UNIVERSITATEAD IN

ORADEA

DINI5TORIAEUROPEIROMANE

O R A D E A199S

UNIVERSITATEA DIN ORADEASERI A: 1 S T OK I E IV

MUZEUL TARII CRISURILOR

DIN ISTORIA EUROPE1 ROMANE

FROM THE HISTORY OF THE ROMAN EUROPE

Oradea, 1995

DIN ISTORIA EUROPEI ROMANE

V o lu m in g r i j i t d e :

SEVER DUMITRASCU — VASILE MOGA —

AUREL CHIRIAC —SORIN SIPQ$ —

Universitatea din Oradea Muzenl National al Unirii Alba lulia Muzeul Tarii Crisurilor Universitatea din Oradea Secretar de redactie

ORADEA 1995

C U P E IN S

PREFATA de prof. univ. dr. 'ing. TEODOR M A G H JA R ...................................... 11TABULA G R AT U L A TOR F A ..................................................................................... 12

IOAN GLODARIUUniversitatea „Rabi.'s-Bolyai“ CIuj-Napoca (Romania)

Projcsoru.1 DVM1TRV P R O T A S E .................................................................................15

SEVER DUMITRASCU Universitatea din Oradea (Romania)

Istoricul si arhcolngul DUMJTRU PROTASE ..........................................................17

YALERIU LAZARCcntrul de cercetari Tg. Mures (Romania)

Coniribulia tui D. Protase la progrcsul ccrcetch'ilor arhcologice muresene . 29

BIB I JOG RAFT A operei (1950—1992) Prof. Dr. DUMITRU PROTASE (intoc- mita de VASILE YOGA si SEVER DUMITRASCU)............................ .... 35

JO\T T. DRAGOMIR Muzeul do Istorie Galati (Romania)

Dcscopcriri arhcologice traco-gctn-dacicc din sudul M o k l o v c i ........................ 49

MARIA BARBULESCU, LIVIA BUZOIANU Universitatea din Constanta; Muzeul de istorie

national;! si arheologie Constanta (Romania)

Tomisui in lumina izroarelor literate a m i c e ......................................................... 61

VIRGIL MI H AILESCU-B1 RUB A Institutul do Arheologie Iasi (Romania)

Les dates numisnwtiqucs ct la chronologic des sites dc type La Tenc de la Dctcie ..........................................................................................................................................69

ANDRAS BODORUniversitatea „Babc$-Bolyai“ Cluj-Napoca (Romania)

Kctscoalclc sclavilor si structura accstora in perioada republicii romane . ■ 81

ZSOLT YISYUniversitatea ,,Janus Pannonius". Pecs (Ungaria)

qoThe Problems of the Dacian ethnic group in H u n g a r y ................................. .... -

VIARIA LAMIOVA-SCHMIEDLOVA Institutul de Arheologie din Slovacia, Kosice (Slovacia)

Les arm.es ct I’cirmcment dans les nccropolcs d a c e s ............................ ..... ■ ■

8 Din isloria Europei romanc 2

LIVIU MARGHITAN Ministerial Culturii —• Bucuresti (Romania)

Lett tresors d'objcts daces en argent (1-cr siecle sv. J. Chr. — 1-er sieclc ap.J. Chr).......................................................................................................................................... I ll

VIOREL CAPITANUMuzeui do Jstorie .Julian Antonescu", liacau (Romania)

Obiccte cm semnificatie cutt.iald dc exceptie dcscoperiie in Dava dc la Ra- cdtdut judctul Baedu ........................................................................................................117

ERNST Kl'NZLRomisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum, Mainz (Geriruinia)

Hcrakl'cs and Antaios: Lin Gruppcn fragment nach Rcnaissancevorbild im Rheinischcn I.andcsmuseum Bonn ................................................................................... 125

MARIN ZANINOVMC Universitatea din Zagreb (Croatia)

Dclmati e Pirusti c la loro presenza in D a c i a ......................................................... 12'J

MIHAI BARBUI.ESCUUniversitatea „Babes-Bolyai“ Cluj Nupoca (Romania)

PONDERA EXAMINATA din castrul legionar dc la P o t a i s s a ............................... 137

SILVIU SANIEInstitutul de Arheologie Iasi (Romania)

