THE
TOWER OF CADIZ
A.T.
Fea *
In ou ancien sou ces he ame o Cadiz es s on h ee hings; i s
posi ion a he end o he wo ldl, he He acleum a he Sou h o he
island2, and i s dancing gi ls3. Howe e o he la e A abic geog aphe s
Cadiz con ained ano he wonde which is ne e men ioned by he
classical sou ces.
This ea u e is he sanam, o ((idol)) o Cadiz. ((Idol)) being a much be e
ansla ion o he A abic han (( emple)) which is occasionally ound4. The
idol is e e ed o by many A abic sou ces, bu mos o hese we e w i en
long a e i s demoli ion in he wel h cen u y A. D. The e a e, howe e ,
h ee ex s which can be ega ded as ((p ima y)) sou ces. The i s o hese is
a agmen o a wel h cen u y anonymous geog aphe p ese ed in he
wo k o al-Maqqa i5. This ells us ha he e was in he own an ((al nena a))
like ha a Alexand ia. The almena a was made o solid mason y, squa e in
shape wi h a second s o ey, also squa e and one hi d he size o he i s , and
a hi d which was a ape ing ou sided py amid capped by a ma ble block,
wo spans squa e. On op o his block was a s a ue o a man, ((o
ex ao dina y wo kmanship and ine manu ac u e)). The whole s uc u e was
some 100 cubi s high. The s a ue poin ed o he s ai s o Gib al a wi h i s
le hand, and held i s igh close o i s body, holding i s cloak and a s ick.
The geog aphe goes on o no e ha many people belle e ha he s ick is a
key (a s a emen bo n ou by many o he la e A abic epo s), bu his is no
co ec . He himsel had seen he s a ue many imes and had only seen a
s ick. Mo eo e a c us wo hy pe son)) who was p esen a i s demoli ion
had old him ha he s a ue held a s ick wel e spans in leng h a whose end
*
I
would like o hank he Le e hulme T us o hei gene ous awa d o a S udy Ab oad
S uden ship which made he w i ing o his a icle possible.
'
JUVENAL,
Sa .
10.1, P isciani Pe iegesis 73.
STRABO 3.5.3.
'
MARTIAL 14.203.
See P. MARTÍNEZ MONTAVEZ,
Pe il de Cúdiz Hispana Á abe
p. 54. This usage is con-
í med by a Medie al La in sou ce, PS. Tu pin's Li e o Cha lemagne, in which i is s a ed
ha Cha lemagne des oyed all he idols, c idola e simulac aw he ound in Spain excep o
he ((Sala n Cadis)). ((Sala n)) he e is clea ly a co up ion o he A abic ((Sana n .
A abic ex in DOZY,
Reche ches
... 3 d. ed. p. LXXXIX e seq. English ansla ion, in
GAYANGOS,
His o y o he Mohammedan Dynas i s in Spain,
Vol 1. Spanish ansla ion in
P.
MART~NEZ MONTAVEZ,
Pe il de Cúdiz Hispana A abe,
p. 60-1.
we e cc he hongs o a
hi^))^,
o cc ee h like hose o a cuny comb~~, o a
ccnecklace)) (csmall c o~s))~. Un o una ely he A abic ex is clea ly
co mp he e, howe e we can deduce ha he s ick was long and had
some o m o appendage a i s end.
The second o ou sou ces is he Tuh a al-albab o Abu Hamid al-
Ga na ig, again a wo k o he wel h cen u y. This oo s a es ha he
s uc u e was app oxima ely 100 cubi s high and ha i was squa e a i s
base, bu adds ha i s uppe pa was ounded. I adds empha ically ha he
s uc u e was o solid mason y and had no doo s. O he s a ue i says ha i
was o a black man, a c zingi))lo, clo hed in a cloak o gold. The s a ue's
igh hand was poin ing o he wes and in i s le hand i held a key.
Ou inal sou ce is a agmen o he con inua o o he pseudo Pacense
p ese ed in he wo k o al-Masudi ( i.+ 956)". This s a es ha he
almena a o Cadiz was one o he wonde s o he wo ld and could be seen
as a away as Medina Sidonia, some eigh een miles dis an , and s ill
u he .
