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