Pisidia region men cult in the light of the depictions on coins

The aim of this study is to examine the reflections of the worship of Men on the coins, the most effective material of the antique age, considered by researchers as the Moon God, in the Pisidia Region, despite the fact that no clarity has been achieved regarding his origins. This study specifically investigates the cities in the region that minted coins depicting the God Men. Men, one of the local and most respected deities of Anatolia, was worshipped in many areas of Asia Minor. In addition to the Pisidia Region, where our work of field is, Men was intensely worshipped in the neighboring regions of Phrygia and Lydia, and these influences are reflected in the depictions on coins. In the Pisidia Region, the city of Antiochia became the center of the cult of Men and maintained this position for a long time. The God, whom we can refer to as the "Men of Pisidia," was worshipped from the 2nd millennium BCE until the 4th century CE in the region. The most well-known depiction of Men, who was worshipped in this region for a long time, comes from Antiochia, the center of the cult, and is known as the "Antiochia Type." The god, depicted standing, is depicted in this type likely due to the inspiration by the cult statue in the temple. Additionally, as a distinction, especially the depictions of "Horseback Men" seen in the Phrygia Region and "Men in the Temple" in the Lydia Region are significant for understanding the interregional interactions. Undoubtedly, the Via Sebaste played a major role in this diversity of coin depictions. Furthermore, the colonial cities, which were part of Augustus' greatest project, also contributed to increasing the importance of these cities and the circulation of coins. However, the insufficiency of the researches on the subject has resulted in Men, one of the most respected and ancient gods of the region, remaining a mysterious cult.