Appliques in the form of Atis’ head from the roman province Dalmatia

Abstract

Appliques in the form of a youth with the Phrygian cap on his head are treated as Atis’ heads in professional publications. But two appliques from Nin (Aenona) have one feature of iconographic meaning more which proves It is really presentation of Atis face. Namely, the Phrygian caps of these two appliques are ornamented by dots, in a form of parallel lines embosed on me, and grouped in the forms of letters L, S, T, etc. on the other applique. According to the emperor Julian’s and a philosopher Salustius' information concerning Atis's tiara decorated with stars, this ornament can be explained as a material trace with relation to written sources represeoting Atis as a heavenly deity. Appliques from the province Dalmatia were parts of mostly urn graves inventory. Usually two of them were placed in a grave as parts of some objects of undefined form and purpose (boxes po.sibly) related to religion of the departed one. 'Phis conclusion stems from the fact that, the development of metroic (1. e. referred to Magna Mater, religion was confirmed by other finds as wetl in all the regions and places of Dalmatia where the appliques were found. To a certaiin degree a relativelly small number of the applique-tinds in the graves of small settlements (mostly on the province coast - Aenona, Blandona, Salona, Aequum, Diluntum) indicated they were object of a certain specific, i. e. religious and not a common, i.e. decorative function and character. Functions of Atis1 (and Kibela's) statuettes, analogous with each other and found at the necropolises throughout the Empire, e. g. at AmphipoMs, lead to a conclusion Lhal appliques in the form of Atis’ head had a cult character. The most similar to the appliques in the form of Atis' head, in the province, are analogous depictions on the grave-stones. These are figures of lamenting AUses ubiquitos im a great number on the grave-stone altars throughout the province, so that in spite of not such a great number of them at the places where the appliques can be found (e. g. there are no grave stones with the figures of lamenting Atises in Aenona), its is still highly possible that both types of depiction (the appliques in the graves and lamenting Atises on the grave-stones) had the same function. That’s why it is highly possible that figures of lamenting Atises had religious character as well, concerning visions of afterlife based on echatological characteristics of metroic doctrine, and not the expression of pain and grief after lost relative or friend. Production of the appliques in the form of Atis’ head must be searched in one ni several centres of eastern or northern Adriatic (from Salona to Aquileia). With regard to tecnologica! characteristics of the appliques as well as some specific solutions (a hole-marked pupils) and considering a period of time with the development of metroic religion on the province coast (particularly Intense development followed after the reform of metroic cult and of clergy carried out by Antoninus Pius in the last years of his rule), appliques in the form of Atis’ head were producted and used in the second half of the 2nd and in the 3rd cent., possibly a little aei'l'ier.