Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Анаит" in Russian language version.
The cult of Anahita was found in Armenia under the name of Anahit, the "great queen, " the "one born of gold, " "the golden mother, " who, though a fertility goddess, was not connected with water, as in Persia.
Во всех перечисленных странах должность главного жреца была второй в государстве после должности царя. В каждой из них (и в этом — отличие от более древнего царства Урарту) существовали огромные храмовые хозяйства и даже целые области, населенные храмовыми людьми. Такова, например, была, по-видимому, область Анахтакан, принадлежавшая храму богини Анаит в Армении.
The Armenians, according to Strabo (Geography 11.14.16), shared in the religion of the Persians and the Medes and particularly honored Anaïtis (see Armenian religion).
Plutarch (Artaxerxes 27) also states that Artaxerxes Mnemon piously made his concubine Aspasia become a priestess of «Artemis whom they call Anaitis.» It was probably in his reign that the Anāhitā cult began to gain ground in Asia Minor and Syria before spreading to Armenia.
For the period prior to the establishment of the Sasanian dynasty, mention of sanctuaries of Anāhitā suggests a widespread practice of her cult not only in Iran but as far west as Armenia and Babylon. Although archeological exploration has been relatively extensive in these areas, no temples to the cult of Anāhitā have been located with any degree of certainty outside of Iran.
The kings of Armenia were steadfast supporters of the cult at Eriza, which seems to have been closely associated with the national monarchy.
… Armenia, then a Zoroastrian land. Here Anāhīd was much beloved, being invoked as «noble Lady… mother of all knowledge, daughter of the great and mighty Aramazd.»
A fine bronze head, like that of a Greek Aphrodite, has been found at Satala, which is thought to belong to a statue of Anāhīd. (All statues in Armenia, according to an old source, were made by Greek craftsmen.)
After the conversion of Tiridates, the images of Anahit throughout Armenia were smashed.
ANĀHĪD (Old Pers. Anāhitā, New Pers. Nāhīd, Armenian Anahit, Greek Anaitis), Mid. Pers. form of the name of the Iranian goddess Anāhitā.
Hellenic influence having given a new impetus to the cult of images in Iran, it may safely be assumed that Anāhīd’s statues were still venerated during the Parthian period; and positive evidence for this comes from Armenia, then a Zoroastrian land.
Another center of Anāhitā’s worship was the city of Tomisa on the Euphrates in Sophene (south-west Armenia) on the Cappadocian frontier. In 69 B.C., the soldiers of Lucullus could see in the territory of Tomisa plenty of sacrificial cows roaming around freely, which were consecrated to Persia Artemis and bore on the head the brand of her in the shape of a torch (Plutarch Lucullus 24.6).
From the 1st century A.D. onward, a temple of this goddess at Eriza (Erez) in Acilisene enjoyed great fame; an unverifiable tradition ascribed its foundation to Tigranes the Great (Moses of Khoren 2.14 in Langlois, Historiens II, p. 88).
Another region lying on the Cyrus river, near the borders of Iberia and Albania, was also called «the land of Anaitis» (Dio Cassius 36.53.5); like Acilisene, it was doubtless the territory of a temple dedicated to Anāhitā but otherwise unknown.
… daughters of the most eminent families were required to serve as prostitutes in it before marrying (Strabo Geography 11.14.16), an element likely borrowed from the Semitic religious practices (E. Meyer, Lexikon der griechischen und römischen Mythologie, ed. W. H. Roscher, I, 1884, col. 333).
Мидийцы и армяне почитают все священные обряды персов. В особом почете культ Анаитиды у армян, которые в честь этой богини построили святилища в разных местах, в том числе и в Акилисене. Они посвящают здесь на служение богине рабов и рабынь. В этом нет ничего удивительного. Однако знатнейшие люди племени также посвящают богине своих дочерей ещё девушками. У последних в обычае выходить замуж только после того, как в течение долгого времени они отдавались за деньги в храме богини, причем никто не считает недостойным вступать в брак с такой женщиной.
