# Baaltars

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[[File:Pharnabazus silver stater as Satrap of Cilicia 379 374 BC.jpg|thumb|Silver [stater](/source/stater) of [Pharnabazus](/source/Pharnabazus_(5th_century_BC)) as Satrap of [Cilicia](/source/Cilicia) (379-374 BCE), depicting a seated Baaltars. [British Museum](/source/British_Museum).]]
[[File:Datames Baaltars.jpg|thumb|Silver coin of [Datames](/source/Datames) (r. 385-362 BCE) with the God Baaltars on a throne, seated left, torsos facing, holding grapes, grain ear, and eagle in right hand, scepter in left hand, surrounded by the city walls. [Cabinet des Médailles](/source/Cabinet_des_M%C3%A9dailles).]]

'''Baaltars''' ({{langx|sem-x-aramaic|{{script|Armi|𐡁𐡏𐡋𐡕𐡓𐡆}}|translit={{sc|bʿltrz}}|lit=[Baʿal](/source/Ba%CA%BFal) of Tarsus}}) was possibly the chief deity of the city of Tarsus during the [Achaemenid Empire](/source/Achaemenid_Empire).{{sfn|Rutherford|2017}}

The image of Baaltars featured on the legends of coins struck by [Mazaeus](/source/Mazaeus) and [Datames](/source/Datames), who were Achaemenid satraps of [Cilicia](/source/Cilicia), and of [Pharnabazus II](/source/Pharnabazus_II), who was satrap of [Hellespontine Phrygia](/source/Hellespontine_Phrygia).{{sfn|Casabonne|1999|p=84}}

Baaltars was depicted holding an ear of wheat and a bunch of grapes, and was likely a local representation of the [Luwian](/source/Luwians) Storm-god [Tarḫunz](/source/Tar%E1%B8%ABunz)as.{{sfn|Casabonne|1999|p=84}}

Baaltars might be the same deity whom [Eratosthenes of Cyrene](/source/Eratosthenes) in the 3rd century BCE called [Zeus](/source/Zeus) Tersios ({{langx|grc|{{script|Grek|Ζεύς Τέρσιος}}}}).{{sfn|Rutherford|2017}}

Some scholars have hypothesised that Baaltars later lost his prominence to [Sandas](/source/%C5%A0anta), while Olivier Casabonne has proposed that Baaltars was also identified with Sandas/[Nergal](/source/Nergal), who was in turn identified with the [Phoenicia](/source/Phoenicia)n god [Melqart](/source/Melqart) of [Tyre](/source/Tyre%2C_Lebanon).{{sfn|Rutherford|2017}}

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite journal |last=Casabonne |first=Olivier |date=1999 |title=Notes Ciliciennes (suite) |trans-title=Cilician Notes (follow-up) |url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/anata_1018-1946_1999_num_7_1_920 |journal=Anatolia antiqua. Eski Anadolu |volume=7 |language=fr |publisher=[Institut français d'études anatoliennes](/source/%3Afr%3AInstitut_fran%C3%A7ais_d'%C3%A9tudes_anatoliennes) |pages=69-88 |doi=10.3406/anata.1999.920 |access-date=13 November 2025}}
* {{cite book |editor-last=Mouton |editor-first=Alice |last=Rutherford |first=Ian |author-link=:de:Ian Rutherford |date=2017 |title=L'hittitologie aujourd'hui: Études sur l'Anatolie hittite et néo-hittite à l'occasion du centenaire de la naissance d'Emmanuel Laroche: 5e Rencontres d'archéologie de l'IFEA, Istanbul 21-22 novembre 2014 |trans-title=Hittitology today: Studies on Hittite and Neo-Hittite Anatolia in Honor of Emmanuel Laroche's 100th Birthday: 5th IFEA Archeology Meetings, Istanbul November 21-22, 2014 |chapter=Sandas in translation |chapter-url=https://books.openedition.org/ifeagd/3488 |location=[Istanbul](/source/Istanbul), [Turkey](/source/Turkey) |publisher=[Institut français d’études anatoliennes](/source/%3Afr%3AInstitut_fran%C3%A7ais_d%E2%80%99%C3%A9tudes_anatoliennes) |pages=81-100 |isbn=978-2-362-45067-9 |access-date=13 November 2025}}
{{refend}}

==See also==
*[Achaemenid coinage](/source/Achaemenid_coinage)

{{MEast-myth-stub}}

Category:Luwian gods
Category:Achaemenid Empire
Category:Baal

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Baaltars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baaltars) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baaltars?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.