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Vindolanda shrine (July 2009)
#1
Wow -- how did we miss this?

Carlisle News & Star, 16 July 2009:
A unique religious shrine to a Roman god has been uncovered at a fort along Hadrian’s Wall.
The altar dedicated to Jupiter of Doliche has been discovered next to the north gate of Vindolanda in Northumberland.
Director of excavations Andrew Birley said: “What should have been part of the rampart mound near the north gate has turned out to be an amazing religious shrine with a substantial and exceptionally well preserved altar dedicated by a prefect of the Fourth Cohort of Gauls to an important eastern god, Jupiter of Doliche.
“We estimate that this highly decorated stone altar – standing some 110cm high, and showing the god standing on a bull holding an axe and a thunderbolt – is around 1.5 tonnes in weight.”

[attachment=0:1pe01fg5]<!-- ia0 Vindolanda_shrine.jpg<!-- ia0 [/attachment:1pe01fg5]
More at Vindolanda Trust web site.
posted by Duncan B Campbell
https://ninth-legion.blogspot.com/
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#2
Interesting find.
Strange they would leave shrines outside the Fort though?
Open to desecration if the fort was under attack?
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
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#3
Quote:Interesting find.
Strange they would leave shrines outside the Fort though?
Open to desecration if the fort was under attack?

Presumably the only shrines normally found inside the fort are the ones containing the standards? Shrines to deities were normally found in the the vicus outside?
"Medicus" Matt Bunker

[size=150:1m4mc8o1]WURSTWASSER![/size]
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#4
Yes I guess so....I had never considered the other aspects of religious observance.
I had wondered at the location of the Temple to Sol Invitus? or was it Mithras...all on its own in that glen south of the wall.
But perhaps it is also a relfection of their self confidance oin their own security ....
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
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#5
Full text from the Vindolanda website.
http://www.vindolanda.com/excavations.html

UNIQUE SHRINE TO A MAJOR ROMAN
GOD UNEARTHED AT VINDOLANDA


Press Release: Tuesday July 14th. 2009

The Vindolanda excavation team has uncovered a unique religious shrine next to the north gate of the fort.

"What should have been part of the rampart mound near to the north gate of the fort has turned out to be an amazing religious shrine with a substantial and exceptionally well preserved altar dedicated by a prefect of the Fourth Cohort of Gauls to an important eastern god, Jupiter of Doliche.

We estimate that this highly decorated stone altar, standing some 110 cms. High, and showing the god standing on a bull holding an axe and a thunderbolt, is around 1.5 tons in weight.

The inscription reads: "To Jupiter Best and Greatest of Doliche, Sulpicius Pudens, prefect of the Fourth Cohort of Gauls, fulfilled his vow gladly and deservedly".

Jupiter of Doliche's cult centre was in modern southern Turkey and his worship spread rapidly in the Roman Army where he was regarded as all powerful and strongly associated with Rome's Jupiter.

Major altars like this are very rare finds and to discover such a shrine inside the fort is highly unusual. The shrine also has evidence of animal sacrifice and possible religious feasting. It all adds to the excitement of the excavations and is a once in a lifetime experience for most excavators"
Andrew Birley - Director of Excavations.

Stop Press: The bottom half of a second altar has also been discovered in the shrine. This altar was dedicated by a prefect of the Second Cohort of Nervians, a Vindolanda regiment that then moved to the fort at Whitley Castle in the third century.

Roman Vindolanda: Roman Vindolanda is situated in the heart of the Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site, just to the north of the village of Bardon Mill, Northumberland. Roman Vindolanda is one of the most exciting sites along Hadrian's Wall with its wealth of archaeological remains and ongoing excavations.

The 2009 Vindolanda excavations continue until mid September and trench edge talks by archaeologists are given at 2pm each day during the school holiday period.



Note by Professor Anthony Birley
Chair of The Vindolanda Trust


A massive altar has just been found at Vindolanda, dedicated to an eastern deity by the commanding officer of the regiment based there in the third century, the Fourth Cohort of Gauls. The text reads:

I.O.M.
Dolocheno
Sulpicius Pu
dens praef
coh IIII Gall
V. S. L. M.

"To Jupiter Best and Greatest of Doliche, Sulpicius Pudens, prefect of the Fourth Cohort of Gauls, fulfilled his vow gladly and deservedly".

Sulpicius Pudens is-surely-the same man who is named as commander of the Fourth Gauls on another altar, found in 1949 reused in the mediaeval tower of Staward Pele, 4 miles SSE of Vindolanda.

The Vindolanda altar has a fine relief on one side, showing the god standing on the bull, the other side having the traditional jug and patera. An unusual feature of the new altar is that it was found inside the fort, in what may be a small shrine built close to the fort wall. Most altars and shrines were placed outside.

