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Jana Minaroviech-Ratimorsk
Fig. 2. Hypothetical reconstruction of the sanctuary GalloRoman type, (after: Aquincum. Rimania vBudapeti.
Budapest 2003, 37, Fig. 89).
Fig. 3. Hypothetical reconstruction of the sanctuary GalloRoman type, (after: Aquincum. Rimania vBudapeti.
Budapest 2003, 37, Fig. 88).
Inside the cella was a statue or statues of deities to whom the building was devoted. Statues
were occasionally placed on pedestals. The mass of the Celtic cella was elevated, and it had
dominant position almost like a tower. The roof was frequently covered with ceramic tiles.
Above the porch was a single pitch roof. Celts often clustered several temples together and thus
created temple areas, which were surrounded by wall.
The oldest documented sanctuary in Pannonia, the so called Celtic circular, was located
in the civil town of Aquincum. Only the layout of the sanctuary is preserved (Fig. 1). The
sanctuary was built in the 1st century and was most likely destroyed in the 2nd century during
the Marcomannic Wars. It was built to express devotion to the Celtic mother goddess. The
cella of this sanctuary has a circular layout with the diameter of 7.8 m. It was standing on atall
podium in the shape of a 15-sided porticus. The cella was accessible through 12 stairs and it
was situated in a closed court. The literature proposes various hypotheses that reconstruct the
original design2. Proposal No. 1 (Fig. 2) and No. 2 (Fig. 3) illustrate alternative solutions for the
mass and the roof of the building.
Aquincum. Rimania v Budapeti 2003, 37.
Jana Minaroviech-Ratimorsk
Fig. 7. Aquincum, Forum of the civil city. In the middle temple of Trias Kapitolium, (after: Hajnczi Gy.: Pannnia rmai romjai.
Budapest: Mszaki konyvkiad, 1987, 104).
Fig. 8. Plan of Area Sacra in Gorsium, (after: Fitz 2004, 199, Fig. 2).
Fig. 9. Area Sacra in Gorsium, Rekonstruction, (after: Fitz 2004, 201, Fig. 4).
entrance to the sacred area was symmetrically lined up with two sacred wells (nymphaeum)
decorated by relief with statues of local Pannonian water deities. The complex was entered
through the stairs. The porticus and the building divided into five long rooms were situated in
the front. In the middle of the complex was another space leading to a room with the standing
statue of the ruling emperor. The sacred wells prove a connection between the local and official
religion. The temple of the Capitoline Triad was also found in the complex (Fig. 8, building
XII on the plan. See building with column pronaos and three cellas.) The head of the statue of
Jupiter was found in the middle cella6. Recently uncovered architecture provides only a partial
representation of the sacred area7 (Fig. 9).
The building inscriptions inform us about the existence of some sanctuaries whose
architectural remains are yet to be uncovered. The temple of the Capitoline Triad from Brigetio
(today Komrom-Szny) renovated by L. Antonius Sabinus and his wife is an example of such
sanctuary8.
The town of Savaria (today Szombathely) was established in the 1st century as a trading
center on Amber Road. It is presumed that the temple of the Capitoline Triad existed on its
forum. The archeologists made this prediction on the basis of uncovered statue fragments of
Jupiter and Juno, as well as on altar inscriptions devoted to the Capitoline Triad9.
A forum, public buildings and a temple of the Capitoline Triad were all built in Scarbantia
(today Sopron) in the first half of the 2nd century. Parts of temple walls, columns, post basis,
and fragments of floor tiles of stone plate were uncovered there10. The temple was a podium
style temple and it was situated asymmetrically in northeastern corner of the forum11. The
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Jana Minaroviech-Ratimorsk
Silvanus
Silvanus, god of the forest and meadows,
originated in Italy, and did not belong to the
official cults. His cult was strongest in Pannonia.
Building that served for cult purposes, two
statues of Silvan and altars dedicated to Silvan
were uncovered in the complex of area sacra in
Gorsium (Building XXII)20.
The Sanctuary of Spring
The sanctuary of spring was located behind
the column hall in Gorsium. This structure
was destroyed during the Marcomannic wars21
(building XXXIV; Fig. 13).
Jana Minaroviech-Ratimorsk
Isis
Isis, the goddess of protection and
creation, is of Egyptian origin (ancient
Egyptian goddess Eset). She was revered as a
heavenly ruler of the world who gives people
grain, crops, and keeps order in families and
throughout the world.
A sacred area of goddess Isis was found
in Savaria. It originated after the year 188 AD
with the arrival of new inhabitants from the
eastern provinces. The porticus (vestibule hall)
was the entrance building to the area. The roof
structure was carried by a set of six 7 m tall
columns. An interior court with dimensions Fig. 15. Sanctuary of the imperial cult in Aquincum,
of 70 50 m was surrounded by a sequence of hypothetical reconstruction, (after: Szilgyi 1956, Fig.
rooms. A sanctuary devoted to Isis was placed XXXIX).
symetrically in the centre of the sacred area.
This podium temple of a prostylos-tetrastylos type (with four Corinthian columns in the front)
consisted of a pronaos and a naos with two cellas. The temple was entered through the stairs placed
in front of the structure. An axially situated large altar for celebration of worship services and
ceremony of sacrifice was situated in front of the temple. The open space next to altar allowed
large crowds to participate in these services. A marble lintel and frieze decorated with sculptural
reliefs are preserved to this day and serve as a testimony to links between imperial cult and
Egyptian religions. Relief shows Victoria, Fortuna Abundantia, an Isis riding dog named Sothis
Pczy 1976, 48.