ITnelc aspecte ale situalici politice si dcmograficc din Dacia rdsdriteand in pa-

rioada Domitianus-Traianus .......................................................................................... 143

CONSTANTIN POPMuzeui dc Istorio al Transilvaniei, Cluj-Napoca (Romania)

V n bronz roman rcprczcntiml „Judccata lui Paris“ ( ? ) ...................................... 155

DOINA BENEAUniversitatea din Timisoara (Romania)

Die dako-rbmisehen Bezichungcn in den Litcraturqucllen des 1. Jh. n. Chr. . . 157VASILE MOGA

Muzeui Unirii, Alba lulia (Romania)

Cereetdri prieind epoca remand la G h i r b o m ......................................................... 161

DUMITRU POPAMuzeui Brukenthal, Sibiu (Romania)

Asezarca daco-romand de la Tichindcal, judctul S i b i u ........................................... 165

1ST VAN TOTHInstitutul de Istorie si Arheologie, Universitatea din Pecs (Ungaria)

A Dacian „Apostlc“ of the Cult of M i t h t r a s ? ..........................................................175

RADU ARDEVANInstitutul de Arheologie, Cluj-Napoca (Romania)

O descoperire dc moneta antice la Cluj in 193S . 181

3 <)Din istoria Eurnpci romane

JENO FITZMuzeul ...Sfintul Stefan", Szekesfehervar (Ungaria)

Die Laujbahn dev Nicdcrpannonischen Statthaltcr nach 214 n. Chr....................125

ZIZI COVACEF

Muzeul tie Istorie Nationals si Arheologie, Constanta (Romania)Uncle considcratii privind aeih'itatca sculpturald la Tomis in cpoca remand . 203

DENES GABLERPubiicat.ia ACTA ARCHAEOLOGICA. a Academiei Ungare de Stiinte,

Budapest» (Ungaria)Late Roman settlement at Szakdly-Reti foldek in Hungary (Tolna county) . . 211

MIHAI BRUDIUUniversitatea din Galati (Romania)

Cerectciri privind valurile anticc din sudul M o l d o r c i ........................................... 227

ADRIAN BE JANUniversitatea din Timisoara (Romania)

Asezdri daco-vomane din sc-c. I l l—IV din B a n a t ................................................ 237

MIRCEA EUNUInstitutu] de Arheologie, Cluj-Napoca (Romania)

Regi ai dacilor liberi in sccolcic IV—V c m . ? ..........................................................247

ION IONITAInstituted de Arheologie Iasi (Romania)

Elemento crcstinc in practice riturilor funerare din Moldova in sccolcle IV—V c.n.......................... 253

LIGIA BARZUUniversitatea din Bucure^ti (Romania)

Romcmitatca orientali irttre sccolcle IV—VII c.n......................................................263

EMILIAN POPESCUUniversitatea din Bucure^ti, Facultatea de Teologie (Romania)

A fesst reprezentat teritoriul romdnese la Sinodul al VII-lca ecumenic de la

Niceca (787) dc cdtre cpiscopul U R S U S ? ...................................................................... 271

ALEXANDRU V. GROSU, MIHAI BLAJAN, DAN BOTEZATU Universitatea din Bucuresti; Muzeul Unirii din Alba Iulia (Romania)

Mormintul cu of rand d de molufte (sccolul VIII c.n.) dcscopcrit la Alba-Iulia

— „Stapia de Salvare“ ........................................................................................................ 275

DAN GH. TEODORInstitutul de Arheologie, Iasi (Romania)

Autohtoni si slavi in spatiul carpato-danubiano-pontic in secolele VI—VII d.Hr. 285

]0 Din istoria Eu-ropei romane 4

JON MIT RE AUniversitatea ,,Spiru Haret“, Bacau (Romania)

ElemenU3 ■slave in cultura secolelor VIII—X din spatiul Carpato-danubictno- pontic. Culitelc cu volute si scmnificatia l o r ......................................................... 295

MARIA COMSAInstitutuI de Arheologie Bueuresti (Romania)

Contribulii privind exploatarea zucumintclor si obtincrca rocilor metaiifere pe teritoriul Romanici in milcniul I cm .............................................................................301

DARINA BIALEKOVAInstitutuI Slovac de Arheologie, Nitra (Slovacia)

