Fitz Jenő (szerk.): Religions and Cults in Pannonia. Exhibiton an Székesfehérvár, Csók István Gallery 15 May - 30 September 1996 – Szent István Király Múzeum közleményei: A. sorozat 33. (1998)

IUPPITER OPTIMUS MAXIMUS TEUTANUS К. Póczy In the time of the Roman occupation the Celtic tribe of the Eravisci venerated Teutates, "the valiant in battle " as their supreme god. His sanctuary, common with the great goddess of Nature, was built, - according to present research - on the top of the Gellérthegy, in the oppidum encircled by a wall and earthwork (on the place of the present Citadella) (ALFÖLDI 1939, 101, 102). After the Roman occupation the Eraviscus deity was identified with the main god of the Roman religious belief, bearing features of similar character and having identical powers . He was venerated under the name Iuppiter Maximus Optimus Teutanus and represented in the likeness of the highest Roman deity. On the Gellérthegy an altar was erected in his honour bearing his name which was found on its original place in the course of archaeological excavations {CIL III 10418). He appeared as Iuppiter towering above the mortals on the top of a high column, on the Kiscelli height (Óbuda, Szépvölgyi út). The deity holds a sceptrum in his hand, with an eagle at his feet, on the large altar serving as the base of the column the name I.O.M. T(eutanus) is incised (NAGY, 1965, 376). In the last years skin divers brought to the surface from the Danube about a dozen further altars with the similar divine name. S. Soproni stated that the stone monuments were used secundarly as building material for erecting a fortress of the late Roman limes. From his study dealing profoundly with the fortress and the stone monuments we quote in the following the details regarding Iuppiter-Teutanus and his cult (SOPRONI 1991-2, 137-141). "The research work executed on the Danube section near Bölcske did not clear the ground plan of the underwater ruins as yet. The phenomena observed in the course of the previous research work, the finds brought to the surface as well as the local situation make it probable that the ruins belonged to the 4th century counter-fortress of the Roman camp of Bölcske (RADNÓTI-BARKÓCZI 1951, 207, n. 184; TIR L 34 3 8) . Regarding the importance of the site we think it necessary, even before having finished the research work and giving a detailed elaboration of the find material, to render a short display of the monuments which came to light and to give a sort of evaluation. Up to the present the research work resulted in lifting approx 50 pes of different stone monuments, spolia, from the ruins. The stone monuments were situated on the surface of the debris around the walls of the fortification. The monuments from the 2nd-3rd centuries were used, in building the fortress, as building material walling them up. The finds of earlier centuries were, as we shall see, conveyed by water from settlements north of the find place to the place of building. In the course of the limes building of the 4th century earlier stone monuments were used in countless.cases as building material. The altar stones can be divided in two groups, in the first group those of generally large measures belong, which are more ornate and sometimes bear on their sides a relief decoration; these were erected in honour of Iuppiter Optimus Maximus Teutanus. The dedications were in honour of the deity and for the salute of the emperor reigning offered by the leading functionaries, mostly the duumviri, of the civitas, municipium, resp. colonia. As far as the inscription bears also the exact dating, this is, without exception, ante diem III idus Iunias, i.e. June 11. The altar stones dedicated to Iuppiter Optimus Maximus Teutanus are: 1. M(arcus) Ulp(ius) Valentinus and M(arcus) Ulp(ius) Verus, the duumviri of the municipium of Aquincum erected the altar on June 11, 182, dedicated to I.O.M. Teutanus. 2. The altar of the duumviri L(ucius) Aurel(ius) Silvanus and P(ublius) Proculeius Proculinus was erected between 222 and 235, dedicated to I. O.M. Teutanus. The name of the emperor - Alexander Severus - is erased on the inscription. 3. The altar of the duumviri P(ublius) Ael(ius) Praesens and M(arcus) Aur(elius) Proculus from June 11,226, dedicated to I.O.M. Teutanus. The name of the emperor - Alexander Severus - is erased on the inscription. 4. The altar was erected on June 11,250 by [...] Antoninus Castor duumvir, who also bore the charges of a flamen and aedilis, to [/. O.M. Teutanus] as well as to every god and goddess. Name and titles of the emperor - Decius - are erased. The dedication took place on the broken ledge. 5. The duumviri Marcus Aurelius Maturus and Marcus Aurelius Valens erected their altar stone on June 11, 251 to I.O.M. Teutanus and to every god and goddess. The names of the emperors Trebonianus Gallus and Volusianus are erased on the inscription but still legible. 6. The duumviri M(arcus Aurel(ius) Polydeuces and M(arcus) Aurel(ius) Cimes, the latter an eques, dedicated their altar on June 11, 284 to [/.] O.M. Teutanus under the reign of the emperors Carinus and Numerianus. 7. The duumviri Ael(ius) Exuperatus, eques, and Ael(ius) Ulpianus dedicated their altar on June 11, 286 to [I.O.M.] Teutanus, as well as to the emperors Diocletianus and Maximianus. The inscription does not mention, as the former ones, a civitas Eraviscorum but fines Eraviscorum. 29