Page 19 - A Walk to Caesarea / Joseph Patrich

A Walk to Caesarea: A Historical-Archaeological Perspective 5

shore into two parts. The lower part depicts two nude figures. The one on the right is engaged with a lion,

identifiable by its mane. The details of the picture have been worn away, and we cannot tell if this is a battle

between man and lion (of the type between Samson and the lion or the struggle of Hercules against the

Nemean Lion), or if the man is treating the animal, perhaps removing a thorn from its paw. The man is probably

Straton. His companion is presented as fleeing to return to the ship, looking fearfully backward. Between the

figures bushes are depicted, indicating that the scene is taking place in a

thicket of flora. In the upper part, above the wavy line (a snake?), a kind

of horned altar is depicted with the letters YLS above it. The meaning of

those letters is undetermined.

Scene IV presents a hand-shaking treaty between Straton and the

god Asclepios. Standing behind Asclepios is his daughter Hygieia, who

is holding a fan, while behind Straton is an escort. The inscriptions

ASCLEPIOS, STRATON, YGIA identify the figures. According to the drawing,

Asclepios is the one who granted Straton authority over the new land. Scene I: Libation in front of Tyche

Scene II: Consultation in an oracle

Scene III: Landing at a hostile shore

Fig. 8 Scene IV: Hand-shaking treaty
between Straton and Asclepius
Four scenes depicted on the Louvre Caesarea
Cup, portraying a ceremonial rite in front of
the city’s goddess of fortune (Tyche) and the
foundation myth of Straton’s Tower