Izvorni znanstveni članak
HERCULES ON THE ISLAND OF BRAČ
Nenad Cambi
; HAZU
Sažetak
Recently, a path has been cleared, and a tourist-archaeological route has been marked on the boardwalk in Splitska, leading to the Rasoha quarry and the relief of Hercules. Hercules is depicted naked, with only the Nemean lion-skin draped over his left shoulder. The lion’s head had to be made at the bottom of the skin. Both his fists are rather large compared to his other body parts. That particular detail is accentuated on purpose in order to show Hercules’ strength, which is a well known phenomenon of Roman sculpture.
The relief most likely dates back to the first half of the third century. The figures carved in the stone are cult reliefs of the deity feasting in his natural environment. The sanctuary in nature did not only exist in Rasohe, but also in the Stražišće quarry which is very close. An altar dedicated to Hercules has been discovered there, with the following inscription: H(erculi) A(ugusto) S(acrum)/Alnius Obul/tronius/Deter. The meaning behind the letters deter should be clarified deter(minavit). We should assume that Alnius Obultronius delimited the sacred area with special ritual magic spells, which the verb determinare actually means. That means that the Stražišće quarry had one more cult space dedicated to Hercules. Still, the question remains, who was Alnius Obultronius, what was his function and where did he come from. One more altar dedicated to Hercules was also discovered at the Plate quarry, also near Škrip. This inscription is important not only for the cult of Hercules, but also because the soldier Valerius Valerianus is mentioned in the inscription. He was the supervisor of the workshop of the capitals for the thermae of emperor Licinius in Sirmium. This altar does not prove that Valerius Valerianus made the sanctuary, but that the inscription was his vow in the sanctuary itself, most probably for his job, for such an important imperial order that had been entrusted to him, but had there not been a sanctuary, there would be no inscription. Most likely, there was no figure of Hercules carved in stone at the quarries of Stražišće and Plate, because despite insufficient research, it would have surfaced so far. However, most likely, there was a statue or a relief there, made according to ritual rules for setting sanctuaries. In both Hercules’ inscriptions the epithet Augustus is present, and it is related to the emperor and undisputed imperial possession of the quarry. Two reliefs with Hercules’ figures testify that Hercules’ cult was also very widespread in Škrip which was the center of the imperial management of the quarries. The first monument with a high lower part is designed in such a way so that the lower part of the monument could be dug into the ground, or reinforced within the sanctuary. The other relief depicts Hercules in another, but also very well known pose.
Hercules is depicted en face and is completely naked. With his left hand he leans on his club, while in the right hand, he is holding a lion-skin and a plate. His hair and beard are long and curly. The findings from other important quarries in Dalmatia also testify about the cult of Hercules, which is further evidence that Hercules was, in the true sense of the word, the protector of stonecutters. However, there is no cult of Hercules Saxanus (Hercules Saxanus) in Dalmatia. Namely, Hercules Saxanus (one made of stone) indicates the heroes’ strength which is strong as a rock, while on the other side, that is also a qualification of Hercules as the protector of stonecutters. We find the same cult in Gaul and some Danube regions. In Dalmatia, Hercules is only called Augustus, which is, as we have already said, an attribute taken from the imperial cult. An abundance of statues and commemoration to Hercules is all there is on the island of Brač. There is no doubt that in the future, more such testimonies will be found, covered by thousand years of layered earth and post antique rubble.
Ključne riječi
relief; Hercules; quarry; inscription; island of Brač
Hrčak ID:
130904
URI
Datum izdavanja:
23.5.2013.
Posjeta: 4.479 *