‘Simulacra deorum’ in the Epigraphy of Moesia inferior and Scythia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24193/subbhist.2026.1.09Keywords:
simulacrum/simulacra, Moesia inferior, Scythia, Dionysopolis, Salsovia, LiciniusAbstract
The term simulacrum/simulacra is only used once in the epigraphy of the province of Moesia inferior to describe statues of deities but appears three times in inscriptions from the late Roman province of Scythia during the reign of Licinius. This cannot be mere coincidence. This paper examines the use of the term and reveals that it formed part of Licinius’ legislation to reinstate pagan deity statues in the Lower Danubian provinces.
Rezumat: Termenul „simulacrum/simulacra” este folosit o singură dată în epigrafia provinciei Moesia inferior pentru a descrie statuile zeităților, dar apare de trei ori în inscripțiile din provincia romană târzie Scythia, în timpul domniei lui Licinius. Acest lucru nu poate fi o simplă coincidență. Lucrarea de față examinează utilizarea termenului și arată că acesta făcea parte din legislația lui Licinius menită să reinstaureze statuile zeităților păgâne în provinciile din zona Dunării Inferioare.
Cuvinte cheie: simulacrum/simulacra, Moesia inferior, Scythia, Dionysopolis, Salsovia, Licinius
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Abbreviations
IGLR – Em. Popescu, Inscriptiones intra fines Dacoromaniae repertae Graecae et Latinae anno CCLXXXIV recentiores, Bucharest, 1976.
InscrDion – N. Sharankov, Antičnite nadpisi na Dionisopol, Sofia, 2024.
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