Confession inscriptions of Lydia and Phrygia

Confession inscriptions of Lydia and Phrygia are Roman-era Koine Greek religious steles from these historical regions of Anatolia (then part of Asia and Galatia provinces), dating mostly to the 2nd and 3rd centuries. They have provoked less discussion than one would expect.

The new element that appears, the public confession of sin and the redemption through offerings (lytra), unknown to traditional Greek religion, has made scholars to name this social phenomenon as oriental. The religious thought and the use of vernacular Koine Greek, full of innovative orthography,syntax and grammar, suggests that they may also represent something at the root of religion in Phrygia and Lydia. Marijana Ricl has argued that the practice of confession is a reminiscence of Hittite religion. According to Schnabel E.J it was a counter-move prompted by the increasing success of the Christian missionaries. Indeed, beside the scheme of confession/redemption, phraseology and terms remind of Greek New Testament: hamartia (sin), parakletos (advocator), doulos tou theou (slave of god), kyrios (master), basileus (king). Another point for discussion is the punishment of sexual transgressions, which further relates the inscriptions to Christianity and the concept of chastity in Hellenistic philosophy and religion; in contrast to the previous perception of sexuality inside the religion (Hieros gamos, Sacred prostitution, Aphrodite Pandemos).

Some indicating names or epithets of deities engaged in the inscriptions are: Men (Axiottenos, Artemidoros), Meter (mother), Zeus (Aithrios, Keraunios, Soter), Apollo, Hypsistos, Anaitis, Attis, Dionysos, Hades, Herakles, Sabazios, Batenos, Nemesis, Asclepius, Tyrannos, Basileus, Theos Strapton and Bronton, Hecate, Artemis etc.