engleski

Identification of Oriental figures depicted on military stelae from a Tilurium workshop

The author agrees with N. Cambi that decorations on the knobs and knockers of the doors as well as friezes of weapons and equipment depicted on stelae of the 7th Legion soldiers from Tilurium were selected from the military virtus symbolism (pairs of Orientals, barbarians, lions, thunderbolts). A pair of Orientals cannot be identified as two figures of Attis because Attides were not confirmed in Metroac theology. Identical composition and decoration on the stelae from Tilurium and Bigeste, commemorating soldiers who were mobilised in different parts of the Empire, could not be the result of their identical beliefs in the afterlife, nor the same sepulchral patron deities. It came about as a result of the workshop masters’ artistic conceptions and the repertoire of decorations available in that workshop. After the departure of the 7th Legion to Viminacium and some vexillation to Scupi, soldiers became clients of new workshops. New stelae had completely different tectonic elements and decorations. In other Legions two Orientals had not been depicted on stelae of the soldiers that originated from Asia Minor. At the beginning of the 1st century legionnaires were mainly mobilised from Italy. A small percentage came from the Asia Minor provinces in which Roman citizens were mostly descendants of Italian colonists. At the same time the Metroac cult in Dalmatia was in the early stages of development and it could not be expected that Attis was recognised as a sepulchral deity. Although during the 2nd century the cult was spreading rapidly throughout the province, there was no trace of it in the area of the former legionary camp.

Orientals, Attis, sepulchral monuments, 7th Legion, Dalmatia

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