Inscriptions

Question 1

What 5 examples of inscriptions can be used as evidence from Britain?

Answer 1

Bath (Sulis Minerva); London mithraeum; Ribchester helmet; Coventina inscriptions; altars and inscriptions at Vindolanda

Question 2

Bath inscription:

Answer 2

Found at the Roman baths in Bath, dedicated to Sulis Minerva indicating the syncretism between a local Celtic deity - Sulis - and the Roman goddess Minerva. Reflects the Roman practice of assimilating local deities into their own pantheon.

Question 3

What is the provisional dating for the Bath inscription?

Answer 3

43-410 AD

Question 4

London mithraeum:

Answer 4

Discovered at the site of Mithraic temple in Walbrook, London, this inscription provides insights into the mystery cult of Mithras. Indicates the integration of mystery cults into Roman religion, and the subsequent spread of an originally Persian cult (note that the cult of Mithra was a version of Mithraism, the Romans worshipped Mithras). This cult was centralised around Ostia and Gaul, spread to Britain by the Roman military. Links to iconoclasm as the British Mithraea were possibly targeted by British Christians. Other mithraeum at Carrawburgh (Hadrian’s Wall)

Question 5

Ribchester helmet:

Answer 5

Roman bronze ceremonial helmet dating to between the late 1st and early 2nd centuries AD - part of a hoard. Includes a dedication to Mars, indicating the importance of martial virtues and protection in Roman military culture

Question 6

Coventina inscriptions:

Answer 6

Celtic war goddess worshipped at Carrawburgh; inscriptions and votive offerings found suggests Coventina was revered for her association with water and fertility. Roman incorporation of local deities - link to Sulis Minerva

Question 7

Vindolanda temples and inscriptions

Answer 7

Stone altar inscription found at Vindolanda dedicated by the inhabitants themselves. Dedicated to the “divine house and the deities of the emperors” and “Volcanus”; imperial cult (?) but certainly indicating Romano-British worship of the Roman pantheon.

Temple of Jupiter Dolichenus at Vindolanda -
Romano-Persian weather god worshipped at Vindolanda. Temple is evidenced by 3 altars set up by the inhabitants of Vindolanda, and was in use until the mid-4th century AD when it was dismantled and destroyed - perhaps as a result of the rise of Christianity and the establishment of the commanding officer’s church nearby.

Question 8

What 3 locations can be used to provide evidence for inscriptions on Roman religion?

Answer 8

Britain, Italy (and Sicily and Sardinia) and North Africa

Question 9

What 2 examples of inscriptions come from Italy?

Answer 9

Ara Pacis Augustae and the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus

Question 10

Ara Pacis Augustae

Answer 10

Features inscriptions that commemorate the dedication of the altar to Pax - Roman god of Peace - by the senate and people of Rome during the reign of Augustus. Reflects Augustus’ promotion of peace and stability as essential aspects of his reign and implies he has divine favour as the first emperor. Shows how Roman religion was institutionalised, and utilised as a method of propaganda, and that everyone would have been familiar with the iconography and motifs of the gods and their associations

Question 11

Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus

Answer 11

Located on the Capitoline Hill in Rome, this temple was dedicated to the supreme deity of the Roman pantheon - Jupiter the best and greatest. Inscriptions found at the temple honour Jupiter and record the building and restoration of the temple

Question 12

Which 2 examples of inscriptions come from Sicily?

Answer 12

The Segesta inscription and the Temple of Venus’ inscription at Erice

Question 13

The Segesta inscription

Answer 13

Discovered at the antique site of Segesta in Sicily, this inscriptions mentions a dedication to Hercules by the city council and people (demos); provides evidence for the worship of Hercules in Sicily and the integration of Roman and indigenous religious practices in the region

Question 14

Temple of Venus + inscription at Erice

Answer 14

Historic town in Sicily, home to temple of Venus - inscriptions found at temple honour Venus and attest to the religious duration of the inhabitants of ancient Erice

Question 15

Which 2 examples of inscriptions come from Sardinia?

Answer 15

Nora stone and the Temple of Antas

Question 16

Nora Stone

Answer 16

Found at the site of Nora in Sardinia, this Pheonician stone inscription contains one of the earliest examples of writing in the Latin alphabet. Mentions dedication to goddess Tanit, indicating the influence of Carthaginian Punic religious practices in Sardinia prior to Roman conquest. Later worshipped in Roman Carthage as Dea Caelestis or Juno Caelestis (integration of Roman and local pantheons)

Question 17

Temple of Antas

Answer 17

Carthaginian-Roman temple in Fluminimaggiore, dedicated to Sardus Pater Babai, local god associated with fertility and protecting the land

Question 18

Which 4 examples of inscriptions come from North Africa?

Answer 18

The Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum (CIL), inscriptions from Roman North Africa; Thagga inscription; Cirta inscription; Thuburbo Majus inscription

Question 19

The Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum (CIL), inscriptions from Roman North Africa

Answer 19

The CIL contains numerous inscriptions from North Africa that mention various aspects of Roman religion, including dedications to Roman gods such as Jupiter, Juno and Mars as well as mentions of religious offices and cult practices

Question 20

Thagga

Answer 20

Tunisia - this inscription 2nd c. CE is a dedication to the god Saturn by a local magistrate named Lucius Perius Severus. Providing insight into the practice of making dedications to gods in exchange for divine favour or protection

Question 21

Cirta

Answer 21

Algeria, 3rd c. CE. records the dedication of a temple to the goddess Fortuna Redux by a Roman military unit stationed in the city. Illustrating the importance of military patronage and Roman gods and the syncretism between Roman and local deities

Question 22

Thuburbo Majus

Answer 22

Tunisia, 2nd c. CE. A 1916 excavation found a tetrastyle temple - dedicated to Caelestis by a Roman senator. The building was decorated with statues of Apollo, Venus, Silvanus, Bacchus, the Dioscuri, and a satyr.