Caucasus in Greek and Latin Epigraphy from the Greco-Roman World

Abstract

Sixteen inscriptions from the Mediterranean world and the Cimmerian Bosporus, dating from the 4th century B.C. to the 4th century A.D., are discussed in this article which offers an anthology of mentions relating to the Caucasus in ancient Greek and Latin epigraphy. Mount Caucasus and individuals, human or divine beings, who bore the name or epithet of “Caucasian,” appear in various contexts linked to the funerary domain, civic and local cults, mythology, military expeditions, gladiatorial fights, or even to political propaganda. The main clichés about the Caucasus included the Promethean legend, as well as the massive nature of these remote mountains, located on the border of the oikoumene. All these various documents testify to a relative diffusion of knowledge and beliefs concerning the Caucasus throughout the Graeco-Roman world and ensure the special place occupied by this mountain and its inhabitants in the common imagination.