Bienvenue sur le site du musée d'Argentomagus

Religion and the world of the dead
Domain of the divine The imperial cult The gods The oriental divinities The indigenous gods Private cults Christianisation The world of the dead

Helios-Sérapis

In 1970, a limestone head of Helios Serapis was unearthed in the cultural area. Bearded, moustachioed and with a good head of hair, the god wore on top of his head a small flat cylinder, his most distinguishing characteristic, the calathos - the scared basket - a symbol of fertility and abundance.

An Egyptian god whose cult rose to its greatest significance at Alexandria during the reign of Ptolemy I (305 - 283 BC), the Greek king of Egypt, he enjoyed a revival under the Roman Empire. Forty examples of him have been found in Gaul.

By contrast, seriously less plentiful, are images of Serapis assimilated with Helios, the Greek god who personified the sun..

Beautifully-made, the head of Helios Serapis from Argentomagus, completed in the 3rd century AD from local limestone, must have been inspired by Hellenistic drawings and offers an insight into Alexandrian creations.

Cybele

The goddess Cybele, originally from Phrygia in Asia Minor - Turkey in new money - was initially worshipped at Pessinonte and on mount Ida as a goddess of the earth and mistress of wild cats. Known variously as "Grandmother of the Gods", "Mother of Gods" or "Great Goddess of Phrygia", she personified the forces of nature. Her cult became widespread in Gaul between the end of the 1st century and the middle of the 3rd century, mainly in the Rhône valley, Provence and the Narbonne region but with two main centres: Vienne and Lyon.

This eastern deity was honoured at Argentomagus. Discovered in the cultural area was the fragment of a band, probably originating from an altar or a pedestal, bearing the inscription "(M) ATR (I) DEVM". This dedication to the "Mother of the Gods" was made by a priest at the altar in Lyon.

Attis

The presence of another Phrygian god, Attis, companion of Cybele, in Argentomagus has only just been discovered. A shepherd, Attis was driven crazy by the "Mother of the Gods" who caused him to castrate himself and die. Loved by the goddess after his emasculation, he travelled with her in her chariot throughout the mountains of Phrygia.

This union of eastern gods in the Argentomagus sanctuary in the 3rd century appears to be quite unusual in central Gaul within a secondary town, and their presence is thus probably due to the influence of only a small number of individuals.

--------------------