La e sou ces end o epea o ga ble he same in o ma ion and add
legenda y accoun s o he owe 's e ec ion. The mos commonly
a ibu ed au ho o he wo k is He acles, ollowed by Alexande he
G ea . Some u he use ul in o ma ion is added howe e . Yaqu 12 insis s
on he s a ue being like a be be , ha ing a long bea d and long u led
hai , wi h a lock o hai alling o e i s o ehead. He es ima es he size o
he s uc u e a 70 cubi s. Ibnu Ghalib13 likens he s uc u e o ha o he
Roman ligh house a Coma. Al-Himya i14 gi es us ou only clue o he
la e al size o he s uc u e saying i was 40 cubi s squa e a he base, and
ou only clue o i s loca ion, saying ha i was in he middle o he island
o Cadiz, six miles om he chu ch o San Ped o ( he p esen day island
o Sanc i Pe i). He s a es ha he e we e h ee, no wo s ages be o e he
ape ing py amid and gi es he o al heigh o he monumen as 124
cubi s, o which he s a ue comp ised 6 o
8.
All hese measu emen s, he
says a e in ccg ea cubi s)) which a e h ee and a hal spans in leng h.
Himya i also adds ha he s a ue was su passed in heigh by a column o
DOZY.
GAYANGOS.
MARTÍNEZ MONTAVEZ.
p. 68-9 o he A abic ex , Spanish ansla ion in MART~NEZ MONTAVEZ p. 56-7.
'O
The A abic o neg o, e e ing especially o he inhabi an s o he Sudan, an app op ia-
e English ansla ion would be c uzzy wuzzy)).
l1
Spanish ansla ion
in
A.
GARC~A
y BELLIDO, ( Iocosae Gades)),
BRAH
129 1951 p.115-6.
l2
Vol. 4.261, Spanish ansla ion MARTÍNEZ MONTAVEZ p. 57 and
Cuade nos de la his o-
ia de Islam,
6, 1974.
l3
In
AL
MAQQARI bk. 1 ch.5, English ansla ion GAYANGOS.
l4
Ki ab A Rawd Al Mi' a sec ion
132.
F ench ansla ion by LEVI PROVENCAL, Spanish
ansla ion by GARC~A y BELLIDO op.ci .,
p.
119-122.
gold o coppe which was ixed be ween i s ee . All he la e sou ces a e
insis en ha he s a ue on op o he s uc u e was made o me al,
no mally o guilded b ass.
F om his in o ma ion we can deduce ha he s uc u e was a s agge ed
building s anding a leas 122 ee high and wi h a base o a leas
70
ee ,
wi h bo h measu emen s p obably being g ea e 15.
Despi e i s imp essi e dimensions ema kably li le schola ship as been
de o ed o his s uc u e. Thou eno , dismissed i b ie ly has a
ligh house16, and Ga cia y Bellido a e a sligh ly longe discussion came
o he conclusion ha i was a commemo a i e s a ue o he i s qua e
o he second cen u y
ADI7.
Bo h hese solu ions a e highly p oblema ic
as will be seen. Fou main ques ions can be aised abou he owe , when
was i buil ?, wha was i s pu pose?, whom is he s a ue o l, and whe e
was i si ed?
