Amfiteatar i zapadni bedemi Salone

S obzirom na monumentalan izgled po uzoru na rimski Coloseum, salonitanski amfiteatar je nastao vjerojatno u doba Flavijevaca. Prvobitno podignut na periferiji grada za vrijeme Marka Aurelija, obuhvaćen je novim prstenom bedema u jedinstveni fortifikacijski sustav zapadnoga dijela grada. Otvoreno je pitanje gdje su ranije za julijevsko-klaudijevske dinastije održavane gladijatorske igre u Saloni

St John’s Church in Stari Grad on Hvar Island

The Church of St John in Stari Grad was built within the Greek insula, converted in Roman times, alongside the eastern gate of the city. Archaeological excavations revealed a unique heritage complex of city walls and residential architecture within which the still preserved northern Early Christian church (St John’s) represents the starting point for the creation and development of the Christianity of the Hvar diocese and the island of Hvar

Topografija antičke Salone (III) Salonitanska Urbs occidentalis

Salonitanska Urbs occidentalis nastaje podizanjem novoga prstena bedema oko suburbija sa zapadne strane stare gradske jezgre (Urbs vetus) pod prvim barbarskim pritiskom na granice Rimskoga Carstva za vrijeme cara Marka Aurelija (170.). U novom gradskom prostoru obuhvaćen je ranije sagrađeni amfiteatar i dio nekropole koji otada prestaje biti u funkciji. U kasnoj antici nastaje trobrodna bazilika uz Via Principalis. U ovom radu iznosi se pregled dosadašnjih istraživanja spomenika u zapadnom dijelu grada (Urbs occidentalis)

Topografija antičke Salone (I) Salonitanska Urbs vetus

Salona, glavni grad rimske provincije Dalmacije, i njezini spomenici-kako oni monumentalnoga - javnog karaktera tako i oni vezani uz svakodnevni život - odavno su u fokusu znanstvenih istraživanjima, ali su većinom poznati samo u glavnim obrisima. Uočene su dileme o vremenu njihova nastanka i razvojnim promjenama uvjetovanim urbanističkim zahvatima ili svakodnevnim potrebama. Saloni nedostaju sustavna istraživanja ne samo terenskoga karaktera već i ona na stvaranju osnovne baze podataka o svim dosad poznatim arheološkim nalazima, spomenicima i urbanističkim elementima razvoja antičkoga grada, osobito za najranije povijesti. Stoga su u ovom radu obuhvaćeni podatci o poznatim javnim građevinama najstarijega dijela grada, Urbs vetus, koji će se nadopunjavati ostalim arheološkim nalazima upotpunjujući povijesno-topografsku sliku antičke Salone. Na taj način dostupna baza podataka bit će dragocjena podloga za planiranje zaštite i prezentacije arheoloških lokaliteta Salone, a posebna vrijednost je u mogućnosti njezine primjene u izradi detaljnih planova pojedinih zona grada Solina

