Jupiter Dolichenus 1

Jupiter Dolichenus

Jupiter Dolichenus bronze plaque from Kömlöd, Hungary. HungarianNational Museum, Budapest.

Jupiter Dolichenus was a Roman god createdfrom the syncretization of Jupiter, the Roman'King of the gods', and a Baal cult of Commagenein Asia Minor. The Baal gods were themselvesking gods and the combination was intended toform a powerful mixture of eastern and westernregal traditions combined in the one deity. Thecult was one of the Mystery Religions that gainedpopularity in the Roman Empire as an alternativeto the open 'public' religion of mainstream Romansociety. Its temples were closed to outsiders andfollowers had to undergo rites of initiation beforethey could be accepted as devotees. As a resultvery little is known about the actual worship ofthe god apart from the few clues that can beobtained from the sparse iconographic,archaeological or epigraphic evidence. The cultgained popularity in the 2nd century AD andreached a peak under the Severan dynasty in theearly 3rd century AD. At least seventeen templesare known to have been built in Rome and theprovinces which, while substantial, is far belowthe popularity enjoyed by Mithras, Isis or Cybele.Unlike these Mystery Cults, the worship ofJupiter Dolichenus was very fixed on its orientalorigins and the cult soon died out following the fall of the city of Doliche to the Sassanids in the mid-3rd centuryAD.

HistoryThe Baal of Doliche appears to have had his origins as a Hittite storm god known as Tesub-Hadad, whose cult wascentered on the hill of Dülük-Baba Tepesi near the town of Duluk (now modern Gaziantep in Turkey). Evidence forhis worship can be traced back to the 6th century BCE, but the Roman expansion of the cult began with theirconquest of the area in 64 BCE and its inclusion in the province of Syria. The new Roman deity took his name fromDoliche, the Roman name for the town.The earliest dateable evidence for his worship outside of Doliche is from Lambaesis, where the legate dedicated analtar in 125 AD.[1] The cult had certainly spread to Rome under Marcus Aurelius when a temple to JupiterDolichenus was built on the Caelian hill. Not much later we can see it in Germany where a centurion of Legio VIIIAugusta dedicated an altar in AD 191 at Obernburg in Germania Superior.[2] A large number of dedications thenoccur under Septimius Severus and Caracalla which represents the high point of the cult.By the mid-3rd century AD, however, the worship of Jupiter Dolichenus was in terminal, and rapid, decline. The first serious blow came following the assassination of Alexander Severus and the rise to power of Maximinus Thrax (AD 235-238). The Severan dynasty had supported the cult and with their fall not only did Jupiter Dolichenus lose imperial favour but continued support might have been seen as being politically dangerous following the change of

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regime. Certainly all the sanctuaries on the Rhine and Danube end under Maximinus' reign, especially thosesupported by the army.[3] Maximilian would not have easily tolerated anything that could be perceived as disloyaltyby his army.The critical blow, however, fell in AD 253 or AD 256 when Shapur I captured and sacked Doliche. With the loss ofhis home and main sanctuary, the god was permanently discredited in terms of his perceived power. The cult had tieditself so firmly to the sanctity of Doliche and to the oriental nature of the god that it had never achieved theuniversality that it needed in order to survive the loss.