O hese he i s appea s o be he easies o answe . The building is
undoub ably o Roman da e. I was ce ainly ea lie han he A abic
pe iod and he Visigo hs would no ha e been capable o building such a
s uc u e. The only se ious al ema i e ha can be p oposed o a Roman
da e is a Phoenician one1*. This has se e a1 d aw backs. The i s is ha
we know o no analonous Phoenician s uc u es. The second is ha all he
1
u
A abic sou ces e e o he ealis ic na u e o he s a ue which c owned
he monumen . The e is li le Phoenician s a ua y in he ound, and wha
he e i is no o his ealis ic s yle. The ac ha he s a ue was a me a1
a he han a s one one se es o s eng hen his objec ion. I is unlikely
ha he Romans would ha e gone o he ouble o e ec ing a new s a ue
on he monumen , especially i he s uc u e was solid as ou A abic
sou ces epo . Indeed al-Maqqa i no es ha i was only wi h ccg ea
di icul yn ha he s a ue was emo ed in he wel h cen u y. The silence
o ou main ancien sou ces on Cadiz. S abo and Plin . is also
<,
sugges i e. The monumen would ha e been a majo ea u e o he own
in he i s cen u y
BC
o he i s cen u y AD and i would be seen
unlikely ha hese au ho s, o hei sou ces, would omi i . I , on he
l5
These calcula ions a e based on he s anda d Andalusian cubi o 54.04 cm. see
MART~NEZ MONTAVEZ, p.83 Bu Himya i's e e ence o g ea cubi s, i no jus emb oide y,
may make bo h measu emen s la ge . The heigh has been aken om Yaqu 's 70 cubi s. A
heigh o 100 cubi s is 175 ee .
l6
Essai su la p o ince omaine de Bé ique,
p. 527.
l7
OP. ci ., p. 114.
'*
This is implici ly assumed by DE CASTRO who desc ibes he s uc u e
in
he chap e on
Phoenician and Ca haginian Cadiz in his
His o ia de Cádiz,
and explici ly s a ed by C.
SANCHEZ-ALBORNOZ,
El Islam de España
y
el occiden e,
p.82, h~6N So~is,
Bole in de la
Sociedad española de Excu siones,
58, 1954, p.151-162, and
J.
DE
LA
LASTRA
Y
TERRY,
Cádiz T imilena io,
p. 24.
o he hand, i was e ec ed in he second cen u y AD o beyond, ou
sou ces silence is easily explained. Bo h he shape o he s uc u e and i s
desc ip ion as being buil o la ge well d essed blocks o s one joined
oge he wi h me a1 c amps i pe ec ly wi h a Roman da e and ally well
wi h he depic ions o ligh houses we possess om his pe iodI9.
The second ques ion, he pu pose o he s uc u e is a mo e
p oblema ic. A i s , Thou eno 's solu ion o a ligh house seems co ec ,
Roman ligh houses, modelled on he Pha os o Alexand ia, we e
no mally s agge ed buildings and no in equen ly su moun ed by
s a ues20. Suppo is gained oo om he ac ha he A abic sou ces
compa e he building o he ligh house a Co unna and he Pha os o
Alexand ia. None heless he e is a majo p oblem wi h his heo y,
namely ha acco ding o he same A abic sou ces he s uc u e was buil
o solid mason y and lacked a doo . Doo s and windows a e common
ea u es o he iconog aphy o Roman ligh houses2', and in e na1 access
would ob iously be needed o se ice a lan e n. Such access is a ea u e
o bo h he ligh house a Co unna and o Pha os o Alexand ia. A
Alexand ia a mosque was c ea ed in he op s o ey o he Pha os and,
gi en he leng h o Islamic occupa ion o Cadiz, i would seem likely ha
a mosque would ha e been ins alled a he op o he owe he e had his
been possible. This in
u n
ends o bea ou he A abic sou ces' iew ha
he s uc u e was solid and did no me ely ha e a doo way ha was
blocked up, which could ha e been eopened o he pu pose men ioned
abo e, o o allow he building as an excellen wa ch owe . The ac ha
ou only guide o he loca ion o he building places i well away om he
si e o he Roman own (a leas six miles dis an ) also mili a es agains
he ligh house heo y, as all he ancien ligh houses we know o we e
loca ed a he en ances o ha bou s. I seems unlikely he e o e ha he
s uc u e was a ligh house p ope .
Ga cia y Bellido's solu ion o a commemo a i e s a ue also has some
poin s in i s a ou , al hough his p e e ed da e o
100-125
AD, seems
mo e p oblema ic.
A
monumen o such size would seem o indica e an
e en o majo impo ance was being commemo a ed, a he han jus
some hing o municipal signi icance. The bes e en in a Spanish con ex
seems o be he de ea o he Moo ish in asion o he p o ince in c.