Antihcidnisehc Massnahmen in dev kirchlich-iuristischcn Kode.vcn Gross- m d h r e n s .................................................................................................................................311

IOAN HANCUInstitutuI de Arheologie Chisinau (R. Moldova)

Soarta romanilor din Basarabia in evul media timpuriu (schita istorico-ar- iicologica) ............................................................................................................. 319

ALEXANDRA' NICULESCUInstituto di Filologia Romana, Universitatea din Udine (Italia)

Elements culturels latins dans Ic roumain du XVI-e s i e c l e .............................331

STELIAN DUMISTRACEL InstitutuI de Lingvistica, Universitatea din Iasi

(Romania)Elemento autolitonc ale vocabuiarului limbii romdne in „AXONYMUS CA- R A N SE B E S IE N S ISA R G E A -A R G E L A S .................................................... 335

A DACIAN „APOSTLE“ OF THE CULT OF MITHRAS?

ISTVAN TOTH

In connection w ith the form ation of the m ysteries of M ithras during the Roman period the idea according to which this religion had been nothing else bu t „eine einmalige Schopfung eines unbekannten religiosen Geniesul was first drafted by M. P. Nilsson. The conception of R. Mer- kelbach’s huge m onograph has recently been arisen in the sp irit of this idea w ith the following additional rem ark: „wo dieses System zum erstenm al geschaffen wurde, ist unbekannt“.1 2 In 1977 the w riter of the present essay came to the conclusion th a t the Pannonian Poetovio may have been one of th e im portant scenes of the cult's creation. W ithin that, especially among the slaves and libertines belonging to the orga­nization of the publicum portorium Illyrici ,,ist iiberhaupt n ich t un- begriindet, wenn w ir . . . einen schopferischen Geist, einen bisher nicht gewiirdigten Propheten des Kultes erkennen w ollen1'.3 The slave com­m unity of Poetovio has been considered to be of great im portance, too, by M erkelbach, although he ra th e r th inks th a t the cult originated from the city of Rome: „Ich verm ute, dass die M ithras-Religion ausgebildet worden ist von einem M ann aus dem kaiserlichen Hofstaat, der urs- priinglich aus dem Osten stam m te, z.B. Arm enien oder aus der Provinz Pontos“.4

Had the creator of the religious ideas of M ithras’ cult lived any ­where, the Pannonian Poetovio together w ith the slaves and freedmen em ployed in the economy of the Pannonian provinces had played a pe­culiar role in the fu rther spread of the cult. This fact has already been pointed out by E. Will’s study5, then also by M erkelbach himself, whose book contains a separate chapter on the role of the Poetovian M. V ale­rius M axim ianus played in the spread of the cult6. B ut it is w orth m en­tioning th a t this idea of the b irth and spread of the cult has not been rejected by M. J. V erm aseren in one of his latest works.7

1 M. P. Nilsson, Geschichte der griechischen Religion. (Munchen 1961).II, 675. (Handbuch der Altertumswiss. V/2 Bd. 2.)

2 R. Merkelbach, Mithras. Hain 1984. 77., 160 f.“ I. Toth , Arheolcski Vestnik — Acta Archaeologica 28 .1977) 391; I. Toth,

Istenek a Duna partjan. Szekesfehervar 1991, 44 If.4 Merkelbach, op. cit., 161.s E. Will, in: Adriatica Praehist et Ant. Zagreb 1970, 633 ff.u Merkelbach, in 162 If., 167 If.; comp, also: I. Toth, Studia Aegyptica 3

(Budapest 1977.)' 140 ff. Remember that the stations of M. Valerius Malimianus life had been Dacia (Apulum), Panonia (Aquineum), and Lambaesis (Numidia), cf. Merkelbach, op. cit. 163 f.

7 Vermaseren, in: Die orientalischen Religionen im Romerreich. Leiden, 1981, 96 ff.

176 1st van Toth 2

N ext I would like to contribute to the fu rth e r expounding of this thought w ith gathering the data referring to a person who m ay have had a role in the spread — or even more also in the creation — of the cult of M ithras.

