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)

THE CELTIC TRADITION SANCTUARIES THE CELTIC SANCTUARY - PÁKOZD, I. One century and a half after the Roman conquest (40. A.D.) in the province Pannónia the local population consisted partly of the indigenous Celts. The traces of their creed are, though, hard to find in this period. In the Roman Empire the local gods and goddesses were identified with the official Roman deities, so that the figure of an original Celtic god is rather dim. The individual Celtic tribes had deities of their own, who were not always identic with those of the neighbouring tribes. One form of celtic sanctuaries is the sacred area, encircled by ditches; at such "loci consecrati" sacrifices were offered. In cases of eminent danger or on festive occasions human and animal sacrifices were considered advisable. Such a place might have been the sanctuary unearthed near lake Velence next to a spring. Between the ditches running parallelly 42 m long, sacrifical pits were found with human and animal remains. The sacrifices, placed in several levels, were buried on the occasion of ceremonies performed in different times. In a pit a sacrified dog was laid on a roman brick which proves that the sanctuary was used as late as the roman period. PETRES 1972, 365-383, Pis. XXXII-XXXV. É.F.P. AQUINCUM - GELLÉRTHEGY, П. In the times of the Roman occupation the Celtic Eravisci venerated Teutates- the "valiant in battle" as their supreme god. His sanctuary was in the centre of the present day Budapest, on the top of the Gellérthegy, in the place of the present Citadella. The Celtic oppidum was, encircled by a wall and rampart, the centre of the tribe. After the Roman occupation the local deity was identified with Iuppiter and named Iuppiter Optimus Maximus Teutanus and represented in the shape of Iuppiter. Under such a name he figures on the Gellérthegy altar as late as the 3rd century, further on the altar found in the sanctuary of the governor's villa on the Szemlőhegy. The limestone statue of the god stood on a high pillar before the entrance of the sanctuary. On the altars of the god the date of the dedication which always fell on June 11 was incised. On this day the inhabitants of Aquincum used to go on a pilgrimage to the Gellérthegy celebrating the deity. K.P. 53