171
ADZ2. The monumen could hen be seen as analogous o he T opaeum
l9
See
M.
REDDB,
((La ep ésen a ion des pha es
h
I'époque omaine)),
MEFRA
1979,
p. 845-872.
20
See
REDDB,
op. ci .
21
See
REDD~,
OP.
ci .
22
See
N.
SANTOS YANGUAS, ((Las in asiones de Mo os en la Bé ica del siglo
IID,
DNE,
Gades,
5,
1980,
p.
5
1-62.
Augus i in he Alps o he T opaeum T aiani a Adamklissi. Bo h hese
monumen s a e s agge ed and ended wi h a ape ing s age suppo ing
s a ua y. This s a ua y has in bo h cases been los , bu appea s o ha e
di e ed om ha desc ibed as exis ing a Cadiz. The T opaeum Augus i
appea s o ha e been su moun ed by a s a ue o Augus us s anding
be ween wo Gallic cap i es23, whe eas ha a Adamklissi appea s o
ha e been c owned wi h a ophy o a ms. Bo h hese s yles o s a ua y
would be mo e sui able o a opaeum han ha desc ibed a Cadiz.
I
could be a gued ha a s a ue o an empe o in mili a y d ess would make
an ideal inial o a opaeum, bu , no wi hs anding Ga cia y Bellido's
insis ance o he con a y, he s a ue appea s o be o a god and no an
empe o . Ga cia y Bellido's main objec ion o he s a ue being ha o a
god is ha gods we e no depic ed wi h cloaks unning om hei
shoulde s o hei ee , as he s a ue is desc ibed. This howe e seems a
e y weak a gumen and i appea s ha a dei y is so depic ed on
ep esen a ions o ligh house a La~dicea~~. The desc ip ion o he hai o
he s a ue as dishe eled, gi en ha his is a desc ip ion om g ound le el,
some hund ed o mo e ee below, indica es ha wha is being desc ibed
is some hing mo e ha he s ylized cu ls o Roman po ai s and would be
a mo e app opia e o a depic ion o a god han an empe o , o indeed
any ac ual pe son. This is bo n ou by he wo d used by al-Ga na i, o
desc ibe ype o man po ayed by he s a ue: cczingi)). This wo d is he
A abic o he neg o inhabi an s o he Sudan, no o ious o hei
dishe eled hai ( he Fuzzy Wuzzies o Vic o ian England). These poin s
also bea on he desc ip ion o he s a ue's bea d as long. Al hough bea ds
came in o ashion in he Roman Empi e in he second cen u y AD, hey
we e always o he close clipped a ie y; he desc ip ion he e o a long
bea d, again bea ing in mind once mo e ha his desc ip ion would ha e
been om g ound le el, seems o indica e some comple ely di e en o
he impe ial s yle bea d was being depic ed. I is also di icul o econcile
he s ick as desc ibed by ou A abic sou ces wi h Impe ial iconog aphy.
A s ick wi hou appendages would p esen no p oblems, as such ba ons
a e clea ly pa o he impe ial iconog aphy (c , abo e all, he P ima Po a
s a ue o Augus us). The ccappendages)) howe e p esen conside able
di icul ies i he s a ue is o be in e p e ed as
an
impe ial po ai ,
p oblems which seem insu moun able.
Al hough he wo opaea men ioned abo e we e o simila size o he
monumen a Cadiz, he e a e some no iceable di e ences. The i s is he
amoun o in eg al deco a ion on hese s uc u es. The T opaeum Alpium
23
The idol o Apollo and he wo si ing demons o he medie al F ench poem,
La Vida
de
San Hono a .
24
H.
SEYRIG,
c Le pha e de Laodicée)),
Sy ia,
52.