The nam e of a certain Hermadio is known two M ithras inscription in Dacia. Judging from one of the rem ains this person is known to have been a slave doing econmoic w ork — act(or) — :

1. CIMRM II 2146. ■— Sarmizegetusa:Soli invicto Mithrae aniceto Hermadio votum solvit l. m.

2. CIMRM II 2153. — Tibiscum:S(oli) i(nvicto) n(abarze) M(ithrae) pro solute P. Ael(ii) Mari(i)Hermadio act (or) Turran(ii) D il(. . . ) v. s. 1. m.

The inscription share a very im portant and sim ilar feature: Her­madio actor who had erected them had found i t necessary to present the god’s m ost im portant epitheton ornans beside its Latin form (invic­tus) also in Greek (anicetus) and in Persian (nabarzes) try ing to avoid any possible m isunderstandings for sure, w hile stressing the accuracy of the content of the a ttribu te transla ted into Latin.8

The fact th a t Hermadio actor had lived in a familia in which the usage of Greek language had been of high im portance is know n on the strengh t of a fu rth e r inscription:

3) CIL III 1548. — Tibiscum:Libero Patri pro salute Marc(i) Turrani(i) DU ( . . . ) et Fl(aviae)Aeliae Nices (sic) M. Turran (ius) Patroclus ex voto.

According to th is no t only fu rther persons w ith a. G reek nam e appear among the m em bers of M. Turranius Dil.’s fam ilia (Patroclus, Nice), bu t also the possessive case of the dom ina’s nam e fits the Greek con­jugation even thought th e tex t is in Latin (N ice> Nices). — W hat is m ore also an inscription from Apulum m ust be a proof of the religious life of the very same family:

4) CIMRM II 1193. — Apulum :S(oli) i(nvicto) M(ithrae) Turran[i]us Marcellinus et An[t(onius)]Senecio iunior conductores armamen(tarii) ex voto posuerunt.

In connection w ith th a t not only the fact th a t the bearers of the T ur­ran ius nam e had been connected to the M ithras w orship (or ra th e r to the believers of M ithras in m any towns of Dacia) Apulum , Tibiscum, Sarm izegetusa (seems to be im portant, bu t also the fact th a t the m em bers of this familia had carried on a w ide-spread economic activity w ith dif­feren t officers (actor, conductores) in a leading position.8

8 About these attributes J. R. Hinnels, Mithraic Studies II, Manchester 1975, 303.

3 The epigraphic features of the two quoted inscriptions from Tibiscum are totally the same.

3 A dacian „Apo.stlc‘ 177

R eturning back to the role played in the cult of M ithras by the characters .appearing on the inscriptions quoted above, the activity of Hermadio nam ed on the relics No. 1— 2 seems to be the m ost im portant. Namely, the use of the a ttribu tes of anicetus and ncibarzes (most of all because of their rareness) refers to a person possessing an above-average knowledge about the notions of the cult. T ha t’s w hy the peculiar wording of a scu ltpure’s inscription in Rome is striking:

5) CIMRM L 591. — Rome:Naina. L. Fl(ctvius) Hermadion hoc mihi libens don(um) dedit.

It is the god him self who speaks on the inscription,10 which ob­viously could have happened only in the case of priviliged persons. B ut even more, M erkelbach was rig h t to notice the representation of the original Persian gesture — throw ing a kiss — connected to the expres­sion of Nama=Hi! in the representation of the sculpture. He consideres it to be p a rt of the in itiation cerem ony.11

Now th e question is w hether Hermadio actor of the Dacian in ­scriptions (No. 1, 2) can be connected to L. FI. Hermadion appearing on the sculpture in Rome. — The same theophor nam e,12 the em ployem ent of the rare ly used Greek and Persian concepts (anicetus, nabarzes, Nama) represented on each of the th ree inscriptions, and the characteristic feature of the relic in Rome bearing the own words of the god — cer­tainly for the sake of one of his very im portant adeptuses — all back up the supposition of a d irect connection although it seems to be ques­tioned by the following condition: while a person w ith one nam e only — certainly w ith the status of a slave — is m entioned in Dacia, somebody w ith th ree nam es — thus a person of a free status -— is known from Rome.

