Avenches – Roman Museum – Permanent Exhibition
Avenches – Roman Museum – Permanent Exhibition Avenches – Roman Museum – Permanent Exhibition
First Floor Religion Roman Religion the most important god in Gaul. Mercury can be recognised by his traveller’s hat (petasus) and the little wings attached to either side of the hat or in his hair, his staff (caduceus) and the moneybag, which he always grasps tightly. Bacchus (display case 20, no. 10) was the god of wine; he was accompanied by Sileni, Satyrs and Maenads (display case 20, nos. 11-12, 15-16). His cult does not seem to have enjoyed much success in this region, but he was quite popular as an iconographic subject. He can be recognised by the grapes and vine-leaves decorating his hair. Minerva (display case 20, nos. 17-22) was the goddess of justice and wisdom. According to Julius Caesar, the Gauls considered her to be the protectress of crafts. She is always represented according to the original Greek pattern, wearing a helmet and the aegis adorned with the head of Medusa and she always carries a lance and a shield. Apollo (display case 20, no. 23), god of the arts and music, was a healing deity with both the Romans and the Gauls. He was often linked to spas and public baths. At Aventicum his name is mentioned in an inscription dedicated to doctors (catalogue of inscriptions: no. 4). Mars (display case 20, no. 13) was the god of war. He belonged to the five great deities of the Gauls, but is less frequently represented than Mercury; he is, however, mentioned in many inscriptions, and his name was often associated with different bynames of Celtic origin. Display case 20 1. Bronze eagle associated with Jupiter. 2nd century AD. 2-3. Jupiter. Bronze statuettes. 2nd – 3rd centuries AD. 4. Dedication to Mercury, engraved on a sheet of bronze. 2nd century AD. Deo Mer[curio Iu[lius Sextus v(otum) s(oluit) [l(ibens) m(erito) « To God Mercury deservedly, Iulius Sextus freely fulfilled his vow » 5. Silver caduceus (Mercury’s staff) (1). Grange des Dîmes sanctuary. 6-8. Mercury. Bronze statuettes. 9. Mercury accompanied by a cock and a goat. Bronze statuette. 10. Bacchus. Bronze statuette. 2nd century AD. 11. Silenus. Bronze statuette (2). Late 2nd century AD. 12. Silenus carrying a goatskin bottle. Bronze statuette. 13. Dedication to Mars Gradivus, engraved on a silver-plated bronze plaque. Mars Gradive pate[r--hanc patriam civ[esque---] inclute bellator[-imperio monitus m[erito---?] Sex(tus) Tetricius donum [dedit---?] 1 2 39 First Floor 20 21
First Floor Religion Roman Religion « Mars Gradivus, father ... my mother country and its citizens, ... glorious warrior; as he was rightly so ordered (?) in his dream, Sextus Tetricius offers you this donation » Late 2nd or early 3rd century AD. Catalogue of inscriptions: no. 24. 14. Jasper intaglio. Head of Mercury and two letters: TI, standing for Tiberius? Early 1st century AD. 15. Nicolo intaglio. Satyr holding a flute in his left hand and a crook (pedum) in his right, and wearing a fawn skin (nebris). There is a star at the bottom on the right. Early 1st century AD. 16. Garnet intaglio. Dancer in the retinue of Bacchus. In his right hand, he is holding a cantharos and he has a fawn skin (nebris) draped over his arm. With his left hand, he is waving a staff embellished with ribbons (thyrsus). A tipped over wine crater is lying on the floor on the right-hand side. Early 1st century AD. 17. Cornelian intaglio. Minerva holding a lance in her left hand and the sheath of a sword in her right. Her shield is placed on the ground in front of her. 2nd century AD. 18. Bronze owl; bird associated with Minerva. 19. Bone pin with bust of Minerva. 20-22. Three bronze coins with Minerva depictions. 1st century AD. 23. Apollo. Bronze statuette. 