Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 30/1. (2010)
Articles
Art and Religions on the Eastern Part of Dacia 101 the mithraic bas-relief discovered at Ozd comes from a rural settlement. If the statues of high artistic skill - like the head of Juno - were imported products,48 the other monuments illustrate the activity of the local lapicides and itinerant artisans. The defining element of the sculptures is their reproductive character required by the canons of classical art. Thus, the type of statue depicting Jupiter on the throne reproduces Phidias’49 famous monument. The same applies to the representation of Hercules,50 Liber or Iunona. In classical Roman religion a genius loci was the protective spirit of a certain place. It was often depicted in religions iconography as a figure holding a cornucopia, patera or a snake. There are many Roman altars found in Western Europe entirely or partially dedicated to particular genius loci. The Roman imperial cults of the Emperor and the imperial house are in part derived from the neighbourhood associations. Not the same can be said about the genius of marble, bearing a modius and combed hair in spirals, betraying an oriental manner.51 Moreover, tests made on samples proved the origin of this piece of marble from Marmara or Usak centres of Asia Minor. Perhaps the piece was made in that area and imported into Dacia.52 According to that study, it appears that local marble was used for architectural monuments, buildings and inscriptions. Artistic products and small votive artefacts were usually imported. Transportation of these sculptures from a considerable distance obviously had religious reasons. Representations in bronze The only representations in bronze are the two statues representing the goddesses Venus and Fortuna53 and a bronze appliqué depicting Jupiter.54 The pieces were donated to the National History Museum of Transylvania from Cluj Napoca by Domokos Teleki, who collected his antiques from the upper Mure§ area. The piece is furniture or a vessel’s appliqué and was dated by C. Pop55 in the second century, in the full period of prosperity of the Antoninians. It is an import product, made in a workshop from the central provinces of the Empire and probably it was brought in Eastern Dacia by soldiers or traders. 48 Zrínyi 1977, 98. 49 Isac 1974,76. 50 Pop 1970, 150. 51 Zrínyi 1977, 98. 52 Muller et al. 1997, 437, 451. 53 Pop 1980, 699-700, pl. XXXIII, XXXIV. 54 RR 1969, 193; Civilta 1970, 199-200; Pop 1979, 645-646, pl. CXXXII. 55 Pop 1979, 645-646, pi. CXXXII.
