REFLECTIONS OF THE CULT OF APOLLON IN ALABANDA: BILYCHNIS WITH HERACLES DESCRIPTION
REFLECTIONS OF THE CULT OF APOLLON IN ALABANDA: BILYCHNIS WITH HERACLES DESCRIPTION

Summary/Abstract: This study examines a unique double-nosed terracotta oil lamp (bilychnis) unearthed from the Alabanda Agora. The lamp’s most striking feature is its handle, decorated with a relief depicting the struggle between Heracles and the Lernaean Hydra – the second of his Twelve Labors. This scene stands in contrast to the undecorated discus on the lamp’s body. Heracles is depicted holding the “Laurel Branch,” a symbol associated with Apollon, the chief deity of Alabanda. This iconographic detail, along with epigraphic evidence and the ongoing presence of the Temple of Apollon Isotimos, underscores the paramount importance of Apollon in Alabanda. The Alabanda Bilychnis serves as a microcosm, reflecting the veneration for Apollon ingrained even in everyday objects. Furthermore, the lamp’s form, mythological theme, and iconography were analyzed comparatively against similar examples from various museum collections worldwide. Based on this stylistic analysis, the lamp is dated to the second half of the 1st century AD.

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