Vagdavercustis
Encyclopedia
The goddess Vagdavercustis is known from a dedicatory inscription on an altar found at Cologne
(Köln), Germany
. The stone dates from around the 2nd century CE and is now in a museum in Cologne (Köln).
The inscription appears on the front of the altar above a carved relief
of five male figures carrying out a ritual. The officiant in the center is wearing a toga
and has his head covered (capite velato). He extends his hand toward an altar in order to burn incense, a box of which is held by a boy to the left. Behind them is an aulos
-player, whose music would be intended to "drown out inauspicious noises." The figure between the aulist and the officiant is worn and reveals little. The fifth, to the far right, is bearded and wearing a garment that is not a toga; he carries something slung over his right shoulder.
The inscription reads as follows:
Roughly translated into English, the inscription can be read as:
The altar was dedicated by a Roman citizen, and the iconography is that of a traditional Roman
sacrifice, but Vagdavercustis was most likely a native Germanic or Celtic goddess. It was not unusual, and perhaps even customary, for Roman officials in the provinces
to honor local gods as a way to maintain local goodwill. There is some evidence that Vagdavercustis was worshipped by the Batavians
(a Germanic tribe reported by Tacitus
to have lived around the Rhine delta, in the area that is currently the Netherlands) in the region between present-day Netherlands
and Cologne (Köln).
The paucity of evidence pertaining to Vagdavercustis has led to abundant interpretations of her significance. Trees are depicted on the side panels of the altar, suggesting a vegetative function. She may be related to Virtus, the Roman god of military virtue. Since she occurs only at Cologne, she may be a localized deity of place. The name has been taken to mean "protectress of war dancers," with Vagdavercustis characterized as a war goddess.
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
(Köln), Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The stone dates from around the 2nd century CE and is now in a museum in Cologne (Köln).
The inscription appears on the front of the altar above a carved relief
Relief
Relief is a sculptural technique. The term relief is from the Latin verb levo, to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is thus to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane...
of five male figures carrying out a ritual. The officiant in the center is wearing a toga
Toga
The toga, a distinctive garment of Ancient Rome, was a cloth of perhaps 20 ft in length which was wrapped around the body and was generally worn over a tunic. The toga was made of wool, and the tunic under it often was made of linen. After the 2nd century BC, the toga was a garment worn...
and has his head covered (capite velato). He extends his hand toward an altar in order to burn incense, a box of which is held by a boy to the left. Behind them is an aulos
Aulos
An aulos or tibia was an ancient Greek wind instrument, depicted often in art and also attested by archaeology.An aulete was the musician who performed on an aulos...
-player, whose music would be intended to "drown out inauspicious noises." The figure between the aulist and the officiant is worn and reveals little. The fifth, to the far right, is bearded and wearing a garment that is not a toga; he carries something slung over his right shoulder.
The inscription reads as follows:
-
- Deae
- Vagdavercusti
- Titus Flavius
- Constans Praef
- Praet EMV
- Deae
Roughly translated into English, the inscription can be read as:
-
- To the Goddess
- Vagdavercustis,
- Titus Flavius
- Constans, Prefect
- of the PraetoriansPraetorian GuardThe Praetorian Guard was a force of bodyguards used by Roman Emperors. The title was already used during the Roman Republic for the guards of Roman generals, at least since the rise to prominence of the Scipio family around 275 BC...
, [dedicated this] in his distinguished memory."
The altar was dedicated by a Roman citizen, and the iconography is that of a traditional Roman
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...
sacrifice, but Vagdavercustis was most likely a native Germanic or Celtic goddess. It was not unusual, and perhaps even customary, for Roman officials in the provinces
Roman province
In Ancient Rome, a province was the basic, and, until the Tetrarchy , largest territorial and administrative unit of the empire's territorial possessions outside of Italy...
to honor local gods as a way to maintain local goodwill. There is some evidence that Vagdavercustis was worshipped by the Batavians
Batavians
The Batavi were an ancient Germanic tribe, originally part of the Chatti, reported by Tacitus to have lived around the Rhine delta, in the area that is currently the Netherlands, "an uninhabited district on the extremity of the coast of Gaul, and also of a neighbouring island, surrounded by the...
(a Germanic tribe reported by Tacitus
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
to have lived around the Rhine delta, in the area that is currently the Netherlands) in the region between present-day Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Cologne (Köln).
The paucity of evidence pertaining to Vagdavercustis has led to abundant interpretations of her significance. Trees are depicted on the side panels of the altar, suggesting a vegetative function. She may be related to Virtus, the Roman god of military virtue. Since she occurs only at Cologne, she may be a localized deity of place. The name has been taken to mean "protectress of war dancers," with Vagdavercustis characterized as a war goddess.