Prilog poznavanju ikonografije i kulta boga Mena u rimskim provincijama centralnog Balkana

Abstract

Kult frigijskog lunarnog boga Mena je van maloazijskog prostora izuzetno retko potvrđen, te je utoliko značajnije konstatovanje ovoga kulta na prostoru Balkana, na teritoriji provincije Dakije, u vidu dva epigrafska spo menika posvećena božanstvu. Budući da su na teritoriji rimske provincije Gornje Mezije do sada pronađene jedna bronzana statueta boga Mena i dve figurine koje pred stavljaju sinkretičnu formu bogova Mena i Somnusa, jasno je da je kult ovog božanstva ostavio traga i na prostoru centralno balkanskih provincija Rimskog carstva. Pored razmatranja različitih atributa i aspekata boga Mena, rad se fokusira i na analizu simbola polumeseca, prisutnog na određenim nadgrobnim spomenicima, u kontekstu tumačenja motiva kao redukovanog prikaza lunarnog božanstva, odnosno indirektne potvrde kulta boga Mena.

Hitherto not very much known lunar deity, god Men is confirmed in the central Balkan Roman provinces on the basis of the discovery of one bronze figurine and two statuettes that represent syncretistic form of gods Men and Somnus. Although unconfirmed epigraphically cult of god Men was without doubt known in the central Balkan provinces during 2nd and 3rd century. He was venerated by small group of believers possibly of Asia Minor, Syrian or Greek descent but also perhaps by Romanized inhabitants who had spent some time in Asia Minor where they adopted theology and doctrine of the cult of this deity. The analysis of iconography and attributes of the figurines indicated assumed apotropaic and chthonic aspect of the way Men was venerated most probably in private shrines-lararia of the owners of figurines. The fact that motif of crescent represented main symbol of the god Men on votive and funerary monuments had an impact on revising the earlier analyses of certain funerary monuments from the territory of Macedonia and their identification as cult monuments of the Asia Minor deity. Study of iconography and epigraphic analysis of the given monuments resulted in conclusion that monuments where the name of god Men is absent but which have the motif of crescent could not be easily identified as monuments of the mentioned deity except if there is recorded iconography analogous to already confirmed iconography on votive and funerary monuments of that deity from other parts of the Roman Empire.