A votive foot sculpture from the ancient city of Termessos

The main purpose of this thesis is to examine the foot statue, a votive offering dedicated to the God Hypsistos, located near a cliff in the necropolis area labeled E10 in the ancient city of Termessos, situated among the steep peaks of Güllük Mountain in the northwest of Antalya province. The statue's connection to the God Hypsistos and its inscription are assessed in a holistic manner. As the artifact continues to suffer damage due to the harsh conditions caused by time and nature, documenting it through photographs and shedding light on the significance of this cultural object in ancient thought has become a necessity. The dedicatory foot statue and the inscription on it were first mentioned and illustrated by Karl Lanckoronski in the second volume of the Cities of Pamphylia and Pisidia in the 19th century. The inscription was copied, but Theopompos's name was not deciphered in this first reading. Later, Heberdey re-examined the inscription and read Theopompos's name, as well as completing the name of the god to whom the dedication was made as [θεῶ Ὑψίστω(?) ὑπὲρ ὑγείας]. The work was then forgotten for many years without further study. Subsequently, during the research conducted in the 1990s as part of the Termessos and Sovereignty Area Epigraphic–Historical-Geographical Surface Surveys, Prof. Dr. Güler Çelgin examined the inscription of the dedicatory statue. However, while the inscription on the statue was studied, no detailed research was conducted on the statue itself. The study first provides general information about the geographical location of the ancient city of Termessos and the city itself, along with a brief chronological overview of the research conducted in the area. The foot-shaped votive statue, which is the main focus of the thesis, is then examined in detail. Selected examples of other foot votive statues are included for iconographic comparison, and photogrammetric analyses are provided. An onomastic assessment of the statue's owner, Theopompos, is carried out by considering another inscription in which his name appears. This analysis leads to the conclusion that the statue dates to a period after the Constitutio Antoniniana. Additionally, various scholars' views on Theos Hypsistos are discussed in relation to the statue, with attention given to its use as an epithet and examples from inscriptions found in different regions mentioning Hypsistos. Various inscriptions related to the God Hypsistos have been found in different regions of Anatolia and beyond. According to Mitchell, who compiled and studied hundreds of inscriptions on the concept of Hypsistos, it represents a god. However, other scholars interpret it as a phrase used to define various gods as "the supreme deity". Some researchers argue that it was initially only an epithet but later evolved into a distinct deity. Emerging during the transition from pagan beliefs to monotheism, Theos Hypsistos is still debated as to whether it represents a unique god and cult or was used as an epithet to merge the gods of pagan groups with a monotheistic god. The term Hypsistos means "The Highest God" in Greek. The connection between the statue's elevated location and the meaning of the name of the god to whom it is dedicated is both striking and meaningful. Votive Offering, Statue, Hypsistos, Termessos, Anatomical Offering