Altjohann 2000, 241.
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Jupiter Dolichenus
The cult of Jupiter Dolichenus originated
in the town of Doliche, situated in one of
the Syrian provinces (today Dlk, region
Commagene in southeastern Turkey). Many
temples devoted to Jupiter were situated
in this town. Jupiter is one of the deities
worshiped by the soldiers. The cult started
to spread through the Roman Empire at the
beginning of the 2nd century and its status
peaked under the rule of Severs dynasty
(192-235 AD). Jupiter Dolichenus is in essence
an idealized character of Baal under Mithraic
metaphoric meaning. He is typically shown as
a figure standing on a strong bull and holding
a double axe and lightning bolts symbolizing
his great strength, power and fortitude.
Statues of Jupiter without the bull are also
preserved27.
The remains of the Jupiter Dolichenus
sanctuary were uncovered 300 m from the
southwestern edge of a Roman legionary
fortress (castrum) in Brigetio. The building was
Fig. 17. Sanctuary of Isis in Savaria, hypothetical reconstruction, (after: Hajnczi 1987, 71, Fig. 68).
PHA 1995, 20.
Kvetnov - Viovsk 2007, 29.
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Fig. 19. Sanctuary of Mithras in Aquincum, hypothetical reconstruction, (after: Szilgyi 1956, Fig. XLI).
the basis for identification of these remaining walls. In the proximity of the sanctuary, remains
of three other buildings were excavated29. Dimensions of the sanctuary suggest that this cult
had a high number of adherents.
Milch 1900, 28.
Bnki 1981, 95-118.
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Jana Minaroviech-Ratimorsk
Magna Mater
A construction inscription related to the building of a sanctuary devoted to Magna Mater
was found in the civil town of Brigetio37.
Summary
The process of romanization had an influence on the indigenous religious tradition of
the provinces. In some territories, indigenous cults merged into Roman cults; in others they
formed new cults. The architecture of temples and sanctuaries reflected life in a province. The
progress of romanization eventually resulted in a unified architectural composition. Uncovered
documents about cult architecture in Pannonia substantiate claim that a variety of temple types
existed in the Pannonia provinces. Yet, only a few of these are preserved to this day. Sculpture
fragments or inscriptions about construction activity are often the only remains of a temple i.e.
a plate with the building inscription describing the sanctuary of Silvanus in Scarbantia38.
Temples can be categorized according to their type of architecture. Three temple types are
most common.
The first type is a Gallo-Roman temple in the Celtic tradition. Its a temple with a central
interior space surrounded by a portico. The layout of a Celtic circular sanctuary situated in
a closed court in the civil town of Aquincum is one preserved example of such a sanctuary
in Pannonia. A square-shaped sanctuary uncovered in the governors palace in canabae in
Aquincum is another partially preserved structure of this type.
Another example of the Gallo-Roman type is a circular structure of the pseudomonopteros
type uncovered in a civil town. It possibly served as a small sanctuary. The entry into the
building was through the stairs. The structure was constructed in the second half of the 3rd
century and was situated in the macellum (market center of a town)39. Several examples of this
temple type are known in Gallia (present day France) i.e. locality of Autun and the Ancient
town of Argentomagus, a sacred area (present day Saint-Marcel).
The classical temple is the second architectural type. This was the most dominant temple
type in Pannonia. It was modeled after Greek and Etruscan styles.
The building was rectangular and was located on the podium. The sidewalls and back part
of the temple were closed. Access to the building was designed on the shorter front side. The
temple consisted of two main parts: inner chamber naos, and porch pronaos. The statue of
avenerated deity was typically situated in the inner chamber. Temples devoted to the Capitoline
Triad cult were constructed according to this type. The temple of the province (templum
provinciae) in Gorsium, the temple in civil town of Aquincum, and the temple in Savaria were
all constructed according to this type.
The temple of Isis illustrates a fusion of Italian and Oriental styles the architecture of the
temple is emblematic of the Italian type, but the relief of an oriental god appears on the frieze of
the building. The best preserved temples of this type are: Maison Carr in Nmes, and temple
of Augustus and Livia in Vienne in France.
The third architectural type is mithraeum. Temples of Mithras in all provinces of Roman
Empire were built according to the same scheme with a uniform long shape. They were made
to resemble cave, and were often situated underground. The plan of the cella was divided into
three parts with the central part being lowered into the ground. The entrance to the central
part was through stairs. Mystery cult members at lower ranking positions kneeled on sides of
the cella. Temples of Mithras are preserved in the following localities: Aquincum, Fertrkos,
Brigetio.
Barkczi 1951, 33-4.
Pczy 1976, 24.
39
Hajnczi 1987, 110.
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The architecture of the temples in Panonia allows us to observe fusion of local and imported
impressions and building forms. Architectural evidence uncovered to date reveals wide variety
of temple styles constructed throughout Pannonia and one can reasonably expect that additional
sacred structures will eventually be discovered in this territory.
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Zabern, 237-40.
Aquincum. Rimania vBudapeti. Budapest 2003, 37.
Bnki, Zs. 1981. Heiligtum des Jupiter Dolichenus in Vetus Salina. In Alba Regia. Annales Musei Stephani Regis XIX:
95-118. Szkesfehrvr.
Barkczi, L. 1951. Brigetio. Dissertationes Pannoniae Ser. II. No. 22. Budapest.
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