had as i s second s age a d um wi h engaged pillas e s, while he main
body o he opaeum a Adamklissi was a mason y d um deco a ed wi h
a se ies o me opes. Only one la e sou ce e e s o any o m o deco a ion
on he monumen o Cadiz; in i he monumen is desc ibed as being
co e ed wi h insc ip ions bu may well be emb ~ide ~~~. Gi en he
e e ences o he ine s onewo k o he monumen a Cadiz, i is unlikely
ha his monumen had such deco a ion which was emo ed a a la e
pe iod, as hen only he conc e e co e o he monumen would ha e been
le o ou A abic sou ces o desc ibe. A u he and la ge s uc u al
di e ence is ha he opaea a e mainly ound in plan; he T opaeum
Alpium, ha ing a ound d um and cone p eceded by a squa e base and he
T opaeum T aiani being en i ely ound in plan.
A
ound plan in ac
seems o ha e been he nom o opaea. This is ue o ha e ec ed by
D usus in Ge many26 and hose desc ibed by Pausanias in G ee~e~~.
The e appea s in ac o be a s ong connec ion be ween his ype o
monumen and he la ge d um ombs a ou ed by he Roman nobili y
wi h he o me being modelled on he la e . This s ongly sugges s ha
he building a Cadiz, being en i ely squa e in plan, was no a opaeum.
Finally i appea s unlikely ha Gades was in ac a ec ed by he
Moo ish in asions. The Moo s appea o ha e en e ed Bae ica nea
~alaga~~ and c ossed in o he Bae is alley ia Singilia Ba ba29. Such a
la ge monumen a Cadiz migh well, he e o e, seem ou o place. Again
he posi ion o he s uc u e, i i was in he cen e o he island, aises he
ques ion o why, i he edi ice was a om o commemo a i e monumen ,
i was e ec ed so a om he ci y p ope .
A
ques ion o which he e does
no seem o be an adequa e answe . I appea s hen ha he monumen a
Cadiz is no a opaeum, di e ing as i does subs an ially in o n and
being inapp op ia e in loca ion. The size o he s uc u e would seem
ealis ically ule ou he s uc u e being any o he o m o
commemo a i e monumen .
A hi d solu ion mus be b ie ly discussed, namely ha he monumen
is in ac a omb. In suppo o his heo y is ha ac ha Cadiz was a
Punic ci y and so i would no be su p izing o ind a owe omb, a
ypically Phoenician monumen , he e. Mo eo e he ac ha i may well
ha e been a subs an ial dis ance om he own is in his case, unlike in
he wo p eceeding ones, an a gumen in a ou o he heo y, as an ique
25
AL-MAS'OUDI,
P ai ies d'o ,
ed. and ans. BARBIER
DE
MEYNARD and PAVET, 1965
ed., ol. 2, ch. 12, s. 273.
26
TACITUS, Ann. 11.18
27
PAUSANIAS 2.25.6,5.27.11.
28
Whe e possible aces o a iumphal a ch da ing o his pe iod ha e been ound, see
GARC~A
y
BELLIDO,
Escul u as omanas de Espaiía
y
Po ugal,
p. 166, pl. 136.
29
See SANTOS YANGUAS,
OP.
ci .
-204-
bu ials we e legally compelled o be wi hou he ci y walls. The ac ha
he monumen was a omb need no ha e uled ou any na al applica ion
howe e . As ea ly as he Iliad we ind ombs being alked o as use ul
landma ks30 and se e a1 o he such monumen s a e a es ed la e in
an iqui y3'. None heless he e a e s ill majo p oblems wi h his heo y
oo. The i s is ha al hough we do no know exac ly whe e he Roman
o Punic nec opoleis o Cadiz we e, hey appea , on ou exis ing
e idence, o ha e been much u he o he no h o he island han al-
Himya i places he monumen . The size o he building mus be ega ded
as a d awback o his heo y as he amoun o weal h equi ed o build
such a monumen would ha e been eno mous. This howe e canno be
ega ded as a majo objec ion in he imoc a ic socie y o he Roman
empi e and gi en he weal h o he ci y o Cadiz. The s uc u e o he
monumen does no howe e appea o coincide wi h he ypical s uc u e
o he owe omb. This a ely e mina ed in a s a ue, was no no mally
s agge ed o he same e y ma ked deg ee as he monumen a Cadiz and
no mally ca ied some ex e na1 deco a ion which appea s no o ha e
been he case a Cadiz. The lack o a men ion o an insc ip ion, sa e in
one la e A abic sou ce, also ells agains he heo y, as does he ac ha
no sou ce men ions any ace o a une a y chambe benea h he
monumen , which, gi en he A abic obsession wi h hidden easu e
benea h Roman monumen s, an obsession which may well ha e lead o
he monumen 's demoli ion, is ex emely odd i he monumen was a
omb32. The ac ha he a abs, h ough hei conques s, would ha e been
amilia wi h owe ombs ye ne e hough he owe a Cadiz was one
also ells agains he heo y.
