Il culto di Liber a Taurunum: un contributo allo studio della viticoltura nella Pannonia Inferiore

Abstract

The goal of this study is to shed light on the cult of Liber in Taurunum, today Zemun, in the Roman province of Lower Pannonia. The study attempts to understand and explain, as far as possible, the spread and characteristics of the veneration of Liber in Taurunum on the basis of the nine votive altars with reliefs and inscriptions, preserved in a fragmentary state. The dedications to Liber and the Dionysian reliefs of Taurunum most likely came from a sanctuary that would be one of the few in this part of the Danube limes. Taurunum, a well-known naval base, was located in the plain alluvial area of Pannonia, and with its fertile land, it was very suitable for agriculture and viticulture. It could be hypothesized that also in Taurunum, as in the places close to the Pannonian limes (Popovac, Almus Mons, Cibalae), as well as in the limes of Moesia Superiore (Singidunum, Smederevo, Aureus Mons), viticulture was part of the daily life of the inhabitants. Unfortunately, systematic archaeological excavations have never been carried out in Zemun, and this does not allow us to reach more in-depth conclusions.