The god called by the Romans Juppiter Dolichenus (the usual spelling, but Dolochenus, as at Vindolanda, or Dolychenus, are also found), "Juppiter of Doliche", was originally an ancient weather god, known to the Semitic peoples of the Middle East as Hadad and to the Hittites as Teshab. The original cult centre was on a hilltop close to the small town of Doliche (the modern Dülük in southern Turkey) in mountainous territory west of the River Euphrates, that was ruled by many different great powers over the centuries, such as the Hittites, Assyrians, Persians and finally the Hellenistic Seleucid dynasty. Later, in 162 BC, the land became independent as the kingdom of Commagene.

Recent excavations have discovered remains at the sanctuary near Doliche, going back to the early first millennium BC. Commagene was finally annexed by the Romans in AD 72, and the god of Doliche seems not to have attracted Roman worshippers until the early second century AD. But from then on the cult took off and spread all over the empire, in frontier provinces being favoured by the officers and men of the Roman army (although in total civilian worshippers predominated). The god was regarded as all-powerful and identified with the the traditional chief Roman god, Juppiter Optimus Maximus, "Juppiter Best and Greatest", abbreviated IOM. He is generally portrayed standing on a bull, and holding an axe in one hand and a thunderbolt in the other. Sometimes his consort is also portrayed, identified with the Roman goddess Juno and given the added name Dolichena or Regina, "Queen", and standing on a heifer. The worshippers of Dolichenus in Britain all seem to have lived in the second or third centuries AD. In the 250s AD the original cult centre at Doliche was captured by the Persians and this is thought to have resulted in disillusionment-the god was not all powerful after all-and the cult soon died out almost everywhere. All the same, the shrine at Chesters on the Wall-where a fine statue of Juno Regina on a heifer still survives in the Museum-is now known from a recently discovered inscription still to have existed in AD 286. Maybe the news of the disaster to Doliche had not reached the far west.

Unlike other eastern mystery religions, such as that of Isis and Serapis, the Syrian Goddess (worshipped at Carvoran) or Mithras, there are absolutely no literary references to Dolichenus, so all that we know about the religion is based on some 300 surviving inscriptions and sculptures from different parts of the Roman Empire-about twenty are known in Britain. Quite a few dedications state that the worshipper had set them up "by the command of the god". It is not certain how this "command" was transmitted: sometimes it was through a dream, but Dolichenus had priests in his service, who seem to have spread the cult and passed on the god's commands to their converts.
[Image: wip2_r1_c1-1-1.jpg] [Image: Comitatuslogo3.jpg]


aka Paul B, moderator
http://www.romanarmy.net/auxilia.htm
Moderation in all things
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#6
Nice documentary on Vindolanda:
http://www.guba.com/watch/3000080990
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#7
The altar from Staward Pele shows a bit of change in the name of Pudens some how, but then it still refers to the Praefect of the IIII Cohort of Gauls. "Iovi Optimo Maximo cohors IIII Gallorum cui praest Lucius....gius Pudens praefectus aram posuit ut voverat volvens libenter" {To Jupiter Best and Greatest, the fouth cohort of Gauls, in command of which is Lucius----gius Pudens prefect, set up this altar, as it had vowed to do, willingly fulfilling it's vow.}

It is rather interesting that Staward Pele is indeed on the 255 degree line a Frontier found by the late Raymond Selkirk which runs from Whitley Bay on the East coast to Maryport on the West coast on this particular heading and crosses Hadrians' Wall about a mile west of the Fort of Vindovala ( Rudchester) However Staward Pele is way south of the river Tyne about 5 miles SSE of Vindolanda and has many Roman stones in it's stucture.
Professor Eric Birley, in his lecture read on 16-4-1950 said that he did not think the Roman stones had been transported very far in view of the wild terrain with it's deep ravines and numerous streams. (E. Birley in "A Roman Altar from Staward Pele and Roman remains in Allendale" in Archaeologia Aeliana 1950) This altar is now in the garden of Staward Manor.
Brian Stobbs
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#8
Quote:The altar from Staward Pele shows a bit of change in the name of Pudens some how, but then it still refers to the Praefect of the IIII Cohort of Gauls. "Iovi Optimo Maximo cohors IIII Gallorum cui praest Lucius....gius Pudens praefectus aram posuit ut voverat volvens libenter" {To Jupiter Best and Greatest, the fouth cohort of Gauls, in command of which is Lucius----gius Pudens prefect, set up this altar, as it had vowed to do, willingly fulfilling it's vow.} ... This altar is now in the garden of Staward Manor.
If you've seen the altar, Brian, you'll know that the lefthand side has been "dressed" off, which isn't very helpful. But R.P. Wright's drawing clearly shows --]CIVS PVDENS, although the inscription has been published (e.g. Claus-Slaby, lifted from RIB) as --]GIUS . (Notice that Clauss-Slaby reckon only one letter is missing, as they haven't realised that the altar was "cut down" on the lefthand side.)

