Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 25. (1996)
I. Arheologie
THE ROMAN RURAL SETTLEMENT OF CRISTE$TI 31 The Mithraism is represented by the serpent decorated vessels58 which are supposed to have served in the Mithriac cult. The images of other deities such as Attis, Atargatis (Dea Syria), Serapis and Thracian horseman illustrate the presence of the Asian (Asia Minor), Syrian, Egyptian and Thraco-Moesian beliefs. As one can observe, only the Celto-Germanic and the North-Western African cults are not certified at Criste§ti. The great number and diversity of the beliefs which are atteste at Criste§ti through different categories of iconographic representations are two general specific features of the religious life in Roman Dacia59. IV. THE POPULATION The population of the Roman settlement of Criste§ti can be examined owing to the epigraphical documentation (onomastics) and to the archaeological material (funerary monuments, ceramics) as well. Owing to the inscriptions’ scarcity the proportion of the person whose origin and ethnicity can be established is extremely reduced. The epigraphical documentation offers 15 personal names -gentilicia and cognomina (civilian population and soldiers). Among these, the greatest part are Roman names as follows: Q. Caecilius Caecilianus, M. Fabius..., P.Aelius..., P.Aelius Quintus, Pos(tumius ?) Clemen Tyranni (filius), Finitus, Supi[nus ?), ... Super, Avita. As regards the non-Roman names, two of them are Greek-Oriental (Dionysia, Hermeros), other two are Thracian (Heptapor, Isius) and another one, if the completing is accurate -Aurelius Sa(turninus ?)-, seems to be a specifically African Latin name60. The fact being well-known that a lot of inhabitants of non-Roman origin from the provinces of the Empire carry nomina Romana, not even at Criste§ti the situation does not seem to be different. Therefore, in two cases only -when origo is indicated- one can specify the ethnicterritorial origin of the colonists: we speak about the ex-serviceman Heptapor (Bessus) -the beneficiary of the diploma from AD 158- and about Isius, his father. Lastly, it should be remembered that the epigraphical manifestations of the natives are absent, reported to the evidence of other nature which certify their presence61. See supra note 14. 59M.Bärbulescu, Interference spirituale..., p.180-183. 60 Idem, in L’Africa romana (Atti del X convegno di studio Oristano 11-13 dicembre 1992), Sassari, 1995, p.1325. 61 D.Popescu, in SCIV, II, 1951,1, p.279-283; Idem, in MatArh, II, 1956, p.154-156.
