Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.33254/piaz.41.1.3
The worship of the Lares and new insight about the Lares from Salona
Ivana Jadrić-Kučan
orcid.org/0009-0005-4183-5308
; Department of Archaeology, University of Zadar, Zadar, Croatia
Ivana Banovac
orcid.org/0000-0002-5130-9097
; Archaeological museum in Split, Split, Croatia
Abstract
Among numerous ancient monuments from Salona, there is also a very interesting relief with the image of Lares and inscription pro salute Valeriani. It was found before 1885, as spolia, on the righthand side of the courtyard door in the Plazibat house in Split. The first detailed analysis of the monument was carried out by Nenad Cambi, who thinks that it is a dedication for well-being of the Emperor Valerian, which is why imperial Lares, Lares Augusti are depicted. The worship of these small deities as family guardians and protectors was very important in the life of every Roman. The Emperor Augustus, as a restorer of the traditional Roman religion, in 7 BC endowed the existing gods of the crossroads shrines (Lares Compitales) with the additional epithet of his own name Augustus (Lares Augusti) and in this way connected them with the princeps, that is, with himself. Since then, it has been assumed that all Lares with the adjective Augusti become imperial. However, this was not exactly the rule, which is also shown by the revision of this monument, and this text presents new considerations that indicate that the Emperor Valerian is not mentioned here, but master Valerian, to whom his slave raises a dedication, and the said Lares, despite the epithet Augusti, are not imperial Lares, but Revered Lares.
Keywords
Salona; Lares Augusti; Laribus Augustis; Valerian; Augustus; imperial cult; Lararium; Compitum
Hrčak ID:
320695
URI
Publication date:
16.9.2024.
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