Melqart
Sign in to saveKey facts
- Deity.type
- Canaanite
- Deity.name
- Melqart
- Deity.image
- Testa di herakles-melqart, 500-480 ac ca, da cipro.jpg
- Deity.caption
- Phoenician Melqart, 6th century BC(Barracco Museum of Antique Sculpture)
- Deity.deity_of
- God of strength and heroesDying-and-rising godPatron deity of Tyre
- Deity.symbol
- Axe, lion
- Deity.abode
- Underworld
- Deity.greek_equivalent
- Heracles
- Deity.roman_equivalent
- Hercules
- Deity.cult_center
- Pillars of MelqartTyre, PhoeniciaGadir, Iberia
- Deity.festivals
- Egersis
- Deity.father
- El, Baal
- Deity.mother
- Astarte
- Deity.siblings
- paternal: Anat, Attar, Mot, Shahar, Shalim, Shapash, Yam
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
13 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Cult
- Archaeological evidence
- Temple sites
- Hannibal and Melqart
- Graeco-Roman traditions
- Attempts at a synthesis
- Historical person
- See also
- References
- Citations
- Bibliography
- External links
Melqart () was the tutelary god of the Phoenician city-state of Tyre and a major deity in the Phoenician and Punic pantheons. He may have been central to the founding-myths of various Phoenician colonies throughout the Mediterranean, as well as the source of several myths concerning the exploits of Heracles. Many cities were thought to be founded (in one way or another) and protected by Melqart, no doubt springing from the original Phoenician practice of building a Temple of Melqart at new colonies. Similar to Tammuz and Adonis, he symbolized an annual cycle of death and rebirth.
Reflecting his dual role as both protector of the world and ruler of the underworld, he was often shown holding an Ankh or Flower as a symbol of life, and a fenestrated axe as a symbol of death.