B ut the seriousness of this undoubtedly existing uncertain ty is greatly belittled by the inscription from Tibiscus quoted as No. 3 above, on which one of the m em bers of the Dacian M. Turranius Dil.’s fam ilia — m aybe the domina — bears the nam e of Flavia Aelia Nice. If no t more, bu t the fact, th a t the Flavius fam ily nam e had been used in the close fam ily and economic circle to w hich Hermadio actor erecting the Dacian inscriptions (No. 1, 2) belonged to, is assured by this reasoning. I t fol­lows from the foregoing — even if not totally for sure — th a t the servus Hermadio actor know n from Tibiscum and Sarm izegetusa — could have been identical w ith L. Flavius Hermadion m entioned in Rome, as a li­bertus.

A fu rth e r relic is known, too, by w hich perhaps the erector of the Dacian rem ains can be d irectly connected to the one of the M ithras adaptus in the city of Rome:

lu Comp. Vermaseren’s commentary to the inscriptions: CIMRM 591.11 Merkelbach, op. cit. 106 — To the Nama formula see also: I. Toth, Acta

Classica 10—11 (1974—75) 151 ff.12 Comp. Merkelbach, op. cit., 106, 139.

12 — Din istoria Europei rom ane

178 Istvdn Toth 4

C) ILJug 2, 1145.=Tot7t, AddM 13. — POETOVIO:13Cauti pro salute Fl(avii) Hermadionis et Aviti Syriac(i) et filio­rum Felix libert(us).

This a lta r — not accidentally for sure — comes from one of the most im portant centres of M ithras’ cult, which had been one of the leading econmic centres of the D anubian provinces as well. Poetovio had been a transit station concerning any economic connection betw een the city of Rome and Illyricum ; also acting as a go-between in the religious and spiritual connections of Rome and the region of Pontus a t the same tim e.14 The I. and II. M ithraeum s in Poetovio had been furnished by the slaves and freedm en of the publicum poi'torium Illyrici. A m any- folded personal relationship had been proven among them by E. Will15 * and R. Merkelbach , 1G The tw o bases erected to worship Cautes and Cau- topates had stood there. They had been consecrated ,,in mem oriam" a certain H yacinthus.17 This feature is unusual on religious inscriptions. H yacinthus has earlie r been supposed to have been one of the founding „prophets“ of the cult of M ithras.18 In case Hermadio actor of the Dacian relics could be identified w ith the Roman and Poetovian Flavius Her- madio(n) the inscriptions quoted above could be p u t into a logical order. The elem ental condition of this relationship is a chronological exam i­nation of the four relics in question (No. 1—2, 5 and 6).

The first names represented on the inscription can be used as a starting point to set up a chronological order. Thus following the above order the following exact chronological points of reference arise:

No. 1 — judging from its epigraphy it is of the same age as No. -2 (Comp. Note 9)

No. 2 — term inus post quern: 117/138 (Aelius)No. 3 — term inus post quern: 117/138 (Aelius)No. 4 —- sim ilar to the above m entioned ones because of the presence

of the TurraniusesNo. 5 — term inus post quem: 69/96 (Flavius), b u t in case the nam e of

Flavius really is in conection w ith FI. Aelia Nice’s nam e (No. 3) then 117/138.

No. 6 — term inus post quem: 69/96 (Flavius), b u t if the two Felix (libertus) are equal then term inus ante quem: 164/180.19

13 The altar (CIMRM II 1582-3) came to light not far away from the III. Mithraeum in Poetovio. Also some relics from the earlier centuries (lst-2nd cent.) were found in this shrine, although it had been founded earlier; so the site itself does not provide a reliable basis for dating.

14 Toth, Stud. Aeg. 3 (1977) 138 ff.15 Will, op. cit.; Merkelbach, op. cit. 171 f.1B The system of personal relations also includes a certain Felix (libertus)

who can be identical with the named Felix as well.17 CIMRM II 1501, 1503.1S Toth, Arch. Vestnik 28 (1977) 392. note 30.13 The I. Mithraeum in Poetovio had been ruined during the marko-

mann wars.

5 A dacian „ApostIc" 17!)

According to th a t the quoted inscriptions fit exactly the sam e period of time. The period betw een the age of Had rum and the m arkom ann w ars after the m iddle of the 2nd cent, had been the tim e of the for­m ation and spread of the W estern cult of M ithras.20 The founding „pro- phets“ and m issionary „apostles“ had been busy in this half century. 1 reckon to recognize the Dacian Hermadio actor as one of them.

12*

1:0 Merkelbach, op. cit.