VOTIVE GIFTS FROM THE TEMPLES OF SALONA

Mramorna skulptura pronađena u kontekstu spolia iz Jupiterova hrama na forumu istočnog dijela grada (Urbs orientalis) bila je vjerojatno votivni dar. Kip dječaka sa svojim ljubimcem nastao je prema helenističkoj maniri u rimsko vrijeme kada se javlja osobiti interes za ove motive helenističke umjetnosti. Slične namjene je vjerojatno odavno poznata skupina malih satira u borbi s golemom zmijom, jedinstven spomenik te tematike cjelovito sačuvan. Skulptura je mogla pripadati kultnom središtu najstarije gradske jezgre (Urbs vetus) gdje se nalazio Dionizov – Liberov hram i teatar. Navedeni primjeri pokazuju visoku umjetničku kvalitetu salonitanske votivne skulpture.In the context of the spolia from the demolished Temple of Jupiter cast aside into the channel by the branch of the river that flowed alongside the forum in the centre of Salona’s Urbs orientalis a marble sculpture found in almost completely integral condition was found. A statue of a boy seated on an oval base playing with his pet, probably a dog, was one of the favourite motifs of Hellenistic art, known to us on the whole via Roman copies. The best known replicas of these Hellenistic sculptures come from the Roman period – the boy with a goose from Ephesus for example, in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna and the Vatican Museums in Rome, or Heracles with two serpents from the Roman Capitoline Museums. These depictions of naked boys usually placed on flat bases of various shapes in a typically pyramidal composition, like the Salona sculpture, and statues of boys or girls with pets in general, were very popular votive gifts meant for the ancient temples (Eileithyia /Agrae, Brauron). Scenes with figures illustrative of everyday life, or genre scenes, appeared for the first time in Hellenistic art, and in the writing of the time, as in the descriptions of the statues in the forecourt of the Temple of Aesculapius on Kos Island (Herondas, Mimiambus IV 30-34) or historical sources where the »celebrated« artist Boethos is mentioned (Pliny, Pausanius). Particular interest in these motifs of Hellenistic art reappeared in the Roman period, in the Flavian and then again in the later Antonine period. The Salona sculpture of the boy playing with his four-footed friend was probably, from the context of the finds, a votive gift in the Temple of Jupiter. Apart from that, the marble statue of the boy was found together with coffered slabs of the ceiling of the temple with motifs of diamond shapes decorated with acanthus leaves that can be dated to the end of the 2nd century AD. The votive gift of the marble statue might belong to this time as well, since this part of the city was developed during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. A new forum that was to be dominated by the Temple of Jupiter was planned for its centre. The contented and happy child with a smile on his face expresses the innocence of childhood in contrast with the pathos of the age and exhaustion of figures that are often grotesque, reflecting their interior spiritual lives, a characteristic of Hellenistic art. This is confirmed by a letter of Pliny the Younger to Annius Severus (Epistulae, III, 6) in which there is discussion of the dedication of the bronze statue of an old man in the local temple of Jupiter. Is it possible in this context to consider the genre of the fisherman sculpture found in Salona, although without, unfortunately, any data concerning the place circumstances of the find? This is the marble torso of a fisherman, very expressive in the musculature of the naked body of the old man, who has a scanty subligaculum around his loins. This is a very high quality work of a favourite figure of Hellenistic art that, in the opinion of Nenad Cambi derives from the Flavian age. The marble sculpture with satyrs, until recently lost, that was from 1857 part of a private collection in Graz, was discovered in Salona probably during the 19th century. A. Schober first published an account of it for the academic community, providing as he did so information about the origin of the work of art, which shows that it was found in the Salona space. It is mentioned by M. Abramić, who states that together with the sculpture of the satyrs, a torso of the Roman emperor from Salona was also purchased. The group of young satyrs is being attacked by a huge snake that is squeezing their bodies, and the pathetic looks on their faces reveal how helpless they are. The Salona sculpture is probably a Roman copy of some well-known work of art done in the Hellenistic manner, as is confirmed by the finding of a very similar composition in the neighbourhood of San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome but also known only from a remark in a letter addressed to Lorenzo the Magnificent long ago in 1488. The long-known group of satyrs from the nymphaeum at the Porta San Lorenzo in Rome, today exhibited in the Montemartini Museum, dated to about 100 BC, is similar in theme and style. The manner of depicting these sculptures is often compared in scholarship with the Laocoon group, the idea being that the satyr group knitted up in the coils of the snake represents a parodic allusion to the Trojan myth. It is still unresolved what the original purpose of the satyr sculpture found