Universitätsbibliothek HeidelbergUniversitätsbibliothek Heidelberg
Metadaten

Cook, Arthur B.
Zeus: a study in ancient religion (Band 1): Zeus god of the bright sky — Cambridge, 1914

DOI Seite / Zitierlink: 
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14695#0693

DWork-Logo
Überblick
loading ...
Faksimile
0.5
1 cm
facsimile
Vollansicht
OCR-Volltext
6io The Bull and the Sun in Syria

The first inscription couples, the second to all appearance identifies,
Iupiter Dolichenus with the Sun. If he, like other Syrian gods1,
was regarded by the Romans as a solar power2, we can understand
a curious third-century relief found at Rome near the Scala santa
in 1885 (fig. 479)3. It was dedicated by M. Ulpius Chresimus, priest
of Iupiter Dolichenus, not, as we should have expected, to Dolichenus
himself, but 'to the Invincible Sun' etc.4; and it represents the old
priest beside the young sun-god with the moon and two stars in
the background.

Fig. 479.

One of the inscriptions cited above associates Iupiter Dolichenus
with a partner-goddess called 1 Iuno the Holy Mistress/ and another,
probably from the same Esquiline precinct, entitles her ' Iuno the
Holy5.' A pair of dedications from the Aventine speaks of' Iupiter

no. 4320 (dated 244 a.d.): I. o. S. p. D. | et Iunoni sanctae j herae, Castorib. | et
Apollini conservato|ribus, etc. This should be read Iovi Optimo Soli (rather than sancto)
praestantissimo Dolicheno (rather than digno) et Iunoni sanctae herae (rather than Herae),
etc. Probably Dessau no. 4320, like Dessau no. 4319, came from the Dolocemim on the
Aventine; for the former mentions the same priest, C. Fabius Germanus, as the latter
and likewise refers to the candidatis -hums loci (cp. supra p. 608 n. 8).

1 F. Cumont in the Rev. Philol. N.S. 1902 xxvi. 8 n. 5 remarks! 'Le syncretisme
imperial a considere tous les Baals syriens comme des dieux solaires.'

2 This is needlessly doubted by Kan op. cit. p. 4 f.

3 O. Marucchi in the Bull. Comm. Arch. Comun. di Roma 1886 p. 136 ff. pi. 5,
A. von Domaszewski Die Religion des romischen Heeres Trier 1895 p. 64 no. 134 pi. 3, 5,
Reinach Rip. Reliefs hi. 230 no. 1.

4 Corp. inscr. Lat. vi no. 3ii8i=Kan op. cit. p. 74 no. 82: Soli invicto | pro salute
imp(eratorum) I et genio n(umeri) | eq(uitum) sing(ularium) eorum M. Ulp(ius) | Chresimus
sace[rd(os)] | Iovis Dolich[eni] | v. s. 1. 1. [m.]. The inscription was found in the Castra
equitum singularium (H. Kiepert et C. Huelsen Formae urbis Romae antiqtiae2 Berolini
1912 p. 66).

5 Corp. inscr. Lat. vi no. 367 = Kan op. cit. p. 69^ no. 74 (dated 218 a.d.) Iunoni
sanctae | iusso Iovis | Dolychen(i) | etc.
 
Annotationen