Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 23-24. (1994)
I. Arheologie
26 ADRIAN HUSAR 10 a(gens) v(ice) p(raesidis), which consecrates an altar to Epona Augusta pro salute dd(ominorum) nn(ostrorum) Galli et Vofusiani and Libella,94 95 superiumentarius, which devotes an altar to Epona Sancta in the health of his master, the consular governor C. lulius Septimius Castinus (AD 214/215 - 216). Augusta, Regina and Sancta, the epiteths with the godess is honoured at Apulum, are specific to Epona and frequently met in the Roman world. It is also natural to associate Epona with Campestres divinities on the inscription discovered at Sarmizegetusa (cf. Supra). At llisua,96 Epona is worshipped by the entire cavalry troop -ala Tungrorum Frontoniana-, an analogous case with that of Pföring,97 where an entire unit put itself under the protection of the Campestres divinities. The image (Kultbild) of Epona is also wellknown in Dacia. Epone's image represented on a unephigraphical relief from Tibiscum98 belongs to the Greek-Roman iconographical type,99 alike the ex voto from Rdzboieni-Cetate100 dedicated by Aurelius Occonius Quetianus. Excepting M. Aurelius Marcus -higher character of equestrian rank-, the dedicants belong to the fervent worshippers of Epona: a cavallry troop; a legionary centurio, exerc. eq. sing.: a slave, superiumentarius, etc. Syncretist divinity of Batavian origin, Hercules Magusanus,101 the soldiers' protector, was mostly worshipped in Germania Inferior (12 inscriptions).102 Except its birth places, Hercules Magusanus is attested only by six inscriptions, among which two come from Dacia. Deus Invictus Hercules Magusanus worshipped at Ciumdfaia103 illustrates one of the more rarely strictly speaking syncretism known in Dacia. Hercules Magusanus get's, in this singular case, the epitheton Deus Invictus which seems »indicate a contamination with Mithras.104 The dedicant, P.Aelius Maximus, influent character in Napoca -ex llvir quinquennalis et flamen, become sacerdos Arae Augusti coronatus 94 I.Piso, in Tituli. 4. 1982. p.394; Idem, in ZPE. 50. 1983. p.249 sq. 95 B. Csemi, in ATE. XIV, 1908, p.45 = A.Stein, op.dt., p.65. 96 CIL. III. 788 = V.Wollmann, in Germania. 53.1975, p.168. 97 CIL, XIII. 7725. 98 D.lsac, I.Stratan, in Banatica. II, 1973, p.122 sq. 99 F.Drexel. op.dt.. p.38; Römer am Rhein, p. 162, Kat. A 92, Tafel 41. 100 C.BälutO. in SCIVA, 41.1, 1990, p.83-85. 101 RE, Vili, C.611, s.v. Hercules Magusanus (Haug); RE, XIV, c.521, s.v. Magusanus (Heichelheim), 102 M. Jaczynowska, in Arheoloski Vestnik, 281977, p.412-420. 103 A. Buday, in Dolgozatok, II, 1911, p.266-268, no. 6 = ArchAnz. 1912, p.529 = AISC, V. 1944- 1948. p.227 = Germania. 53.1975. p.173 = AE. 1977. 702. 104 M. Bärbulescu, in ActaMN. XIV. 1978. p.231. Concerning the dedicant, see M.Bärbulescu, Interferente spirituale.... p. 154, no. 13.