in the nymphaeum close to the Porta San Lorenzo was since it is not in accordance with the cult programme of the other sculptures. Because the satyrs in peril were originally placed in a different context, the question has to be raised whether it was in the usual garden setting of some villa, where satyr statues are a frequent decoration or the space of a shrine, perhaps one to Dionysus? The same question holds true for the Salona group of three young satyrs struggling with the huge snake, since we don’t have any data about the circumstances of the find. In the immediate vicinity of the Salona forum a marble torso was found that, together with the satyrs, found its way into the same private collection and so it can perhaps be assumed that both sculptures derive from the same part of the city. It was in the vicinity of the forum that the theatre lay, and on its southern side the temple of Dionysus, or Liber. Alongside this Salona temple that preceded the construction of the theatre, to which it was clearly connected, there were also other temples. In this place, probably as early as the 1st century BC, there was a cult centre in the complex of which the building of the theatre was later erected, as recently confirmed by the discovery of the basic structure of one of these shrines. The pathetic group of three young satyrs being cruelly squeezed in the deadly coils of the huge snake done in Hellenistic manner was probably related to a cult. Satyrs are closely connected with the cult of Dionysus, terrible god of the primordial power of nature. But also connected with that cult is the Greek satyr play that usually concluded a trilogy. An idea of this is without doubt given by Euripides’ Cyclops together with Busiris, Skiron and Silenus, in which the satyrs are the slaves of some monster, and in this manner their cowardice and cunning are expressed with farce. A perfect reflection of this satyr play is represented by the Salona sculpture. The mythological group with its exaggerated theatrical pathos and the characteristic pyramidal composition is a first rate reproduction of the style of Hellenistic baroque. The sculpture was probably displayed in some public space in Salona. Telling in this respect is its content, related to the cult of Dionysus. Was it perhaps placed in the theatre itself, where there were actually many ancient sculptures? Was the satyr group perhaps a votive gift to one of the temples or shrines near the theatre? In this context it is worth placing the emphasis on the hypothesis referred already to about the connection of the Roman sculpture of satyrs from the nymphaeum near Porta San Lorenzo with some Dionysian shrine as being the original setting of the artwork. The examples cited show that in the Salona temples there were also artworks of very high quality. Unfortunately, Salona cult sculpture is but little known, whether of depictions of the gods or votive gifts made to them. The Salona pantheon is complemented with relief depictions of various deities and more numerous votive inscriptions, which shows beyond a doubt the practice of numerous cults. The very small number of traces of pagan religious buildings known to date shows, according to Dyggve, that they were systematically pulled down. Should the marked lack of cult sculpture be considered in this light? Were the statues of the gods and their cult communities also destroyed root and branch, like the temples and shrines in which they were originally displayed? The sculpture of the boy at play with his pet, a votive gift in the Temple of Jupiter on the forum of the eastern part of the city (Urbs orientalis), or the group of little satyrs giving battle to the huge snake, which might have belonged to the cult centre of the oldest city core (Urbs vetus) in which Dionysus’ temple and the theatre were located, show the high artistic level of Salona cult sculpture. In this context a rather well preserved marble statue of Venus Victrix from the temple close to Porta Andetria stands out. The marble heads of the goddess with traces of pigment in her hair or that with a floral diadem, like the marble torso of Dionysus, or Hermes, Aesculapius and Heracles, are in no way deficient in artistic quality. But alas they are largely unaccompanied by information about the circumstances of the finds and the locations of the shrines are also unknown. Is this a question of imported Roman works, or could some of them have derived from local masons’ workshops, irrespective of their having been made of marble? Clearly the Salona citizens ordered copies of known sculptures, which is confirmed by the group of satyrs according to the description of the long-since lost Roman artwork, or the similarity with that from the nymphaeum by Porta S. Lorenzo in Rome. Hence it can be assumed that some of the marble replicas of celebrated sculptures might have been created in the workshops of Salona in which they also endeavoured to imitate known models of artworks. It will perhaps be possible to say a little more about this only after more complete research into the Salona monuments, when an attempt can be made to answer the question as to why so few excellent sculptures of a cult nature have so far been discovered in Salona, when the size and importance of the principal city of the province of Dalmatia are considered

