Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 32/2. (2012)
Articles
Apollo and Iuppiter Dolichenus in Roman Dacia 151 Regarding Dacia, on an inscription from Ampelum, Nemeti (2005, 99-100) assumes that the dedication Castoribus (CIL III 1287; ILS 3389; IDRIII/3 291) refers to the Castores Dolicheni, based on the existence of a temple of Dolichenus in Ampelum, respectively at the oriental priests from the settlement. An inscription was dedicated to Iuppiter optimus maximus Dolichenus by Veturius Marcianus, veteran of the legion XIII Gemina, for his health and the health of his family (CILIII 1614, IDR III/5 220): I(ovi) O(ptimo) M(aximo) D(olicheno) / ex praecepto / num(inis) Aesculapi(i) I somno monit(us) Veturius Marci- / an(us) vet(eranus) l(egionis) XIII G(eminae) p(ro) s(alute) s(ua) suor(um)q(ue) Following the divine order of Aesculapius who advised him in a dream (somno monitus) the veteran built an altar for Dolichenus as a deity of salvation (Szabó 2008, 105), connected probably to a disease that the sacerdotes Iovis Dolicheni were better at treating. The inscription reveals a relationship between Iuppiter Dolichenus and Aesculapius, respectively between their priests. On an altar from Lambaesis there is a dedication for Iuppiter Dolichenus, Aesculapius, Hygiae and the other immortal gods (CCID 624). One of the attributions of the god from Doliche was salvation, which was the main attribute of the healer god Aesculapius, but also of Apollo, his father - the first temple dedicated to the god (431 BC) in Rome was known as Apollo Medicus. In 293 BC in Rome there is an epidemic. The Senate had sent an embassy at Epidauros in order to call Asklepios to help the city. The request of the Romans was received and in two years, in 291 BC, a temple was built for Asklepios (now Aesculapius) on the Tiberina Island. From this point on Aesculapius is among the divinities of Rome thanks to his salvation attribute (Hahn 1975). *** Following the examples presented above it can be noticed that Apollo is a normal presence in the dolichenian pantheon. By analyzing the sanctuaries, the inscriptions, the statues the objects tied to the dolichenian cult one can observe that Apollo and Iuppiter Dolichenus were worshipped together in some dolichenums from the Roman Empire both by soldiers and civilians. Apollo was allowed in the dolichenian pantheon firstly because of his ability to give oracles but also for his solar, salvation attributes, as god who brings victory over the enemy, being one of the military gods as Dolichenus, being presented on the triangular plates that seem to be narrated following a traditional scheme. Also the presence of this multitude of Graeco-Roman respectively oriental gods documented iconographic and epigraphic, suggests a god that tends to include attributes from other gods, thus becoming the Supreme Being. REFERENCES Alicu 2002 Alicu, D., Addenda la repertoriul templelor romane din Dacia, Apulum, XXXIX, 212-218. Bärbulescu 2003 Bärbulescu, M., Interference spirituale in Dacia romanä, edipa a II-a, Cluj-Napoca. Benea 1980 Benea, D., Integrarea culturalä a palmyrenilor in Dacia romanä, Apulum, XVIII, 189-190.
