Arrabona - Múzeumi közlemények 10. (Győr, 1968)

Gabler D.: The relics of stone plastics at Arrabona and its surroundings

THE RELICS OF STONE PLASTICS AT ARRABONA AND ITS SURROUNDINGS As a member of the research team, working for the aim of creating a corpus of stone relics like that of Esperandieu, the author describes the monuments of stone plastics at Győr and its neighbourhood. After an introduction, surveying the history of research, he publishes 33 objects, among them three hitherto unpublished ones (Nos 18, 31, 33). Beyond describe ing the objects and stating the circumstances of uncovering, the paper also deals with dating, if possible, and summarizes the most important literature. The material is arranged topographically, from East to West,, ending with two tombstones of .,inner" Pannónia. Among those lacking a site the pieces, derived from the former Viczay collection at Hédervár, represent a major unit. The material comprises but one round statue (No. 6), the others are altars, tombstones or sarcophagi. The surveyed material embraces three reliefs with mythological scenes: Theseus and the Minotaurus (1), Tellus (8), Heracles and Alcestis (27). The altars are decorated: the abacuses of two have an echinus each (2, 7) and that of one an acrotherion (22). Altar No. 2 is a building inscription as well. Of our monuments of sacral character the most important piece is the Mithras tablet of Hédervár (26); its bordering pillar depicts the scenes of the myth in metope-s (Transitus, ride on the bull, investiture). The stone is the only altar-piece of Rhenish type in Pannónia. Among the sarcophagi No 18 is significant by its size. The largest group of our relics is made up of tombstones. Their earliest part may be dated to the time when the ala I Augusta Ituraeorum was garrisoned at Arrabona (the second half of the first century). On the tombstones of the soldiers of the Syrian archers' unit one beholds galloping soldiers shooting arrows, or calo-s holding horses (9, 11). Parallel with them also the tombstones with semicircular endings occur, the cemetry of natives in the first place, which show the carriage scene and the funeral feast (4)„ hunting (13), or astral symbols (29). The tombstones of the soldiers of the ala I Ulpia Contariorum, garrisoned at Arrabona in the second and third centuries, have partly mounted portraits (12), partly a hunting frieze, griffin and panther (5). Among the heavy, rough products of the Danubian stone-masons' workshops both the fine workmanship and the subject lend a special significance to the marble tombstones Nos 5 and 30, which may be attributed to the stone carvers' workshops of South-Western Pannónia (near Poetovio or Savaria). Of the three recently published stone relics two are fragments of sarcophagi: a corner with a Medusa head (18) and a side ornamented with the figure of a Genius (32). Unfortunately the fragment of the tombstone (33) which unites the „quietly proceeding horseman" and the calo, is of unknown site. The subject of the stone, probably dated to the age of Flavius and Traian, allows the suggestion that the missing legend may have mentioned an ala soldier, belonging to one of the Arrabona units. The material dealt with contains an architectural member (19) as well. D. Gabler 78