None o he abo e heo ies seems o be a sa is ac o y explana ion o
he owe . Be o e p op osing a di e en solu ion howe e i would be
bes o conside he las wo ques ions, namely wha he s a ue ep esen s
and whe e he monumen was loca ed as hese ha e a signi ican bea ing
on i s pu pose.
As discussed abo e, he desc ip ion o he s a ue as o a black man wi h
a long bea d and long, dishe eled hai appea s, no wi hs anding Ga cia y
Bellido o he con a y, o e eal ha he s a ue is ha o a god. I migh
'O
HOMER,
Iliad,
7.86-9.
"
The omb a Ace a os,
I.G.
xiii 8 add.683, he monumen o Themis ocles a A hens
PLUT.
Them. 32.5, The omb o Neop olemus a Ty as,
STRABO
13, 884C, and he omb o
Loc ian Ajax in he No h Eas o Delos, TZETZES ad Lycoph on 387,402, 1141.
32 Acco ding o ou sou ces he owe was des oyed by he ebel Emi , Abu '1-Hasan Ali
ben Maimun on hea ing ha i was buil on a huge s o e o easu e o o ob ain he gold he
hough he s a ue was made o . Fo he Andalucian obsession wi h easu e hidden benea h
ancien monumen s see
W.
IRVING,
Tales
o
he Alhamb a, passim.
be hough ha he mos app opia e god would be He cules gi en his
connec ion in my h wi h Cadiz. Pa s o he iconog aphy o he s a ue do
con o m o ha o He cules. The long bea d and he wild hai would
ce ainly be app opia e. The e is a majo p oblem howe e wi h he long
si ck which he s a ue is said o ha e ca ied. I s leng h, wel e spans,
appea s o ule ou any con usion wi h he club o He cules and no o he
weapon is known o be associa ed wi h him. The ((appendages)) a he end
o he s ick also make and iden i ica ion wi h He cules' club unlikely.
Un o una ely ou sole A abic sou ce appea s o be co up a his poin ,
howe e i seems clea ha hese appendages p ojec ed om he end o
he s ick and we e in some way inden ed. The bes solu ion o his
p oblem is o assume ha he s ick in ques ion was in ac a iden . This
would i wi h he a ious in e p e a ions o he ((appendages)) and would
u he help o explain he con inua1 e e ences o a key in ou la e
A abic sou ces as he ancien key was long wi h ex ended p ojec ions a
he end. F om such a misunde s anding and he loca ion o he s a ue i is
easy o see how he my h ha he s a ue was closing he way beyond he
S ai s o Gib al a a ose. I his in e p e a ion is co ec , he s a ue would
ha e been a s a ue o he god Nep une. The desc ip ion o he hai and
bea d would i he iconog aphy o his god pe ec ly (see, o example,
he Nep une mosaic a nea by I alica). The loca ion o he s a ue would
also be ideal on his in e p e a ion, he s a ue was a he end o he known
wo ld and a he begining o he Ocean s eam, Nep une's ealm pa
excellance. Mo eo e wha o he god would be mo e app opia e o
showing he way o e he sea han he god o he sea himsel ? The s a ue
appea s o ha e poin ed he way wi h one hand while d ama ically
holding back his cloak in he o he wi h which he also held his iden .
Again he e is some simila i y o he depic ion o Nep une on he Nep une
mosaic a I alica. Al-Himya i's desc ip ion o a gold pilla which was
be ween he god's legs and was alle han his head is mys e ious. The
bes explana ion is ha his is possibly a ga bled misunde s anding o he
small suppo ing elemen many classical s a ues ha e by he side o one
leg.
