The Battle of the Gods and Goddesses and the Giants

Illustration

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
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published on 12 May 2018
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This is the so-called "Silahtarağa Statuary Group". The remains came to light during excavations for the foundations of a building on the road between the quarter Eyub and Alibeykoy near the Golden Horn. Between 1949-1950 many fragments of statues were recovered from the place, within a structural complex. That ancient structure was composed of a square-shaped room with 6 niches on the anterior and 2 small adjoining rooms. The structure, after studying the first phase of it, is thought to be a nymphaion or a large fountain connected to the sacred field of Semestra, or it could be a museion dedicated to the works of Muses. However, the 2nd phase of the use of the building occurred in the 3rd century CE. A variety of votive statues were found; therefore, the structure might well have been a sacred place. Here, this scene of statues fragments and remains depicts a battle between gods/goddesses (the deities were white in color) and giants (were carved using a black stone). The striking feature here is that the battle was depicted using separate free-standing statues to reenact the event; other battles between deities and giants (Gigantomachy) were depicted in bas-reliefs. The statues of the deities (made of marble from Aphrodisias) were brought to Byzantium from Aphrodisias in a rough and unfinished form. This group of statues dates to the 2nd century CE. Silahtarağa is in modern-day Istanbul, Turkey. (Museum of Archaeology, Istanbul, Turkey).

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About the Author

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
Associate Professor of Neurology and lover of the Cradle of Civilization, Mesopotamia. I'm very interested in Mesopotamian history and always try to take photos of archaeological sites and artifacts in museums, both in Iraq and around the world.

Cite This Work

APA Style

Amin, O. S. M. (2018, May 12). The Battle of the Gods and Goddesses and the Giants. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/8704/the-battle-of-the-gods-and-goddesses-and-the-giant/

Chicago Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "The Battle of the Gods and Goddesses and the Giants." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified May 12, 2018. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/8704/the-battle-of-the-gods-and-goddesses-and-the-giant/.

MLA Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "The Battle of the Gods and Goddesses and the Giants." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 12 May 2018. Web. 21 Feb 2025.

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