The foundation story of Tyre: Two mythemes and two tutelary deities

Abstract During the 3rd century AD, the cities of Tyre and Sidon competed for Rome's recognition as the most important Phoenician city, a rivalry reflected in their coins. Traditionally, it has been thought that Sidon considered itself to be, both the oldest Phoenician city and the mother of several important Mediterranean colonies, whereas Tyre focused mainly on its maritime heritage. In our paper, we argue that alongside the Melqart and the Ambrosial Rocks mytheme, there was another Tyrian foundation mytheme depicting the union of a horned god, Dionysus, with a founding queen or goddess. Depictions of this second mytheme on Tyrian coinage, which was more terrestrial than maritime, was designed to counter Sidon's claims to being the metropolis of Phoenicia.