The Syrian Goddess

The Syrian Goddess is a prose work by Lucian of Samosata a Greek writer who lived in the 2nd century AD. The work is a religious text that explores the mythology and worship of the goddess Atargatis who was revered in the ancient Near East particularly in Syria. The text is written in the form of a letter from Lucian to a friend in which he describes the religious practices and beliefs of the people who worship Atargatis. He describes the temple of Atargatis in Hierapolis which was a center of her worship and he provides a detailed account of the rituals and ceremonies that took place there. Lucian also provides a mythological account of the goddess and her origins tracing her lineage back to the Babylonian goddess Ishtar. He describes her as a powerful and benevolent deity who was associated with fertility water and the natural world. The Syrian Goddess is an important work for understanding the religious beliefs and practices of the ancient Near East. It provides insight into the complex mythology and ritual practices of a major goddess cult and it offers a window into the cultural and religious practices of the region during the Hellenistic period.