DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0470
400
Diana and the Oak
double bust is decorated, not, as Helbig suggested in 18851, with fins
and aquatic plants, but, as Prof. Granger pointed out in 19072, with
oak-leaves—those of the quercus robur, according to Miss Morpurgo3,
in the case of the first herm and those of the quercus ilex in the case
of the second. I do not, however, agree with Sir James Frazer and
Prof. Granger that the priest of Nemi personified the oak4. Rather
I should maintain that the oak was the tree of Diana, and that
Virbius is plastered with oak-leaves because he is her partner5—the
local Dianus or Ianus.
((f)) Diana and the Oak.
Diana, as I have elsewhere shown", had a special liking for oak-
trees. At Rome her chief temple was that founded by Servius
Tullius on the Aventine7, whose slopes in early days were shaded
by a grove of holm-oaks, the haunt of Picus and Faunus8. A 'very
great and venerable sanctuary of Diana ' was on the Caeliolus9,
which formed part of the Mons Querquetulanus™ or ' Mount of
Oaks11.' There was also an ancient Dianium at the upper end of the
1 Supra p. 393 n. 4. 2 Supra p. 394 n. 4.
3 Supra p. 398 n. 1. 4 Supra p. 395.
5 Supra i. 1 n. 3.
e Class. Rev. 1904 xviii. 369 ft"., Folk-Lore 1905 xvi. 281 ft". See also Frazer Golden
Bough3: The Magic Art ii. 380.
7 H. Jordan—C. Huelsen Topographie der Stadt Rom im Alterthum Berlin 1907 i.
3- 157 ff-
8 Ov. fast. 3. 295 ft".
9 Cic. de har. rcsp. 32 maximum et sanctissimum Dianae sacellum in Caeliculo.
10 Tac. ami. 4. 65.
11 G. Gatti in the Bull. Comm. Arch. Comun. di Roma 1887 PP- 3r4—31/ P1- 10
( = my rig. 303) publishes a large marble relief, originally found near the Malum Punicum
between the Baths of Diocletian and the slope of the Quirinal towards the Viminal, which
represents three male figures : (a) in the centre, Iupiter standing en face, with a clilamys
over his left shoulder, a sceptre in his left hand, a thunderbolt (?) in his right, and an
eagle at his feet; (6) to the left, Hercules (?a portrait of the youthful Commodus) erect
facing the spectator, with lion-skin on his left arm, apples (restored) in his left hand, and
club in his lowered right; (c) to the right, a mountain-god seated on a rock towards
Iupiter, with a himdtion wrapped about his legs. Between Iupiter and Hercules grows
an oak. Beside the mountain-god is a bay-tree. Beneath runs the inscription {Corp.
inscr. Lat. vi no. 334 with Add. no. 30739, Dessau Inscr. Lat. sel. no. 3080) Herculi j
Iuliano, |! Iovi | Caelio, || Genio | Caeli Montis || Anna sacrum. C. L. Visconti in the
Bull. Comm. Arch. Comun. di Roma 1887 p. 342 f. conjectures that the oak alludes to
the Mons Querquctulanus. H. Jordan—C. Huelsen op. cit. i. 3. 221 n. 6 doubt it.
Reinach Rep. Reliefs iii. 200 no. 3 is silent. Possibly in the oak planted near Iupiter
Caclius, or else in the bay-tree clasped by the Genius Caeli Montis, we should recognise
the arborem sauclam mentioned among the sights of the Mons Caelius by the curiosum
urbis regionum xiv and the notitia regionum urbis xiv reg. 2 (H. Jordan Topographie der
Stadt Rom im AltertJmm Berlin 1871 ii. 543).
Be that as it may, Iupiter Caelius was happily named. His worshippers would think,
not merely of the Mons Caelius, but also of Iupiter Caches (?) {supra i. 59 n. 11), Caelestis
Diana and the Oak
double bust is decorated, not, as Helbig suggested in 18851, with fins
and aquatic plants, but, as Prof. Granger pointed out in 19072, with
oak-leaves—those of the quercus robur, according to Miss Morpurgo3,
in the case of the first herm and those of the quercus ilex in the case
of the second. I do not, however, agree with Sir James Frazer and
Prof. Granger that the priest of Nemi personified the oak4. Rather
I should maintain that the oak was the tree of Diana, and that
Virbius is plastered with oak-leaves because he is her partner5—the
local Dianus or Ianus.
((f)) Diana and the Oak.
Diana, as I have elsewhere shown", had a special liking for oak-
trees. At Rome her chief temple was that founded by Servius
Tullius on the Aventine7, whose slopes in early days were shaded
by a grove of holm-oaks, the haunt of Picus and Faunus8. A 'very
great and venerable sanctuary of Diana ' was on the Caeliolus9,
which formed part of the Mons Querquetulanus™ or ' Mount of
Oaks11.' There was also an ancient Dianium at the upper end of the
1 Supra p. 393 n. 4. 2 Supra p. 394 n. 4.
3 Supra p. 398 n. 1. 4 Supra p. 395.
5 Supra i. 1 n. 3.
e Class. Rev. 1904 xviii. 369 ft"., Folk-Lore 1905 xvi. 281 ft". See also Frazer Golden
Bough3: The Magic Art ii. 380.
7 H. Jordan—C. Huelsen Topographie der Stadt Rom im Alterthum Berlin 1907 i.
3- 157 ff-
8 Ov. fast. 3. 295 ft".
9 Cic. de har. rcsp. 32 maximum et sanctissimum Dianae sacellum in Caeliculo.
10 Tac. ami. 4. 65.
11 G. Gatti in the Bull. Comm. Arch. Comun. di Roma 1887 PP- 3r4—31/ P1- 10
( = my rig. 303) publishes a large marble relief, originally found near the Malum Punicum
between the Baths of Diocletian and the slope of the Quirinal towards the Viminal, which
represents three male figures : (a) in the centre, Iupiter standing en face, with a clilamys
over his left shoulder, a sceptre in his left hand, a thunderbolt (?) in his right, and an
eagle at his feet; (6) to the left, Hercules (?a portrait of the youthful Commodus) erect
facing the spectator, with lion-skin on his left arm, apples (restored) in his left hand, and
club in his lowered right; (c) to the right, a mountain-god seated on a rock towards
Iupiter, with a himdtion wrapped about his legs. Between Iupiter and Hercules grows
an oak. Beside the mountain-god is a bay-tree. Beneath runs the inscription {Corp.
inscr. Lat. vi no. 334 with Add. no. 30739, Dessau Inscr. Lat. sel. no. 3080) Herculi j
Iuliano, |! Iovi | Caelio, || Genio | Caeli Montis || Anna sacrum. C. L. Visconti in the
Bull. Comm. Arch. Comun. di Roma 1887 p. 342 f. conjectures that the oak alludes to
the Mons Querquctulanus. H. Jordan—C. Huelsen op. cit. i. 3. 221 n. 6 doubt it.
Reinach Rep. Reliefs iii. 200 no. 3 is silent. Possibly in the oak planted near Iupiter
Caclius, or else in the bay-tree clasped by the Genius Caeli Montis, we should recognise
the arborem sauclam mentioned among the sights of the Mons Caelius by the curiosum
urbis regionum xiv and the notitia regionum urbis xiv reg. 2 (H. Jordan Topographie der
Stadt Rom im AltertJmm Berlin 1871 ii. 543).
Be that as it may, Iupiter Caelius was happily named. His worshippers would think,
not merely of the Mons Caelius, but also of Iupiter Caches (?) {supra i. 59 n. 11), Caelestis