EARLY CHRISTIAN ALTAR IN GATA

Tip oltara cippusa sa fenestellom confessionis primijenjen u ranokršćanskoj crkvi u Gatima izdvaja se iz dosad poznatih oblika ranokršćanskog oltara rimske provincije Dalmacije. Kako pokazuju brojni nalazi izgleda da je bio popularniji najstariji tip oltara - stola i to u varijanti sa četiri ugaona stupica, koji se dugo zadržao u upotrebi. Promatran u tom kontekstu gatački oltar predstavlja iznimku koja se potpuno uklapa u srediste isto tako osobite ranobizantske građevine Justinijanovog vremena.The altar of an Early Christian church at Gata, that unique double shell central structure from the 6th century was placed in the main apse of its tri-conch centre. It was raised above the rectangular confessio situated in the central axis of the presbitery. Among the fragments of the church interior some parts of the altar, consisting of several different elements, were found. Its mensa is made of yellowish-white marble with the characteristic moulding framing its concave surface. The small pillars, supporting the mensa are made of white marble with achantus capitals of classical form and were fixed to the base made of bituminous limestone. On the basis of these elements it might be assumed that an Early Christian altar in Gata belongs to that simple type of altar mensa very common in the Early Christian churches of the Roman Province of Dalmatia (numerous Salonitan basilicas, Sv. Stjepan at Sumpetar, churches at Sutivan, Postira, Lovrečina etc.) and in other provinces in the Empire. However, the archaeological excavations of the Gata church have yielded some finds which together with the mentioned fragments would suggest another altar type. That is so called cippus type which is of a more recent origin when relics were placed inside the altar. The closest parallels to the cippus altar Eufrasius\u27 altar in Porec and other famous altars in the Ravenna Early Christian basilicas from the 6th century (in Neonian Baptistery, two altars in S. Apollinare in Classe, in the Basilica Pomposa, Bagnocavallo etc.). Since the Early Christian plastic of the Gata church reveals some elements similar to the cippus altar Ravenna, general reconstruction of its original appearance might be assumed. This altar type, so popular in Ravenna, spread to the surrounding area and the upper Adriatic, might have originated the Ravenna workshops after models from Constatinople. This does not exclude the possibility of direct import from the latter\u27s workshops. The altar Gata can be discussed in this context. Its cippus stands out from the other parts --the mensa, pillars and base which are typical products of the local workshops. It is close in shape to those from Ravenna, but differs from them in the peculiar rendering of its sculpture executed in champleve technique. The origin of this peculiar Late Roman technique should be looked for in Oriental workshops. The Oriental origin of the Gata cippus in also suggested by its iconographic representation of Resurrection executed in the lunetta above fenestella confessionis, again in champleve technique. The cippus with fenestella confessionis in the Early Christian church at Gata stands out from those forms of the Early Christian altars in the province of Dalmatia known about up to now. Judging from numerous finds, the oldest type of altar mensa with four corner pillars supporting the mensa must have been much more popular and were longer lasting. That is why the Gata altar is an exception which perfectly fits into the centre of equally special early Byzantine structure from Justinian\u27s time