Edit: Clauss-Slaby link fixed -- I hope.
posted by Duncan B Campbell
https://ninth-legion.blogspot.com/
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#9
Duncan. I've not seen the altar only a photograph in Raymond Selkirks book "On The Trail Of The Legions" and yes your correct this has been done, more than likely by whoever built Staward Pele.
I tried to get into Claus- Slaby but all it said was Forbidden.
Brian Stobbs
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#10
Quote:Interesting find.
Strange they would leave shrines outside the Fort though?
Open to desecration if the fort was under attack?
Would it be desecrated, though? I'd have thought monotheists would do such a thing, whereas the ancients at that time were polytheists mostly, and seem to have respected other people's gods, if not adopt and adapt them. I dare say any attacker would hesitate at the very least lest he be struck down by one of Jupiter's thunderbolts.
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
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#11
Your probably right there Jim.
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
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#12
Quote:
Gaius Julius Caesar:2pgie6ju Wrote:Interesting find.
Strange they would leave shrines outside the Fort though?
Open to desecration if the fort was under attack?
Would it be desecrated, though? I'd have thought monotheists would do such a thing, whereas the ancients at that time were polytheists mostly, and seem to have respected other people's gods, if not adopt and adapt them. I dare say any attacker would hesitate at the very least lest he be struck down by one of Jupiter's thunderbolts.

Interesting question about the Romans destroying religious sites (which may deserve its own thread).
There certainly were exceptions when it came to sparing religious sites of their foes which just
probably proves the rule : Druids, Jews, Christians, and Manichaens.

After the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem a copy of the Hebrew Scriptures was paraded in Vespasian's
triumph in Rome, implying a victory over Judaism itself (and not just the Jews of Judea) as Martin Goodman
points out in his book. So, in this one case it seems the Romans took it a step further than simply commiting
acts of sacrilege against holy sites. Goodman thinks the Flavians had to cling to their Jewish victory in order
to buttress their own political position while deemphasizing their victory in the civil war as the real reason for
their ascension.

The other three examples involve destroying sacred scriptures and places of worship by pagan Rome.
The Manichaens were basically seen as a Persian fifth column which had to be destroyed. The Druids,
of course, were a subversive influence. The Christian's just seem to have gotten under the skin of some
in the pagan elite. I don't know if there are others though. Maybe Carthaginian religious sites were violated ?
Worshiping Ba'al was seen as a rather savage practice allegedly involving human sacrifice.

Getting back to the shrine : as another possibility I wonder if one of the many invading barbarians could have
destroyed it : Saxons, Picts, etc.... ? Granted they were pagans but they seem to have had a penchant for
mass destruction. Idea

~Theo
Jaime
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#13
Quote:I'd have thought monotheists would do such a thing, whereas the ancients at that time were polytheists mostly, and seem to have respected other people's gods, if not adopt and
Quote:
After the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem a copy of the Hebrew Scriptures was paraded in Vespasian's
triumph in Rome
Can't have it both ways, can we? I think the assumed degree of "religious tolerance" of the ancient polytheists is frequently overstated. :wink:
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)

Saepe veritas est dura.
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#14
Quote:Interesting question about the Romans destroying religious sites (which may deserve its own thread).
There certainly were exceptions when it came to sparing religious sites of their foes which just
probably proves the rule : Druids, Jews, Christians, and Manichaens.
Good point. What strikes me is that the Druids were reputed to perform human sacrifice, also the Carthaginians to Ba'al. Judaism was monotheistic and performed circumcision. Christianity was monotheistic and was rumoured to perform cannabilism as well as being evangelical. Manichaeism was also evangelistic in nature, with a mission to replace all other religions; St. Augustine was one before converting to Christianity, and it was the greatest rival to Christianity at the time. So, they seem to all have had traits that could be seen as blasphemous (to a pagan), and/or had rituals involving mutilation or cannibalism, and/or sought to undermine the state through religion.

Just thinking aloud.
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
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#15
It's not such a strange thing finding this shrine on the inside of a fort, for along Hadrians' Wall there are one or two situations where similar unusual things have happened.
There is a Bath house inside the Fort of Onnum where the Roman Dere Street crosses Hadrians' Wall just a couple of hundred yards to the east of the fort, infact this fort even changed it's shape to a backwards "L" to compensate for the area lost to that venture.
Then there is an external Grannery on the river bank at Cilurnum (Chesters) put there for the fort supplies being brought in by barges along the Tyne.
Then at the Fort of Procolitia there is the Shrine to Coventina which is the only Romano Celtic Shrine in Britain that has a western door, this may result from there being another road that crosses Hadrians' Wall to the west of this fort. It may even be that this shrine pre dates even the wall itself hence the western door alongside a road running north/south. This place is well known for it's Shrine to Mithras however just about all the forts on the wall had such a shrine to this god.
Then of course returning to Vindolanda there was what may have been an early Christian church found in the south east corner of the fort not so many years ago.
Brian Stobbs
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