WorshipJupiter Dolichenus was always addressed in full as Jupiter Optimus Maximus Dolichenus. 'Optimus Maximus',meaning 'Best and Greatest', was the standard and unique term of honour that was given to the king of the gods, andas Jupiter Dolichenus was still Jupiter, the term of respect was maintained.[4] In Latin epigraphy Jupiter OptimusMaximus is simply abbreviated to IOM (Jupiter is spelt Iupiter as there is no 'J' in the Latin alphabet). Therefore inmost inscriptions or dedications to Jupiter Dolichenus his name appears as IOM Dolicheno, or Iovi Optimo MaximoDolicheno in full. The endings of the Latin words take the dative case (meaning 'To' or 'For') as they are gifts to orfor the god. He did, however, receive some distinctive forms of address. The inscriptions from his temple on theAventine hill in Rome, for example, address him as 'eternal preserver' (AE 1940.75) and 'Jupiter Optimus MaximusDolichenus Eternal, preserver of the firmament, pre-eminent divinity, invincible provider' (ILS 4316).The cult was a mystery religion where the theology, temples and rituals were open only to the initiates. Very little isknown about the cult as it did not last long enough to appear in the Christian literature that provided so many usefulclues on other secret cults such as Mithraism. Nor can the archaeological evidence help much. It is only from theepigraphic sources that we can gain much insight. References to a sacerdotus (priest)[5] shows that there was aninternal structure, though one that did not seem to have any great complexity. An inscription from the Aventinetemple (see below) gives a list of the members of one community.[6] The group consists of 32 names, 7 of which areidentified as being a patronus or patron. The text of the inscription refers to patroni and candidati (candidates), sowe can assume that the other names were men who held status of candidatus. What exactly this meant is unclear.Were they candidates for initiation or candidates for a higher status? The patrons may have been sponsoring newcandidates to join the community, but as the text of the inscriptions refers to both as fratri (brothers) this wouldimply that they are all already initiates. One priest dedicates the inscription and styles himself as 'father of thecandidates', a symbolic title similar to that of the Father grade in Mithraism. In a second inscription[7] the roles of'recorder', 'leaders of this place' and 'litterbearers of the god' are identified. The members of the community areintroduced by the phrase 'Jupiter Optimus Maximus Dolichenus chose the following to serve him'.97 out of the 260 named worshippers mentioned on inscriptions are soldiers, so while it can be seen that the armyhad an interest in the cult it was by no means dominant. There are cases of whole units making dedications to the god(e.g. a detachment of the fleet at Misenum at Ostia in 186 AD),[8] though we cannot be sure exactly what this means.Was it the whole of the group who were devotees or was it just some of them? Similarly the appearance of militarystandards, trophies and the goddess Victoria on votive tablets need not be seen as an integral military aspect to thecult. These are all symbols of triumph or kingship and are suitable attributes for a royal god. As a king deity herequired a consort and the natural counterpart was Jupiter's own wife Juno. Within this cult she takes the name JunoDolichena. In iconography she always appears on the right of her partner.The theology of Jupiter Dolichenus gave prominent places to Apollo and Diana who often appear on votive tablets as a pair of busts side by side.[9] Why this is the case is uncertain, however equally important seem to be Sol, god of the sun, and Luna, goddess of the moon.[10] These two provide a clear cosmic element, perhaps suggesting Jupiter Dolicenus' command of Day and Night or an allegory to the extent of his realm. Rather than being distinct members of the pantheon it may be that Apollo and Sol are serving the same function as sun gods, as are Diana and Luna with the moon. Castor and Pollux also frequently appear and their role is less clear. Most likely they are seen as the sons

Jupiter Dolichenus 3

of Jupiter. Isis and Serapis appear with some frequency, perhaps as 'guests' or as allusions to the royal pair ofDoliche.[11]