The Governor’s Palace in Salona

Na temelju otkrića stupa s natpisom SCRIB COS, scrib(a) co(n)s(ularis) don Frane Bulić ubicirao je palaču namjesnika provincije Dalmacije gdje je potom pronađeno više slojeva mozaika s figuralnim prikazima (Apolona, Tritona i Orfeja) i geometrijskom ornamentikom. Analizom dokumentacije napravljene za vrijeme istraživanja 1942. godine, može se razlučiti osnovni oblik građevine, tj. klasični tip rimske vile sa središnjim atrijem, koja se nalazila uz glavni dekuman. Već na prvi pogled primjećuju se tijekom vremena znatna preuređenja pojedinih prostora i dvorana osnovnog korpusa palače, a osobito u vrijeme cara Dioklecijana. To nedvojbeno potvrđuje carev gentilicij Valeria u službenom nazivu grada naveden na reljefu salonitanske Tihe koji je tvorio dio lučnog ukrasa ulaza u namjesnikovu palaču. Autorica rekonstruira izgled monumentalnih vrata gdje se u ključnom kamenu nalazio prikaz Rome čiji je lik flankirao treći, zasad nepoznati reljef.Following up on an accidental discovery of a column that had on it the inscription SCRIB COS, scrib(a) co(n)s(ularis) back in 1916, Frane Bulic located the office of the governor’s secretary, in other words, the palace of the governor of Dalmatia. In this place several layers of mosaics were found, Bulić focusing on those with depictions of Apollo, Triton and Orpheus, but in spite of all his efforts, he did not manage to buy the land. During World War II, Italian archaeologists carried out excavations in the palace during 1942 and at that time, extracted numerous mosaics, today partially exhibited in the Archaeological Museum in Split. Unfortunately, no accounts of the results of the Italian excavations were ever published, and it is only recently that Emilio Marin has provided part of the documentation of this research. Only a preliminary account of the governor’s palace revealed in the Ilinac neighbourhood (Zubanovac, cadastral parcel 3551/1) has been published. Hence it is not possible to comprehend the totality of this monumental public building, or the unique stratigraphic relation of the individual mosaic fields with figural depictions or those with geometrical ornamentation that also formed a considerable part of the whole of the arrangement of the flooring. However, through an analysis of the architectural and photographic documentation made during the excavations known so far, it is possible to distinguish the basic shape of the building. It is a classic type of Roman villa with a central atrium. At first glance it is possible to make out the considerable remodelling of individual rooms and halls of the basic corpus of the 2nd century AD palace that took place over the course of time. The entry was on the northern façade, and then through the vestibule there was access into the atrium, the central space with porticos, around an impluvium enabling access to the other rooms. One the west side of the atrium is a series of four rectangular rooms, while on the eastern side was a room of much bigger dimensions with built square pylons regularly distributed around the central pylon. These are structural elements, i.e., bearers of the cross vaults that spanned the largest hall and on the floor above it was a room of the same size. The main hall was decorated with floor mosaics with rich floral ornamentation. These elements show the final renovation of the grand hall in Late Antiquity, undoubtedly influenced by the architecture of Diocletian’s Palace. Belonging to the first layer is a mosaic showing the mythical singer Orpheus, over which is a mosaic with Triton, in the extension of which was a mosaic featuring Apollo. According to archival photography, mosaics with Triton and Apollo are above any of the other mosaics and probably belong to the last renovation of the mosaic floors of the governor’s palace. The question here arises as to whether the placing of the figure of Triton is to be linked with inscriptions of a college from the time of Diocletian: sailors who served on ships called tritons, the names of which are written on altars during the annual ceremonies of Kalendis febr(aris) menestravinus at Tritonis. The governor’s palace was much renovated, like other public buildings, in the time of Emperor Diocletian. Although for the moment only modest remains of his well known architectural activity have been confirmed in Salona, the emperor’s gentile name in the official name of the city is stated in the relief of the Salona Tyche, confirming this beyond a doubt. Since the relief belongs to the arcuate decoration of the monumental gate, and is found by what are called Five Bridges, it has been assumed that it was originally placed on the nearby city gate, Porta Caesarea. But in the immediate vicinity of the site of the discovery of the arcuate relief there was the governor’s palace. What was actually shown on the keystone of the arch beside the relief of the Salona Tyche? In a study dedicated to monuments of Minerva, D. Rendić-Miočević provides the information that together with the relief of Salonitan Tyche there was a relief found that had a depiction of a bust of Minerva or Roma on the arch stone of one of the gates in Salona. This relief of Roma is also displayed in the lapidarium of the Archaeological Museum, but is wrongly entered into the museum inventory (Cat. D 480), which has entirely suppressed its origins in Salona. That it belonged to the decorative parts of the same arch is shown beyond a doubt by the identical lines of the moulding around similarly formed niches and the stylistic characteristics of the female deities. It was above the main entrance into the governor’s palace that there were prominent relief depictions of Roma, personification of the Roman state, and Salonitan Tyche, patroness of the city. This correlates very well with the context of the propaganda and religious programme of the residence of the governor of the province of Dalmatia. Over the main entrance, then, were displayed the official symbols of Roman rule. From this point of view it can be hypothesised what there might be on the third relief, which undoubtedly flanked the goddess Roma on the other side. Since in the name of Salona there was Diocletian’s gentilicium, Valeria, which is an essential element for the time of the origin of the relief, that is, the decoration over the entrance of this important building for the government of the whole province, one should assume there was some symbol of the ruler, i.e., the emperor. It is an open question whether in this place one is to look for the figure of the ruler so present in and responsible for the renovation of not only this public building but of the whole of the capital, Salona, whence, when he stepped down from the throne, he was able still to take part in the government of the Empire