The inal ques ion o be deal wi h is whe e he s a ue was loca ed. As
men ioned abo e, he only A abic sou ce which gi es a i m clue o his
is he la e w i e al-Himya i, who places he s uc u e six miles o he
No h o he chu ch o San Pablo, which would place he building in he
cen e o he island. Howe e he e a e possibili ies ha he owe was
nea e ei he he No h o he Sou h o he island. The e idence ela ing o
he Sou h o he island is con ained in P~ ph~ y~~. Po phy y ells a s o y
o how a sac i ice was mi aculously p o ided o a he He acleum when
33
PORPHYRY,
De
Abs inen ia,
1.25.
i was besieged by he Be be king, Bogud, a he end o he i s cen u y
BC. In he s o y a p ies d eams ha while he was s anding be ween he
pilla s o He acles (p esumably he e he wo pilla s in he emple
enclosu e), he saw a bi d si ing opposi e he al a and ying o ly. He
p oceeded o ca ch his bi d and sac i ice i . The ollowing day, s anding
in he same place he looked owa ds he
núpyos
and saw a bi d like ccin
his d eam))- ying o ly away, which he consequen ly caugh and
sac i iced. I he
núpyos
he e is he same as he owe we a e discussing,
i was clea ly an in eg al pa o he emple complex a he sou he n end
o he island and he ques ion o a Phoenician o igin o he s uc u e
esu ec s i sel . Howe e i is likely ha a sepa a e owe is in ol ed.
Towe s we e a equen ea u e o Phoenician emples34 and again,
al hough ou sou ces a e ew, i seems ha hese owe s allowed access o
hei su nmi s o he pe o mance o eligious which would again
clash wi h ou A abic sou ces insis ance ha he Towe o Cadiz was
solid. Such a owe , i o o dina y size, would no a ac commen om
he nume ous isi o s o he emple and does no igu e in ou ancien
accoun s o i . On he o he hand a s uc u e as la ge as he owe o Cadiz
p obably would ha e a ac ed such a en ion, especially in he ex ensi e
poe ic accoun o Silius I alicus. A majo p oblem o he loca ion o ou
owe he e is he s a ue. On such a la ge monumen i would seem
'
easonable o assume ha he s a ue ha c owned i was a s a ue o he
god o he sh ine, i.e. he Phoenician god Melqa , bu all ou sou ces
sugges s ongly ha he e was no image o he god in he emple36.
Mo eo e al hough al-Himya i may be con used in his accoun o he
owe i sel , his knowledge o he geog aphy o island o Cadiz is good.
He knows ha a la ge numbe o an iqui ies ha e been ound in he Sanc i
Pe i a ea, calling i he a ea o idols, ye speci ically places he owe
away om his a ea. The a ea o he idols is a common name o he a ea
in ou A abic sou ces and his in i sel sugges s ha
he
idol and he a ea
o
idols
we e no in ac con used.
A case has also been made o he owe o ha e been si ua ed a he
No h o he island, especially on he isle o San Sebas ian, he p obable
si e o Cadiz' o he majo Punic emple he C onion3'. Al hough he
loca ion o he owe he e would ha e made sense in nau ical ems, as
34
This, o example, appea s o ha e been he case a he sanc ua y a Paphos, see HILL,
B.M.
Ca . o
Gk.
coins:
Phoenicia
(1910), n. 38. Lam. XII, 13.
35
See C. VIROLLEAUD, ccLe Roi Ké e e son ils)),
Sy ia,
22,
1941. i hese owe s a e e-
la ed o he ziggu a s o Nea Eas em eligion, as is possible, access o he op o hem mus
ha e been possible.
36
See SILNS ITALICUS, 3.30-1.
37
This is he iew o
RAMON
SOL~S and DE LA
LASTRE
y
TERRY
OP.
ci . and ha o THOU-
VENOT,
L
'essai su la p o ince omaine de Bé ique,
p.
527.