Corpus Cultus Iovis Sabazii I. The Hands

Brill, 1983. — 48 p.Sabazios (Ancient Greek: Σαβάζιος) is the horseman and sky father god of the Phrygians and Thracians. In Indo-European languages, such as Phrygian, the -zios element in his name derives from dyeus, the common precursor of Latin deus ('god') and Greek Zeus. Though the Greeks interpreted Phrygian Sabazios as both Zeus and Dionysus, representations of him, even into Roman times, show him always on horseback, as a nomadic horseman god, wielding his characteristic staff of power.Bronze hands decorated with religious symbols were used in the worship of Sabazios. They were designed to stand in sanctuaries or were attached to poles for processional use.