Gloria virtutem tamquam umbra sequitur

Salonitanski opus akademika Duje Rendića-Miočevića nepresušni je izvor i pravo polazište za proučavanje glavnoga grada rimske provincije Dalmacije. Brojnim studijama osvjetljavao je sa svih aspekata pojedine spomenike nastojeći pojasniti složena povijesna zbivanja od osnutka grada do prerastanja u metropolijsko središte gdje su ostvarena vrsna umjetnička djela rimske kulture.Salona, the capital city of the Roman province Dalmatia, made the focal point of the researches performed by the professor Duje Rendić-Miočević, especially the city emergence and development from the earliest times till the late Roman period. Our knowledge of the urbanism of Salona is based on the old theses made by Ejnar Dyggve, who performed, mostly test pit, excavations of particular localities of Salona. In one of the latest large revisions of previous researches of the episcopal complex, Dyggve gathered archaeologists from the contemporary museums, thereby passing onto them his valuable experience. One of them was Duje Rendić-Miočević. Although he accepted numerous Dyggve\u27s theses on Salonitan monuments, he often subjected them to critical analyses, presenting there his own views. His unique approach is evident in some of the studies dedicated to the monumental edifices and complexes of Salona that he researched from all aspects. His far reaching thinking is being confirmed by new discoveries, such as enclosing of the previously built amphitheatre with a new ring of city ramparts. In the same way he also analysed the early Christian monuments, such as the baptistery complex, in an attempt to harmonise opinions of earlier researchers with the Dyggve\u27s suggestion of the course of the baptising liturgy. There, he also suggested some new solutions that may be supplemented with new archaeological discoveries. The Salonitan opus of Duje Rendić- Miočević makes the starting point for future researches of Salona

