Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 31/1. (2011)
Articles
Notes on a Dolichenian Relief at Mehadia 111 and Dolichenian circle, due to the cosmic, solar, soteriological and also salutifer aspect of the divinities (Szabó 2008, 99-111). Both gods have military attributes as well, that indicates their presence within the same edifice, which simultaneously indicates an unusual syncretic aspect. Fig. 2. Inscription from Mehadia (after Benea 2008).Fig. 3. Eagle from Mehadia (after Benea 2008). Interpreting the relief requires not only a detailed analysis of the transmitted visual language, but also the archaeological context, out of which through other votive sources - inscriptions, figured monuments - it seems that we can exclude the profane or the purely decorative side of the relief. Being part of a votive column, it probably also had a votive inscription and a distinguished position within the sanctuary’s structure, having as analogy the Dolichenian votive column from Apulum (CCID, no. 153). The two animals - the eagle with bay leaf crown and the stag - are ever-present in Dolichenian iconography, but not in this odd combination, which makes this object almost unique in provincial and also imperial art. The edifice surrounding the two animals has a purely decorative purpose, not helping in identifying the holly of the hollies, but it indicates the religious side of the object. Vegetal elements and eastern shapes are schematic and typical to provincial art, with no specific Dolichenian character (however, the aedictda-shape of the edifice appears on other Dolichenian reliefs as well). The displayed element dominating the scene of the relief is the stag, represented in a provincial style, bit schematic with circular antlers. In Dolichenian iconography, the stag appears in three hypostases. First of all, it appears as one of Iuno Regina’s (Dolichena) zoomorphic symbols (CCID, no. 23,43, 80, 89,295, 364,371,405), usually the goddess standing on the back of the animal. The animal appears always with goddess Iuno, standing frontal with her companion, Iuppiter Dolichenus, who stands on a bull, very rarely accompanied by an eagle, that stands at the foot of the bull. The symbolic of these animals represents a largely debated theme in the professional literature, it is certain though that the frontal position of the animals and their nature shows not only the magical-mythical powers of these gods, but also the influence of classical Greco-Roman mythology. The cervidae associated to Iuno - quite rarely compared to other animals like donkey, ox or lion - is the deer, and not a stag (one exception being the relief from Villa Ludovisi in the sanctuary at Aventin).
