A new study of inscriptions from ancient Akmoneia (Ancient Greek: Ἀκμονία) is bringing fresh attention to powerful Phrygian priestesses and the public religious roles women could hold in the Roman period.
One newly published funerary inscription names a woman called Mandana as “high priestess of the city,” offering rare evidence of female authority in civic religion.
The study, led by Hüseyin Uzunoğlu and co-authored by Münteha Dinç, was published in Gephyra. It presents nine new inscriptions found during archaeological surveys in and around Akmoneia, an ancient city in Phrygia (Ancient Greek: Φρυγία). The site is located at modern Ahatköy, near Banaz in Turkey’s Uşak province.
Inscriptions reveal civic life in Akmoneia
The inscriptions come from marble bases, funerary monuments, a statue base and an architectural fragment. Some were reused in later buildings. Others survived only in broken form.
Together, they show a city where religion, public honor and civic identity were closely linked. Priests, benefactors and families used stone inscriptions to preserve status. They also recorded donations, public service and religious titles.
One inscription names Demades, son of Dionysogenes. He served as lifelong priest of Athena Sebaste and as priest of Pantheion or Pantheios. The text says he dedicated a torch-bearing statue at his own expense.
A new inscription from ancient Akmoneia is reshaping the story of Phrygian powerful priestesses. It names Mandana as “high priestess of the city,” showing women could hold public religious authority in Roman-era Phrygia and be remembered in stone. pic.twitter.com/yDFxlvJGNT
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) July 6, 2026
Researchers say the statue may have helped light a public area. The study suggests Akmoneia’s main street was a likely location, because other statues stood there and colonnaded streets in the Roman East were often illuminated at night.
Another inscription records a dedication by Hierokles, son of Menandros, and his son Hermogenes. They erected a statue of Demeter Karpophoros, a fertility goddess linked to crops and abundance. The text also refers to statues of Koros, unnamed goddesses, and the Sacred Council along the city’s main street.
Mandana held a major religious title
The most important evidence for women’s religious power comes from a funerary inscription for Mandana. Her husband, Priscus, set up the monument in her honor.
The inscription describes Mandana as a beloved wife, a “mistress,” and the “high priestess of the city.” That title matters. It shows that Mandana held a recognized religious office, not just a private family role.
Researchers note that women were sometimes assumed to hold priesthoods together with their husbands. But the inscription gives no priestly title for Priscus. That makes Mandana’s office stand out. It suggests she may have held the role in her own right.
The study also notes that Mandana is an Iranian female name. It is recorded here for the first time in Phrygia. Similar names are known from nearby regions, including Galatia, Cappadocia, Paphlagonia, Lykaonia, Bithynia and Caria.
Researchers caution that a name alone does not prove ethnic origin. Local families could adopt Persian or Iranian names for many reasons. Still, the name adds another layer to Akmoneia’s mixed cultural world.
A city shaped by public religion
The new inscriptions also point to a rich religious landscape. Akmoneia honored Athena, Demeter, Asklepios, Zeus and other divine figures. Civic bodies such as the people, the city, the council and the Gerousia also appeared in public monuments.
This matters because ancient religion was not separate from politics. Priestly titles gave elite families prestige. Statue dedications displayed wealth. Public monuments turned religious service into visible civic power.
Mandana’s inscription shows that women could take part in that system at a high level. Her title places her among the leading religious figures of the city.
The evidence is brief, but it is powerful. A few carved words on a damaged stone show that ancient Phrygian women could hold public sacred authority. In Akmoneia, priesthood was not only a male path to honor. For Mandana, it was a title worthy of being remembered in stone.
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