was displaced in the centuries will be assessed.

Keywords: