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Indigitamenta

April 26, 2024

In ancient Roman religion, the indigitamenta were lists of deities kept by the College of Pontiffs to assure that the correct divine names were invoked for public prayers. These lists or books probably described the nature of the various deities who might be called on under particular circumstances, with specifics about the sequence of invocation. The earliest indigitamenta, like many other aspects of Roman religion, were attributed to Numa Pompilius, second king of Rome.[1]

Sources edit

The books of the Pontiffs are known only through scattered passages preserved throughout Latin literature. Varro is assumed to have drawn on direct knowledge of the lists in writing his now-fragmentary theological books, which were used as a reference by the Church Fathers[2] for their mocking catalogues of minor deities.[3] As William Warde Fowler noted,

the good Fathers tumbled the whole collection about sadly in their search for material for their mockery, having no historical or scientific object in view; with the result that it now resembles the bits of glass in a kaleidoscope, and can no longer be re-arranged on the original Varronian plan.[4]

Georg Wissowa, however, asserted that Varro's lists were not indigitamenta, but di certi, gods whose function could still be identified with certainty, since by the late Republic some of the most archaic deities of the Roman pantheon were not widely cultivated and understood.[5] Another likely source for the patristic catalogues is the lost work De indigitamentis of Granius Flaccus, Varro's contemporary.[6]

W.H. Roscher collated the standard modern list of indigitamenta,[7] though other scholars may differ with him on some points.

Form edit

It is unclear whether the written indigitamenta contained complete prayer formularies, or simply an index of names.[8] If formulas of invocation, the indigitamenta were probably precationum carmina, chants or hymns of address.[9] Paulus defines them as incantamenta, incantations, and indicia, signs or intimations.[10]

A further point of uncertainty is whether these names represent distinct minor entities, or epithets pertaining to an aspect of a major deity's sphere of influence, that is, an indigitation, or name intended to "fix" or focalize the action of the god so invoked.[11] If the former, the indigitamenta might be described as indexing "significant names which bespoke a specialized divine function," for which the German term Sondergötter is sometimes used;[12] for instance, Vagitanus gives the newborn its first cry (vagitus).[13] If the indigitamenta record invocational epithets, however, an otherwise obscure deity such as Robigus, the red god of wheat rust, should perhaps be understood as an indigitation of Mars, red god of war and agriculture;[14] Maia, "a deity known apparently only to the priests and the learned," would be according to Macrobius[15] an indigitation of the Bona Dea.[16] Roscher, however, does not consider Robigus and Maia to have been part of the indigitamenta.

Roscher's list of indigitamenta edit

Many of the indigitamenta are involved in the cycle of conception, birth, and child development (marked BCh); see List of Roman birth and childhood deities. Several appear in a list of twelve helper gods of Ceres as an agricultural goddess[17] or are named elsewhere as having specialized agricultural functions (Ag). Gods not appearing on either of those lists are described briefly here, or are more fully described in their own articles as linked.

