Editing Atargatis (section)

== Iconography ==
The literary attestations as already given are that Derceto was depicted as fish-tailed goddess at Ashkelon (by Ctesias after Diodorus), and later at [[Manbij#Cult of Atargatis|Hieropolis]] (by Lucian).

But all of the extant iconography of the Syriac goddess catalogued in the ''[[Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae|LIMC]]'' shows her as anthropomorphic.<ref>Drijvers ''Dea Syria'' ''[[Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae|LIMC]]''.</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=April 2022}} But the "fish-goddess form of Atargatis" were among the finds unearthed in the [[Transjordan (region)|Transjordan]], or so [[Nelson Glueck|Glueck]] (cf. ''infra'') has insisted, though only her forms as goddess of "foliage and fruits" or cereal goddess were published in his paper.<ref>{{harvp|Glueck|1937|p=376}}, note 3: ".. Besides the fish-goddess form of Atargatis, sculptures of her were found depicting her as a grain goddess (fig. 13) and as a goddess of foliage and fruits (figs 14–15).</ref>

=== Numismatics ===
[[File:Derketo.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|The reverse of a coin of [[Demetrius III Eucaerus|Demetrius III]], depicts fish-bodied Atargatis,<ref name="wright" /> veiled, holding the egg (cf. birth of Syrian Venus from egg, [[#Mythology|§Mythology]] ) flanked by [[Barley#History|barley stalks]].]]
[[File:Atargatis & lion.JPG|thumb|left|upright=0.8|The reverse of a coin from [[Cyrrhestica]] depicts Atargatis riding a [[Asiatic Lion|lion]], wearing a [[mural crown]], and holding a [[sceptre]].]]

The [[tetradrachm]] issued under [[Demetrius III Eucaerus]] (96–87 BCE, coin image above) shows a fish-bodied figure on the reverse side, which scholarship identifies as Stargateis.<ref name="wright" />{{efn|The inscription " BAΣIΛEΩS / DHMHTPIOY / ΘEOY - ΦIΛOΠATOPOΣ / ΣΩTHPOΣ" refers to the monarch, but does not label the goddess as such.}} The cult statues of Stargateis and her consort Hadad were commonly employed on as the motif on the reverse of tetradrachm coinage by this monarch and by [[Antiochus XII Dionysus]] (87– 84 BCE) who succeeded him.{{sfnp|Wright|2009|p=199}}

Hieropolis Bambyce was one of the cities which minted its own coins.{{sfnp|Wright|2009|p=196}} And some of the Hieropolitan coinage portray "Atargatis as indeed seated between lions and holds a scepter in her right hand and probably a spindle in her left", just as Lucian had described.{{sfnp|Downey|1977|p=175}}<ref>{{harvp|Wright|2009|p=196}} only writes that Hieropolitan coins typically depicted "Zeus", but the lion was also added as a sub-type, and "the lion was known as the companion and avatar of Atargatis".</ref> [[Palmyra]] coinage also depicts a [[Tyche]] on the obverse and strolling lion on the reverse; one coin also depicts a goddess mounted on a lion, and the lion symbolism suggest that Atargatis is being represented.

Coinage of Palmyra, some of which were found in the Palmyrene colony at [[Dura-Europos]], may depict the goddess. The coin with Tyche on the obverse and a strolling lion on the reverse, and one with a goddess riding a lion points to Atargatis, based on the lion motif.{{sfnp|Drijvers|2015|pp=106–107}}{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|A crescent moon may be depicted on the coin, together with the goddess.{{sfnp|Oden|1977|p=145}} A crescent surmounted on a lead standard [[El Ain, Beqaa, Lebanon|ʾAin Djudj]] has been commented on as possibly symbolizing Stargateis in the guise of moon goddess [[Selene]], one of the many mentioned by Lucian as her analog.<ref>{{harvp|Rostovtzeff|Bellinger|1929|p=}}, ''The Excavations at Dura-Europos, 1st season'', pp. 119–120</ref>}} There has also been found one Palmyrene [[tessera (commerce)|tessera]] (token) inscribed with Atargatis's name (Aramaic: {{transliteration|arc|ʿtrʿth}}).{{sfnp|Drijvers|2015|p=106}}

=== Sculptures  ===
{{hatnote|For further discussion of temples dedicated to the goddess, see under [[#Cult|§Cultus]] below.}}

A relief fragment found at Dura-Europos is thought to represent Atargatis/[[Tyche]] (Yale-French excavations, 1935–46), as it shows a pair of doves that are sacred to Atargatis besides her head; the doves are assumed to be perched on the post of her throne, which is missing. The figure's mural crown is emblematic of a Tyche (protector-goddess) of a city,<ref name="matheson"/><ref>{{harvp|Downey|1977}}, pp. 47–48, 172–173 ''apud'' Matheson</ref> but this matches the historic account that the cult relief Atargatis Hierapolis was seen wearing a mural crown.<ref>{{harvp|Matheson|1994}}, n. 30</ref>

In the temples of Atargatis at Palmyra and at [[Dura-Europos]]{{efn|The goddess at Dura-Europos represented in the guise of the Tyche of Palmyra, accompanied by the lion, in a fresco from the sanctuary of the Palmyrene gods, removed to the Yale Art Gallery.}} she appeared repeatedly with her consort, [[Hadad]], and in the richly syncretic religious culture at Dura-Europos, was worshipped as ''[[Temple of Artemis Azzanathkona|Artemis Azzanathkona]]''.<ref>Rostovtseff 1933:58-63; ''Dura-Europos'' III.</ref>

In the 1930s, numerous [[Nabatean]] bas-relief busts of Atargatis were identified by [[Nelson Glueck]] at [[Khirbet et-Tannur|Khirbet et-Tannûr]], Jordan, in temple ruins of the early first century CE;<ref name="glueck1937" /> there the lightly veiled goddess's lips and eyes had once been painted red, and a pair of fish confronted one another above her head. Her wavy hair, suggesting water to Glueck, was parted in the middle. At [[Petra]] the goddess from the north was syncretised with a North Arabian goddess from the south [[Uzza|al-Uzzah]], worshipped in the one temple. At [[Dura-Europus]] among the attributes of Atargatis are the spindle and the sceptre or fish-spear.<ref>Baur, ''Dura-Europos'' III, p. 115. For [[Pindar]] (''Sixth Olympian Ode''), the Greek sea-goddess [[Amphitrite]] is "goddess of the gold spindle".</ref>