Во всех перечисленных странах должность главного жреца была второй в государстве после должности царя. В каждой из них (и в этом — отличие от более древнего царства Урарту) существовали огромные храмовые хозяйства и даже целые области, населенные храмовыми людьми. Такова, например, была, по-видимому, область Анахтакан, принадлежавшая храму богини Анаит в Армении.
Мидийцы и армяне почитают все священные обряды персов. В особом почете культ Анаитиды у армян, которые в честь этой богини построили святилища в разных местах, в том числе и в Акилисене. Они посвящают здесь на служение богине рабов и рабынь. В этом нет ничего удивительного. Однако знатнейшие люди племени также посвящают богине своих дочерей ещё девушками. У последних в обычае выходить замуж только после того, как в течение долгого времени они отдавались за деньги в храме богини, причем никто не считает недостойным вступать в брак с такой женщиной.
The Armenians, according to Strabo (Geography 11.14.16), shared in the religion of the Persians and the Medes and particularly honored Anaïtis (see Armenian religion).
Plutarch (Artaxerxes 27) also states that Artaxerxes Mnemon piously made his concubine Aspasia become a priestess of «Artemis whom they call Anaitis.» It was probably in his reign that the Anāhitā cult began to gain ground in Asia Minor and Syria before spreading to Armenia.
For the period prior to the establishment of the Sasanian dynasty, mention of sanctuaries of Anāhitā suggests a widespread practice of her cult not only in Iran but as far west as Armenia and Babylon. Although archeological exploration has been relatively extensive in these areas, no temples to the cult of Anāhitā have been located with any degree of certainty outside of Iran.
The kings of Armenia were steadfast supporters of the cult at Eriza, which seems to have been closely associated with the national monarchy.
… Armenia, then a Zoroastrian land. Here Anāhīd was much beloved, being invoked as «noble Lady… mother of all knowledge, daughter of the great and mighty Aramazd.»
A fine bronze head, like that of a Greek Aphrodite, has been found at Satala, which is thought to belong to a statue of Anāhīd. (All statues in Armenia, according to an old source, were made by Greek craftsmen.)
After the conversion of Tiridates, the images of Anahit throughout Armenia were smashed.
ANĀHĪD (Old Pers. Anāhitā, New Pers. Nāhīd, Armenian Anahit, Greek Anaitis), Mid. Pers. form of the name of the Iranian goddess Anāhitā.
Hellenic influence having given a new impetus to the cult of images in Iran, it may safely be assumed that Anāhīd’s statues were still venerated during the Parthian period; and positive evidence for this comes from Armenia, then a Zoroastrian land.
Another center of Anāhitā’s worship was the city of Tomisa on the Euphrates in Sophene (south-west Armenia) on the Cappadocian frontier. In 69 B.C., the soldiers of Lucullus could see in the territory of Tomisa plenty of sacrificial cows roaming around freely, which were consecrated to Persia Artemis and bore on the head the brand of her in the shape of a torch (Plutarch Lucullus 24.6).
From the 1st century A.D. onward, a temple of this goddess at Eriza (Erez) in Acilisene enjoyed great fame; an unverifiable tradition ascribed its foundation to Tigranes the Great (Moses of Khoren 2.14 in Langlois, Historiens II, p. 88).
Another region lying on the Cyrus river, near the borders of Iberia and Albania, was also called «the land of Anaitis» (Dio Cassius 36.53.5); like Acilisene, it was doubtless the territory of a temple dedicated to Anāhitā but otherwise unknown.
… daughters of the most eminent families were required to serve as prostitutes in it before marrying (Strabo Geography 11.14.16), an element likely borrowed from the Semitic religious practices (E. Meyer, Lexikon der griechischen und römischen Mythologie, ed. W. H. Roscher, I, 1884, col. 333).
The cult of Anahita was found in Armenia under the name of Anahit, the "great queen, " the "one born of gold, " "the golden mother, " who, though a fertility goddess, was not connected with water, as in Persia.