References edit

  1. ^ Michael Lipka, Roman Gods: A Conceptual Approach (Brill, 2009), pp. 69–71, with reference to Arnobius, Adversus Nationes 2.73.
  2. ^ In particular, Book 14 of the non-extant Antiquitates rerum divinarum; see Lipka, Roman Gods, pp. 69–70.
  3. ^ W.R. Johnson, "The Return of Tutunus", Arethusa (1992) 173–179; William Warde Fowler, The Religious Experience of the Roman People (London, 1922), p. 163.
  4. ^ Fowler, Religious Experience, p. 163.
  5. ^ Georg Wissowa, Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics (unknown edition), vol. 13, p. 218 online. See also Kurt Latte, Roemische Religionsgeschichte (Munich, 1960), pp. 44-45.
  6. ^ Lactantius, Div. inst. 1.6.7; Censorinus 3.2; Arnaldo Momigliano, "The Theological Efforts of the Roman Upper Classes in the First Century B.C.", Classical Philology 79 (1984), p. 210.
  7. ^ W.H. Roscher, Ausführliches Lexikon der griechischen und römischen Mythologie (Leipzig: Teubner, 1890–94), vol. 2, pt. 1, pp. 187–233.
  8. ^ Matthias Klinghardt, "Prayer Formularies for Public Recitation: Their Use and Function in Ancient Religion." Numen 46 (1999), p. 44.
  9. ^ Fowler, Religious Experience, p. 163.
  10. ^ Paulus, Festi epitome p. 101 (edition of Lindsay); see p. 84 in the 1832 Teubner edition.
  11. ^ William Warde Fowler, The Roman Festivals of the Period of the Republic (London, 1908), p. 89.
  12. ^ H. Usener, Goetternamen Bonn 1896.
  13. ^ D.C. Feeney, Literature and Religion at Rome: Cultures, Contexts, and Beliefs (Cambridge University Press, 1988), p. 85.
  14. ^ Fowler, Roman Festivals, pp. 89–91 (on the Robigalia); Eli Edward Burriss, "The Place of the Dog in Superstition as Revealed in Latin Literature", Classical Philology 30 (1935), pp. 34–35.
  15. ^ Macrobius, Saturnalia 1.12.
  16. ^ Fowler, Roman Festivals, p. 99.
  17. ^ Servius, note to Georgics 1.21.
  18. ^ Augustine of Hippo, De Civitate Dei 4.21, 28: "For likewise they put their case before Aescolanus, the father of Argentinus, because copper (or bronze) money entered into use first, with silver later" (nam ideo patrem Argentini Aescolanum posuerunt, quia prius aerea pecunia in usu esse coepit, post argentea).
  19. ^ Tertullian, Ad nationes 2.11.
  20. ^ Festus, De significatione verborum, entry on arculus, p. 15 in the edition of Lindsay (Arculus putabatur esse deus, qui tutelam gereret arcarum); Roscher, Ausführliches Lexikon, p. 193.
  21. ^ Tertullian, Ad nationes 2.15; compare Scansus, the god named ab ascensibus, from his relation to slopes.
  22. ^ Tertullian, Ad nationes 2.15. See for instance Clivus Capitolinus.
  23. ^ Name known only from Augustine, De civitate Dei 4.8.
  24. ^ Augustine, De Civitate Dei 6.9.
  25. ^ Augustine, De civitate Dei 4.23.
  26. ^ Augustine, De Civitate Dei 4.8.
  27. ^ Arnobius, Adversus Nationes, 4.9.
  28. ^ Augustine, De civitate Dei, 4.8; 6.7.
  29. ^ Arnobius 4.9.
  30. ^ Ludwig Preller, Römische Mythologie (Berlin, 1883), vol. 2, p. 221.
  31. ^ Augustine, De Civitate Dei 6.9.
  32. ^ Arnobius 4.9.
  33. ^ Arnobius 4.7.

