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9- I N D I V I D U A L S A N D G O D S<br />

7Z53411; ILLRP136<br />

made. The inscribed text (c. 150 P.c.) comes from Sora, about 85 km. east of<br />

<strong>Rome</strong>. (See also Plutarch, Life of Sulla 55, for a tenth dedicated ro Hercules by<br />

Roman generals.)<br />

See further: Wissowa (1912) 277-9; Bayer (1926) 459-61.<br />

Marcus and Pubhus Vertuleius, sons of Gaius:<br />

The vow their father once vowed when in despair about his afflictions, desperate and in<br />

fear, has now been discharged through the offering of a tenth at the holy feast; his sons<br />

gladly dedicate the gift to Hercules, greatly deserving. Together they pray that they may<br />

be doomed many times to the fulfilling of such a vow.<br />

/I53513; OZvi.68<br />

9.5b Eyesight restored<br />

This inscription, probably of early imperial date, was found on the road to<br />

Ostia outside <strong>Rome</strong>.<br />

See further: Brouwer (1989) 53-4*.<br />

Felix Asinianus, public slave of the pontifices, discharged his vow of a white heifer, gladly<br />

and sincerely to rustic Bona Dea Felicula 1<br />

for the restoration of his eyesight. The doctors<br />

had abandoned him after ten months, but he was cured by favour of the Mistress and her<br />

remedies. All restored under the care of Cannia Fortunata.<br />

232<br />

1. For Bona Dea, see 8.2b; 13-4. 1 be name Felicula Is unknown anil might be either a local<br />

cult, or an invention derived from the name of Felix himself.<br />

2. That is, the monument commemorating the miracle had been restored.<br />

9.5c Help in illness<br />

Aelius Aristides was a prominent orator and public figure from Asia Minor<br />

(modern Turkey). On a visit to <strong>Rome</strong>, he suffered the first of his many illnesses<br />

which are recounted in his autobiographical Sacred Tales. These provide, in<br />

effect, a diarv of his health and of the measures he took to deal with his complaints<br />

and diseases. For us, it is an invaluable indication of the intermixture in<br />

his experience of what we should classify as rational or irrational treatments for<br />

his diseases, 'religious' cures alternating with 'scientific' ones. The incident<br />

recounted here took place at Smyrna (modern Izmir) during the great plague<br />

of A.D.165.<br />

See further: Festugicre (1954) 85-104; Behr (1968); Lane Fox (1986)<br />

160-3*.

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