Attributes and iconographyFew of the characteristics of Jupiter appear in the representation of Jupiter Dolichenus, apart from the thunderboltand a beard. In all other respects the god is a new creation which blends oriental and Hellenistic conventions. Thegod always appears dressed in a military fashion, armed and dressed in a cuirass. This does not suggest that his cultwas especially militaristic, rather the attributes signify power and royalty. The cuirass in particular is a Hellenisticartistic convention to portray divinity. The weapon that the god carries is usually a double-headed axe (a Labris), aweapon often associated with the kings of Thrace and Asia Minor and not a common soldier's weapon. In accordancewith Roman oriental convention he also wears the Phrygian cap and trousers, clothing worn by other oriental godsthat the Romans invented or adapted, such as Mithras.The unique feature of representations of Jupiter Dolichenus is that he is always shown standing on the back of a bull.The bull had a long association with concepts of strength, virility and fertility (e.g. in the Minoan civilisation) andwas also a key part of Mithraic belief. Standing on the back of a bull would have been a clear connection betweenthe powers of the beast and those of the god, but the fact that he stands on the back of the animal would have hadsignificance too. This was a deity that had the power to tame and subdue this notoriously wild creature and bend it tohis will, as well as work with it. Bulls also appear frequently within his temple sites. At the temple to JupiterDolichenus at Zugmantel in Germany,[12] the altar table was supported by legs carved in the shape of two bulls. Incontrast Juno Dolichena rides a deer, an animal with suitably royal associations.An altar from Obernburg[2] (now in the Stiftsmuseum Aschaffenburg) perhaps displays with images the theology ofthe cult. On the left side are carved a thunderbolt, a tree and a scutum. The thunderbolt is a standard attribute ofJupiter, however the tree and the shield are not. Taken together it could be argued that the thunderbolt represents thepower of the god, the tree represents success and fertility and the shield security. These could then be an expressionof the benefits that Jupiter Dolichenus provides for his follower, however as is so often the case with Mysteryreligions, the meaning is only a plausible interpretation.

Temples

The temple of IOMD from Porolissum,Dacia.

A temple to Jupiter Dolichenus is known as a Dolichenum, a term created byarchaeologists. No specific term seems to have existed as the devotees onlyuse the word templum when referring to their shrines.[13] The temples are notin the Classical style of a rectangular colonnaded shrine standing on a raisedpodium with an altar outside in front. There was no need for such publicvisibility, as the cult was closed to all but the initiated as it was a mysteryreligion. The design of the temple needed only to include these initiates andexclude the participation from any outsiders, therefore it needed to be insularand exclusive. There are some similarities to the Mithraeum, the temples toMithras, as they are windowless, have a narthex, possess a cella with a centralnave terminating at a high altar, and are rectangular in shape. There is uncertainty over whether the cella also had thepodium benches that are typical of a Mithraeum, on which initiates could recline when they took part in their ritualmeals.[14] The function of the temples therefore is far from clear and despite 17 being identified or excavated (seebelow) few details can be securely agreed on.

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The temple of IOMD from Vetoniana,Raetia.

It is clear from the epigraphic record that the communities could attractimportant patrons, however it can be debated how much these VIPs wereactually interested in the cult and how much their dedication of temples wassimply them fulfilling the duties of a local dignitary. A case in point is theinscription from Cologne where the restoration of a Dolichenum is dedicatedby the provincial governor Lucius Lucceius Martinus (legatus augustorumpro praetore provinciae Germaniae inferioris) in AD 212.[15] Unfortunatelywe can't say that the temple could number someone of such significancewithin its community, however it does show that the communities couldattract the attention of the most important person around.

A temple to Jupiter Optimus Maximus is placed at Porolissum. On this temple are mentioned several priests(Sacerdotes Dei Iovi): Marcus Aurelius Vitalus - duumvir, Antonius Mavius - decurio, Acius Flavus, Caius MarciusVegesius and, a priest with an Oriental name, Attonaris Bassus.[16]

Sources of evidence and informationImportant excavated shrines.

• Porolissum, Transylvania, Romania• Brigetio. Szöny, Hungary.• Carnuntum. Bad Deutsch-Altenburg, Austria. Shrine in a group of oriental temples (including Mithras) east of the

legionary fortress.• Doliche. Dülük-Baba Tepesi, Turkey. 'Home' sanctuary of the god.• Dura Europus. Salhiyé, Syria. Military shrine.• Aventine Hill. Rome, Italy. Shrine found under Via di S. Domenico.[17]

• Stockstadt. Hessen, Germany. Shrine located east of the auxiliary cohort fort beside a Mithraeum.• Zugmantel. Hessen, Germany. Shrine located north of the auxiliary cohort fort on the limes frontier.Important museum collections.