April 26, 2024
indigitamenta, ancient, roman, religion, indigitamenta, were, lists, deities, kept, college, pontiffs, assure, that, correct, divine, names, were, invoked, public, prayers, these, lists, books, probably, described, nature, various, deities, might, called, unde. In ancient Roman religion the indigitamenta were lists of deities kept by the College of Pontiffs to assure that the correct divine names were invoked for public prayers These lists or books probably described the nature of the various deities who might be called on under particular circumstances with specifics about the sequence of invocation The earliest indigitamenta like many other aspects of Roman religion were attributed to Numa Pompilius second king of Rome 1 Contents 1 Sources 2 Form 3 Roscher s list of indigitamenta 4 ReferencesSources editThe books of the Pontiffs are known only through scattered passages preserved throughout Latin literature Varro is assumed to have drawn on direct knowledge of the lists in writing his now fragmentary theological books which were used as a reference by the Church Fathers 2 for their mocking catalogues of minor deities 3 As William Warde Fowler noted the good Fathers tumbled the whole collection about sadly in their search for material for their mockery having no historical or scientific object in view with the result that it now resembles the bits of glass in a kaleidoscope and can no longer be re arranged on the original Varronian plan 4 Georg Wissowa however asserted that Varro s lists were not indigitamenta but di certi gods whose function could still be identified with certainty since by the late Republic some of the most archaic deities of the Roman pantheon were not widely cultivated and understood 5 Another likely source for the patristic catalogues is the lost work De indigitamentis of Granius Flaccus Varro s contemporary 6 W H Roscher collated the standard modern list of indigitamenta 7 though other scholars may differ with him on some points Form editIt is unclear whether the written indigitamenta contained complete prayer formularies or simply an index of names 8 If formulas of invocation the indigitamenta were probably precationum carmina chants or hymns of address 9 Paulus defines them as incantamenta incantations and indicia signs or intimations 10 A further point of uncertainty is whether these names represent distinct minor entities or epithets pertaining to an aspect of a major deity s sphere of influence that is an indigitation or name intended to fix or focalize the action of the god so invoked 11 If the former the indigitamenta might be described as indexing significant names which bespoke a specialized divine function for which the German term Sondergotter is sometimes used 12 for instance Vagitanus gives the newborn its first cry vagitus 13 If the indigitamenta record invocational epithets however an otherwise obscure deity such as Robigus the red god of wheat rust should perhaps be understood as an indigitation of Mars red god of war and agriculture 14 Maia a deity known apparently only to the priests and the learned would be according to Macrobius 15 an indigitation of the Bona Dea 16 Roscher however does not consider Robigus and Maia to have been part of the indigitamenta Roscher s list of indigitamenta editMany of the indigitamenta are involved in the cycle of conception birth and child development marked BCh see List of Roman birth and childhood deities Several appear in a list of twelve helper gods of Ceres as an agricultural goddess 17 or are named elsewhere as having specialized agricultural functions Ag Gods not appearing on either of those lists are described briefly here or are more fully described in their own articles as linked Abeona BCh Adeona BCh Adolenda see Acta Arvalia Aescolanus god of copper money aes and father of Argentinus below 18 Afferenda goddess whose purpose was the offering of dowries 19 Agenoria BCh Agonius Aius Locutius Alemona BCh Altor Ag Antevorta BCh Arculus tutelary god of chests and strongboxes arcae 20 Argentinus god of silver money see Aescolanus above Ascensus god of sloping terrain and hillsides from the verb scando scandere scansus scale climb 21 Aventinus Bubona Caeculus Candelifera BCh Cardea Catius pater BCh Cela perhaps a title of Panda Cinxia BCh Clivicola she who inhabits the clivus a slope or street 22 Coinquenda see Acta Arvalia Collatina a goddess of hills Latin collis hill 23 Coluber marked by Roscher as uncertain Commolenda or Conmolanda see Acta Arvalia Conditor Ag Convector Ag Cuba BCh Cunina BCh Decima Deferunda see Acta Arvalia Deverra Domiduca