Soranus
Encyclopedia
Soranus was a Sabine
god adopted into ancient Roman religion
. He was worshipped on Mt. Soracte in Etruria
. The area was sacred to underworld gods, like Diespiter
.
The worshippers of Apollo Soranus, after his cult had been subsumed by Apollo, were called Hirpi Sorani ("wolves of Soranus", from Sabine hirpus "wolf"). They were firewalkers
and carried about the entrails of the victims during ceremonies.
Soranus was identified with Dis
, the Roman god of the underworld, or with Apollo
, a Greek god adopted by the Romans, and had a female partner, Feronia
, whose sanctuary was located next to his.
Sabine
The Sabines were an Italic tribe that lived in the central Appennines of ancient Italy, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome...
god adopted into ancient Roman religion
Religion in ancient Rome
Religion in ancient Rome encompassed the religious beliefs and cult practices regarded by the Romans as indigenous and central to their identity as a people, as well as the various and many cults imported from other peoples brought under Roman rule. Romans thus offered cult to innumerable deities...
. He was worshipped on Mt. Soracte in Etruria
Etruria
Etruria—usually referred to in Greek and Latin source texts as Tyrrhenia—was a region of Central Italy, an area that covered part of what now are Tuscany, Latium, Emilia-Romagna, and Umbria. A particularly noteworthy work dealing with Etruscan locations is D. H...
. The area was sacred to underworld gods, like Diespiter
Dis Pater
Dis Pater, or Dispater was a Roman god of the underworld, later subsumed by Pluto or Hades. Originally a chthonic god of riches, fertile agricultural land, and underground mineral wealth, he was later commonly equated with the Roman deities Pluto and Orcus, becoming an underworld deity.Dis Pater...
.
The worshippers of Apollo Soranus, after his cult had been subsumed by Apollo, were called Hirpi Sorani ("wolves of Soranus", from Sabine hirpus "wolf"). They were firewalkers
Fire-walking
Firewalking is the act of walking barefoot over a bed of hot embers or stones.Firewalking has been practiced by many people and cultures in all parts of the world, with the earliest known reference dating back to Iron Age India – c. 1200 BC...
and carried about the entrails of the victims during ceremonies.
Soranus was identified with Dis
Dis Pater
Dis Pater, or Dispater was a Roman god of the underworld, later subsumed by Pluto or Hades. Originally a chthonic god of riches, fertile agricultural land, and underground mineral wealth, he was later commonly equated with the Roman deities Pluto and Orcus, becoming an underworld deity.Dis Pater...
, the Roman god of the underworld, or with Apollo
Apollo
Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
, a Greek god adopted by the Romans, and had a female partner, Feronia
Feronia (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion, Feronia was a goddess broadly associated with fertility and abundance. She was especially honored among plebeians and freedmen...
, whose sanctuary was located next to his.