• Aiud Museum. Aiud, Romania. Inscription from near Apulum recording the restoration of a temple by a sacerdos.• Archaäologisches Museum Frankfurt. Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Replicas of all six silver plaques from

Heddernheim.• British Museum. London, England. Two silver plaques from Frankfurt-Heddernheim including one showing

Jupiter Dolichenus purely as Jupiter.• Epigraphic Museum. Baths of Diocletian, Rome, Italy. The altars and sculptures dedicated by the emperor's

bodyguard.• Museum Carnuntum. Bad Deutsch-Altenburg, Austria. The fine sculptures from the Carnuntum shrine.• Museum Wiesbaden. Wiesbaden, Germany. The finds from Zugmantel and the originals of the

Frankfurt-Heddernheim silver plaques.• Römisch-Germanisches Museum. Cologne, Germany. Inscription recording the dedication of a temple by the

provincial governor.• Stiftsmuseum Aschaffenburg. Aschaffenburg, Germany. The finds from the Stockstadt temple and the altar from

Obernburg.

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Bibliography• Jacobi, H. 1924. "Das Heiligtum des Juppiter Dolichenus auf dem Zugmantel". In Saalburg- Jahrbuch VI.

p168-183.• Najdenova, J. 1989. "The Cult of Jupiter Dolichenus in Lower Moesia and Thrace". In H. temporini & W. Hasse

(eds), Aufstieg und Niedergang der Römischen Welt. II.16.2, 1542-55.• Speidel, M. P. 1978. The Religion of Juppiter Dolichenus in the Roman Army.• Turcan, R. 1996. The Cults of the Roman Empire pp159–169.

References[1][1] CIL VIII 2680=18221[2][2] CIL XIII 6646[3] Tóth. 1973, The Destruction of the Sanctuaries of Iuppiter Dolichenus at the Rhine and in the Danube Region. In Acta Archaeologica

Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 25, 109-116.[4] Beard m, North, J. &Price, S. 1998 The Religions of Rome. Volume I. p281 see the use of Optimus Maximus not as respect for Jupiter but as

an attempt to usurp him. This view ignores the evidence of synchronisation between the two gods.[5][5] CIL VI 31187, .31181.[6] AE 1940 75[7] ILS 4316[8][8] CIL XIV 110[9][9] Speidel 1978 pp21-24[10][10] Speidel 1978 pp25-32[11] P. Merlat. 1947. Jupiter Dolichenus, Serapis et Isis. In Revue Archéologique 27, 10-31.[12] H. Jacobi. Das Heiligtum des Juppiter Dolichenus auf dem Zugmantel. In Saalburg- Jahrbuch VI. p169-171.[13][13] E.g. CIL VIII 2680 = 18221.[14][14] Steiny (p218) interprets the podium of the Aventine temple as a 'long platform, probably for dedications'.[15][15] CIL XIII 8201. Römisch-Germanisches Museum Inv 97.[16] D.G. Tamba. Templul lui Iupiter Optimus Maximus de la Porolissum (http:/ / www. caietesilvane. ro/ indexcs. php?cmd=articol&

idart=1039)[17] E.M. Steinby. Lexicon Topographicum Urbis Romae p218 & Fig. 94 p435.

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Article Sources and ContributorsJupiter Dolichenus  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=527798967  Contributors: Andypeg123, Aspro, Catalographer, Codrinb, Colonies Chris, CommonsDelinker,Demiurge1000, DuncanHill, Excirial, Fcp, Grafen, Hmains, LilHelpa, Mediatus, Quuxplusone, R'n'B, Rjwilmsi, Roger Pearse, Saturnian, Tonyrex, Woohookitty, 4 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and ContributorsImage:Dolichenusvotive.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Dolichenusvotive.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Andypeg123 at en.wikipediaImage:Temple to Jupiter Optimus Maximus Dolichenus in Porolissum, Romania.jpg  Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Temple_to_Jupiter_Optimus_Maximus_Dolichenus_in_Porolissum,_Romania.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Original uploader wasKlorofill at en.wikipediaImage:Castra Vetoniana - Dolchenium.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Castra_Vetoniana_-_Dolchenium.png  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike3.0  Contributors: Mediatus

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