Domiducus Domitius god who preserves the home domus of newlyweds 24 Edusa also Educa Edula Edulia Fabulinus BCh Farinus BCh Fessona or Fessonia goddess who relieved weariness 25 Fluvionia or Fluonia BCh Forculus protector of doors Latin fores 26 Fructesea another name for Seia Ag Hostilina Ag Iana Inporcitor Ag Insitor Ag Intercidona Interduca Iuga BCh Iugatinus BCh Lactans Ag Lacturnus Ag Lateranus Levana Libentina or Lubentina Lima a goddess of the threshold limen 27 Limentinus god of the limen or limes 28 Limi or Limones plural guardian spirits curatores 29 of Rome s clivi slopes streets 30 Locutius BCh Lucina BCh Lucrii plural Manturna a conjugal goddess who causes the couple to remain together from the verb maneo manere 31 Mellona Mena BCh Messia Ag Messor Ag Mola Montinus a god of mountains 32 compare Septimontius Morta Mutunus Tutunus or Tutinus Nemestrinus god of groves nemora singular nemus 33 Nenia Noduterensis Ag Nodutus Ag Nona Numeria BCh Nundina BCh Obarator Ag Occator Ag Odoria Orbona BCh Ossipago BCh Panda or Empanda Pantica Parca Partula Patella Ag Patellana Ag Paventina BCh Pellonia Peragenor Perfica Pertunda BCh Peta Picumnus Pilumnus BCh Pollentia Porrima BCh Postverta or Postvortia BCh Potina BCh Potua BCh Praestana Praestitia Prema mater BCh Promitor Ag Prorsa BCh Puta Reparator Ag Rediculus Rumina BCh Rumon Runcina Ag Rusina Rusor Sarritor or Saritor Ag Sator Ag Segesta Ag Segetia Seia Ag Semonia Sentia BCh Sentinus BCh Septimontius Serra Spiniensis Stata Mater Statanus BCh Statilinus BCh Statina BCh Sterquilinus Stercutus Stimula identified with Semele Strenia Subigus pater BCh Subruncinator Ag Tutanus Tutilina Ag Unxia Vagitanus BCh Vallonia Venilia Verminus Vervactor Ag Vica Pota Victa Viduus Virginiensis BCh Viriplaca Vitumnus BCh Voleta Volumna BCh Volumnus Volupia Volutina AgReferences edit Michael Lipka Roman Gods A Conceptual Approach Brill 2009 pp 69 71 with reference to Arnobius Adversus Nationes 2 73 In particular Book 14 of the non extant Antiquitates rerum divinarum see Lipka Roman Gods pp 69 70 W R Johnson The Return of Tutunus Arethusa 1992 173 179 William Warde Fowler The Religious Experience of the Roman People London 1922 p 163 Fowler Religious Experience p 163 Georg Wissowa Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics unknown edition vol 13 p 218 online See also Kurt Latte Roemische Religionsgeschichte Munich 1960 pp 44 45 Lactantius Div inst 1 6 7 Censorinus 3 2 Arnaldo Momigliano The Theological Efforts of the Roman Upper Classes in the First Century B C Classical Philology 79 1984 p 210 W H Roscher Ausfuhrliches Lexikon der griechischen und romischen Mythologie Leipzig Teubner 1890 94 vol 2 pt 1 pp 187 233 Matthias Klinghardt Prayer Formularies for Public Recitation Their Use and Function in Ancient Religion Numen 46 1999 p 44 Fowler Religious Experience p 163 Paulus Festi epitome p 101 edition of Lindsay see p 84 in the 1832 Teubner edition William Warde Fowler The Roman Festivals of the Period of the Republic London 1908 p 89 H Usener Goetternamen Bonn 1896 D C Feeney Literature and Religion at Rome Cultures Contexts and Beliefs Cambridge University Press 1988 p 85 Fowler Roman Festivals pp 89 91 on the Robigalia Eli Edward Burriss The Place of the Dog in Superstition as Revealed in Latin Literature Classical Philology 30 1935 pp 34 35 Macrobius Saturnalia 1 12 Fowler Roman Festivals p 99 Servius note to Georgics 1 21 Augustine of Hippo De Civitate Dei 4 21 28 For likewise they put their case before Aescolanus the father of Argentinus because copper or bronze money entered into use first with silver later nam ideo patrem Argentini Aescolanum posuerunt quia prius aerea pecunia in usu esse coepit post argentea Tertullian Ad nationes 2 11 Festus De significatione verborum entry on arculus p 15 in the edition of Lindsay Arculus putabatur esse deus qui tutelam gereret arcarum Roscher Ausfuhrliches Lexikon p 193 Tertullian Ad nationes 2 15 compare Scansus the god named ab ascensibus from his relation to slopes Tertullian Ad nationes 2 15 See for instance Clivus Capitolinus Name known only from Augustine De civitate Dei 4 8 Augustine De Civitate Dei 6 9 Augustine De civitate Dei 4 23 Augustine De Civitate Dei 4 8 Arnobius Adversus Nationes 4 9 Augustine De civitate Dei 4 8 6 7 Arnobius 4 9 Ludwig Preller Romische Mythologie Berlin 1883 vol 2 p 221 Augustine De Civitate Dei 6 9 Arnobius 4 9 Arnobius 4 7 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Indigitamenta amp oldid 1169437361, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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