2nd century AD. Statue of the Goddess Minerva (1) Head, right forearm, feet and fingers of the left hand; marble. Original height of statue: 2.8 m. So-called acrolith statue. Only the visible parts of the statue are sculpted in marble. Remnants of wood in the groove at the neck and an iron hook on the forearm of the statue indicate that the rest of the body was probably made of wood and was hidden under a dress made of cloth. Minerva is wearing armour decorated with a marble head of Medusa. The helmet on Minerva’s head bears a face with closed eyes. The fragments of the statue had been carefully buried in a so-called favissa, a type of ritual ditch inside a building right beside the forum. This building might have been a library or a meetinghouse. As the goddess of wisdom, of the arts and of science, Minerva was often placed in that kind of location. 2nd century AD? The two mosaic glass discs, found nearby, may have been used to decorate a wooden chest. Display case 21 Fragment of sitting statuette, limestone. 2nd – 3rd centuries AD. This representation of Jupiter resembles the cult statue of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, which stood in the temple of the Capitol in Rome. This statuette may have adorned a column similar to the one found in Mayence (see drawing on the other side). Should this assumption be correct, the original height of the column would have been 3.9 metres approximately. 1 40 First Floor 20 21
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First Floor Religion<br />
<strong>Roman</strong> Religion<br />
the most important god in Gaul. Mercury can be recognised by his traveller’s hat<br />
(petasus) and the little wings attached to either side of the hat or in his hair, his staff<br />
(caduceus) and the moneybag, which he always grasps tightly.<br />
Bacchus (display case 20, no. 10) was the god of wine; he was accompanied<br />
by Sileni, Satyrs and Maenads (display case 20, nos. 11-12, 15-16). His cult does not<br />
seem to have enjoyed much success in this region, but he was quite popular as<br />
an iconographic subject. He can be recognised by the grapes and vine-leaves<br />
decorating his hair.<br />
Minerva (display case 20, nos. 17-22) was the goddess of justice and wisdom.<br />
According to Julius Caesar, the Gauls considered her to be the protectress of crafts.<br />
She is always represented according to the original Greek pattern, wearing a helmet<br />
and the aegis adorned with the head of Medusa and she always carries a lance and<br />
a shield.<br />
Apollo (display case 20, no. 23), god of the arts and music, was a healing deity<br />
with both the <strong>Roman</strong>s and the Gauls. He was often linked to spas and public<br />
baths. At Aventicum his name is mentioned in an inscription dedicated to doctors<br />
(catalogue of inscriptions: no. 4).<br />
Mars (display case 20, no. 13) was the god of war. He belonged to the five great<br />
deities of the Gauls, but is less frequently represented than Mercury; he is, however,<br />
mentioned in many inscriptions, and his name was often associated with different<br />
bynames of Celtic origin.<br />
Display case 20<br />
1. Bronze eagle associated with Jupiter. 2nd century AD.<br />
2-3. Jupiter. Bronze statuettes. 2nd <strong>–</strong> 3rd centuries AD.<br />
4. Dedication to Mercury, engraved on a sheet of bronze. 2nd century AD.<br />
Deo Mer[curio Iu[lius Sextus<br />
v(otum) s(oluit) [l(ibens)<br />
m(erito)<br />
« To God Mercury deservedly, Iulius Sextus freely fulfilled his vow »<br />
5. Silver caduceus (Mercury’s staff) (1). Grange des Dîmes sanctuary.<br />
6-8. Mercury. Bronze statuettes.<br />
9. Mercury accompanied by a cock and a goat. Bronze statuette.<br />
10. Bacchus. Bronze statuette. 2nd century AD.<br />
11. Silenus. Bronze statuette (2). Late 2nd century AD.<br />
12. Silenus carrying a goatskin bottle. Bronze statuette.<br />
13. Dedication to Mars Gradivus, engraved on a silver-plated bronze plaque.<br />
Mars Gradive pate[r--hanc<br />
patriam civ[esque---]<br />
inclute bellator[-imperio<br />
monitus m[erito---?]<br />
Sex(tus) Tetricius donum [dedit---?]<br />
1<br />
2<br />
39<br />
First Floor<br />
20<br />
21
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