Thread by @DocCrom

#EpigraphyTuesday – The Foss Dyke Mars: a statuette of Mars, nude apart from his rather flamboyant helmet: found on the course of the Foss Dyke in 1774, though the original find-spot is not specified. #Roman #Mars

Image: British Museum (OA.248). Link - britishmuseum.org/collection/obj…

This ca. Late 2nd – Early 3rd Century copper-alloy figure is well executed, highlighting once again the popularity of Mars as a Romano-British cult focus, as shown in other artefacts such as the Barkway Plaque.

https://twitter.com/DocCrom/status/1476171064547885058?s=20&t=VwgOCTUZCszpHSjkhpdBXg

The inscription runs across two of the panels on the base:

Deo Mar(ti) et
Nu(mini)b(us) Aug(ustorum) Col-
asuni Brucci-
us et Caratius de
suo donarunt

ad sester(tios) n(ummos) c(entum)
Celatus aerar-
ius fecit et aera-
menti lib(ram) donav-
it factam (denariis) III

Translation:

'To the god Mars and the Divinities of the Emperors, the Colasuni - Bruccius and Caratius - presented this at their own expense at a cost of 100 sesterces; Celatus the coppersmith fashioned it and gave a pound of bronze made at the cost of three denarii.'

Thus the statuette serves as a fascinating example of the adherence to Roman cult by the inhabitants of Roman Britain, and the scale of the expenditure (ad sester(tios) n(ummos) c(entum)) on the item is particularly notable.

Image: RIB 274 - Drawn by R.G.C., 1936

Likewise, the mention of the craftsman, Celatus, is a lovely moment of identity for what is all too often an anonymous group of individuals in the ancient world.

Given the weight of the statuette is 1645g (5 Roman pounds), the metal would have cost ca. 60 sesterces, thus meaning the craftsman’s fee was some 40 sesterces, but 12 of this went on the bronze he donated to the piece. This likely accounts for his prominence in the inscription.

For the RIB entry for this piece (274), see:

romaninscriptionsofbritain.org/inscriptions/2…

#EpigraphyTuesday #Roman #Mars 🧵