12. fall 2011 religions in roman britain

1

Religious Suppression

• Druids

• Isis and other foreign religions

• Nero – Christians and Jews

2

Religions

• Native Religion

• State religion

• Personal

• Military imports

• Christianity

3

Celtic (iron Age) Gods

• Cernunnos-horned god

• Coventina-water god

• Antenociticus ?

• Brigantia

• Epona-equestrian goddess

• Mother goddesses

• Veteris

4

Cernunnos

Gundestrup

Cauldron

5

Antenociticus

6

Temple of Antenocitcus

7

Coventina

8

State Religion

• Festivals

• Imperial Cult – No evidence after Claudius

– Numen Augustii – divine power of the emperor

• Municipal Cults

• Dedications to Roman Gods

9

Military Introductions

• Dedications to Roman Gods

• Dedications to Spirit of Military Unit

• Dedications to Emperor

• Dedications to Discipline of Emperor

10

Roman Gods

Dedications

Jupiter Juno

Minerva Mars

Mercury Diana

Vulcan Neptune

Graeco-Roman Gods

Aesculapius/Hygeia Apollo/Sol

Hercules

Dedications

12

Jupiter Altars

Dedicated to Jupiter

by C. Caballius

Priscus, a

commander of the

1st Cohort of

Spaniards

Old

Kilpatrick,

Antonine

Wall

13

Sacrifice

Distance marker at Bridgeness on Antonine Wall

Dedication to Antoninus. Sacrifice of sheep. 14

Classical Roman Temple

Sulis-Minerva Bath

15

Classical Roman Temple-Plan

Verulamium-St. Albans

16

Numina Augustorum

To the numina of the Augusti

and the god Mars Camulus,

Tiberinius Celerianus,

citizen of Beauvais

and shipper overseas/moritix

of London wares...

(set this up).

17

27 c

m

Mars -Votives

18

Vulcan

• Image of blacksmith

• Associated with home

and hearth

19

Thanks

20

Romano-Celtic

• “Conflation” of Gods

• Classical representation

• Temples often on pre-Roman religious sites

• Sanctuary and ambulatory

• Floors-gravel, old tiles, cement or rarely

mosaic

21

Romano-Celtic Gods

• Mars ≡ Belatucadrus

• Mars ≡ Lenus

• Mars ≡ Cocidius

• Silvanus ≡ Cocidius

• Sulis ≡ Minerva

22

Celtic and Roman

Mercury and

Rosmerta

23

Romano-Celtic temple

Pagan’s Hill 24

Romano-Celtic Priest’s Helmet

Hockwold 2-4 C CE

25

Rural Altar

26

Three Horned Deity

27

Pewter Bowls

• Abercynafon, S. Wales

• Late 3rd – early 4th century

• Pewter bowls generally

found in wet places

• Often have inscribed names

28

Egyptian Deities

Harpocrates29

Bacchus

30

Military Introductions• Matres

• Dedications to Genius of

the Place

• Dedications to Genius of

the military unit

31

Genius - Guardian

To the Mothers of the

Parade Ground,

and to the Genius of the

First Spanish Wing of

Asturians

[...] Gordians own,

Terentius Agrippa, the

prefect, restored this

temple from the ground up

32

Military Introductions

• Eastern religions

– Isis

– Apollo

– Cybele

– Mithras

33

Vindolanda

Religion

Mogons

35

Altar to Jupiter

222-235 CE

36

Gallia

The troops from

Gaul dedicate this

statue to the goddess

Gallia, with the full

support of the

British-born troops

3rd Century

37

Protective Statues & Amulets

Vindolanda 2006

Corbridge

38

Mother Goddesses

39

Matres

To the Mother-goddesses of our

fatherland beyond the sea

40

Ge

nii C

ucu

llatti, H

ou

ste

ads

41

Apollo Cunomaglus

42

Apollo Cunomaglus

43

Cybele

Catterick

St. Albans

44

Cybele

45

Mithras

46

Mithras-London 47

Castor or Pollux-

London

48

Mithraeum-London

49

Mithraeum-London

50

Littlecote

51

Orpheus

52

Christianity

• Persecutions

– 209 Severus –permitted strict enforcement of existing laws

– 251 Decius – persecution of priests

– 303 Diocletian Persecution of laity; destruction of churches

• St Albans, martyr 209, 251-259, 304?

– Martyrs at Caerleon

• Most identified finds are post Constantine

53

Christian sites

54

Christ - Orpheus

• Tamer

• Shepherd

55

Christian Symbols

α Ω

56

Jet ring

IUSTINE.VIVAS.

IN.DEO 57

Hoxne Hoard

58

Cup - Water Newton treasure

59

Cup, Silver plaque and gold disc - Water Newton

60

Silchester Church?

61

Silchester Plan

62

Icklingham Plan

63

Icklingham - Cistern

64

Wa

lesb

yL

ea

d T

ank

65

Lead Tanks

66

Richborough font

67

68

Hinton-St Mary

Hinton-St Mary

69

Lullingstone-Chapel

British Museum70

Lullingstone

British Museum71

Fate

• Littlecote demolished by 400

• Lullingstone abandoned by 420

72