A ceramic "crustulum" from Štrbinci near Đakovo

Abstract

While undertaking construction works during the sixties a fragment of a ceramic relief medallion was found in Strbinci, at an ancient archaeological site some 3 km to the south-east of Dakovo; thus any precise context of the finding is lacking so far. Moreover, the quantity and quality of the archaeological material from Strbinci, collected more by chance than by archaeological investigations speak in favour of the hypothesis that this was the site of Roman Certissia known from geographical and cartographical sources. The ceramic medallion from Strbinci is a durable imitation of ritual pastery - crustula, i.e., round shape cakes that were given as gifts to participants of various public festivities and private celebrations, and that fell into a larger group of lihamina, sacrificial meals proper to the Roman religious ritual from time immemorial. Archaeological traces of edible sacrificial cakes are twofold: 1) moulds (matrices) with scenes made in negative used in the production of cakes, 2) models in relief that might have been either moulds for making moulds - patrices (Germ, die Patrize), or ceramic imitations of cakes as lasting substitutes for the eatables. It is interesting that a rather large number of moulds and models has been found in northern Pannonia, in the area of Hungary in particular, while only three examples have been known - or rather, published up to now - from the northern Croatia (southern Pannonia): two from Cibalae and one from Strbinci, the latter being the topic of this paper.Andras Alfoldi is the first and the only author so far who in 1938 conducted an in-depth enquiry concerning this particular group of ceramic products from the Danube provinces. His opinion is that crustula were made and given as gifts to folk mostly on die occasions of New Year festivities or other feasts linked with the imperial cult. Therefore, he connects all the motives appearing on crustula (among which prevail scenes representing emperors and their families, and scenes with Isis and Serapis, the Egyptian divine couple, or other gods - Mercury in particular) with the worshipping of the emperor who was regarded as a guarantee of the happiness of the Empire. The scene from the r.rustulum from Strbinci analysed in the light of this Alfdldi's theory could have been used on some occasion connected either with die imperial cult, or some religious feasts. Answer to this question should be looked for in the monographic and theological analyses of the joint scene of Fortnna and Mercury. Although one third of the object is missing, preserved elements enable a reliable reconstruction: the divine couple was represented in its classical Roman iconography without traces of Fortuna's syncretism wilh Isis. Fortuna and Mercury shared a series of common characteristics and jurisdictions: they were prophetic and universal gods; lords of good and bad luck, that is, of destiny; protectors of fertility and abundance, of merchants and bankers, and of navigation and travelling; finally, they were peacekeepers and protectors of imperial dynasty. Sometimes a term augustus/augiista indicates their connection with the imperial cult; however, as this epithet was given to other gods on various occasions, it cannot be considered the characteristic feature of the connection wilh the imperial cult. Some of the enumerated common characteristics are universal in a certain way and are proper to some other gods. However, the protection of travelling and navigation in the sense of a mercantile profit and luck is a rather specific and real domain. In the light of this conclusion, the alliance of Fortuna and Mercury points out llic possible occasion on which these two gods might have appeared together on the feast cake: it is known dial various associations based on economic, religious and social grounds (corporaliones, collegia, societates) chose as protectors of their activities those gods whose characteristics and jurisdictions were precisely connected widt a specific craftwork. Tn that regard, epigraphic and literary sources confirm that merchants and bankers very often addressed to Fortuna and Mercury. It is also known dial sporlulae - baskets with food and money - were often distributed during various corporate festivities, possibly including Lite feast pastcry, i.c. cakes. Therefore, die scene of Fortuna and Mercury represented on the feast cake might have been connected with either religious feast or some other festivity organised by a corporation of merchants from Certissia; on that account, this motif should not necessarily have been connected with the imperial cult. On the other hand, such an object connected wilh a corporation also speaks in favour of the urban character of the site, and the object presented in this paper is yet another argument in favour of the hypothesis that dre Roman Certissia was indeed located in Strbinci.