RELIEFS WITH DEPICTIONS OF THE LABOURS OF HERACLES IN THE CHURCH OF ST CAIUS IN SALONA

U crkvi sv. Kaja u Solinu nalazi se rimski "sarkofag" s prikazom Heraklovih djela, izvorno isklesan u litici unutar male spilje. Spomenik u obliku sanduka u neposrednoj blizini zapadne salonitanske nekropole bio je presudan da se u dosadašnjoj literaturi protumači kao antički sarkofag. Budući da je podzemni potok izvirao u spilji, a voda se skupljala u kamenom recipijentu s Heraklovim reljefima, odakle je otjecala, autorica prepoznaje Heraklovo svetište u prirodi. Tradicija o posvećenoj vodi sačuvana je do danas štovanjem Sv. Kaja pape, potvrđujući važnost antičkog izvora posvećenog Heraklu.During the visit of Austrian Emperor Francis I to Dalmatia as well as to the monuments of Salona, in a little cave, what was called a sarcophagus with depictions of the labours of Heracles was discovered. Carved out of the living rock, it was protected first of all by the building of a chapel, and then of a church dedicated to St Caius the Pope, in which it served as an altar. The labours of the very popular deified hero of the antique world, the Greek Heracles, or the Roman Hercules, were shown in high relief. These are individual scenes of his life, particularly of the well-known cycle of the 12 Labours performed for the king of Mycenae: Heracles and Cerberus, Heracles taking Alcestis from the underground, Heracles and the Stymphalian birds, and the apples of the gardens of the Hesperides. Since the reliefs are carved on a stone chest the appearance of which recalls a sarcophagus, and since it lies in the immediate vicinity of the western Salona necropolis, this was crucial for the monument in the literature to date having been interpreted as an antique sarcophagus. This was contributed to by its identification with the tomb of St Caius Pope and Martyr, since it was used as altar in the sanctuary of the church dedicated to him. However the very existence of a spring and of the water that collected in the stone chest, a recipient, with the reliefs of Heracles, from which it flowed out as if consecrated, rules out the possibility of interpreting the monument as antique sarcophagus. It is very likely a shrine to Heracles placed in nature. The tradition about the holy water has been preserved down to this very day through the cult and reverence for St Caius the Pope, confirming the importance of the ancient spring dedicated to Heracles. The monument, of a very high artistic quality, the stone of which is polished until it resembles marble, was created by the local craftsmen of the Salona workshops according to models of imported plastics, which figured a lot in Salona. Heracles\u27s shrine in nature with a spring in the rocks of a cliff from which reliefs with the exploits of Heracles were carved out is an outstanding example of a cult of a deified ancient hero. According to finds to date, reverence for Heracles was extremely widely distributed in the Roman province of Dalmatia, particularly in the capital and environs. The placing of a sculpture in the city forum of the Roman colony of the meritorious military veterans in Aequum or in some private settings, as N. Cambi considers with respect to two Salona sculptures found in the channels of the Jadro River, that is, by the Five Bridges or in the nearby ancient quarries, confirms the places and context of the Heracles cult. From this point of view, the cult of Heracles at a spring, as shrine in nature - perhaps once a Iucus Herculis, today the Church of St Caius, is an exceptional example, which considerably enriches our understanding of the cult of Heracles in the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia. According to the examples in Pula of Heracles shrines in nature directly linked with sources and watercourses, something similar can be assumed with respect to the cult and the reverence for it in Salona. That is, the find of a sculpture of Heracles with the Apples of the Hesperides by the Five Bridges, where the 48 channel of the Jadro flowed , and the spolia of a relief of Heracles in battle with the Nemean lion in the floor of the cathedral in the immediate vicinity perhaps belonged to the same shrine of Heracles, also alongside a watercourse. We do not know the precise place of the Roman copy of the Lysippus statue the so-called Weary Heracles found in a channel of the river of the eastern part of the town. For this reason in Urbs Orientalis, where many channels and springs were discovered in archaeological research, the reverence for the cult of Heracles was discovered, and precisely perhaps as a patron of water. In this context, the shrine in nature in St Caius\u27s harmonises very well, however, with the topic of Heracles as patron of springs and the underworld, which shows the reverence for the most popular hero of the ancient world in Roman Dalmatia in a very new light

A TEMPLE OF THE TIME OF DIOCLETIAN AT THE PORTA ANDETRIA IN SALONA

U sjeveroistočnom dijelu Urbs Orientalis zapadno od Porta Andetria otkrio je E. Dyggve hram iz Dioklecijanova doba. S obzirom na to da je u blizini pronađena mramorna skulptura Venere Victrix, vjerojatno je u pitanju hram posvećen navedenoj božici. Salonitanski hram pokazuje znatnu povezanost s kultnim građevinama Dioklecijanove palače. Ne samo da arhitektonska skulptura potječe iz istih klesarskih radionica, već je možda isti tip kultnog kipa bio u Venerinu hramu carske Palače. To neosporno potvrđuje Dioklecijanovu građevinsku aktivnost u Saloni, glavnom gradu rimske provincije Dalmacije.With the familiar observation that in Salona it is “uncommonly difficult to discover any traces at all of pagan temples” Dyggve concluded that this clearly tells of the fundamental obliteration of the evidence of pagan cult buildings. In contrast to the few temples discovered to date, the many inscriptions dedicated to various deities or fragments of sculptures of individual patron deities show a reverence for the ancient cults. Votive monuments are sometimes found detached from their original context – cult buildings and the actual shrines the traces of which are rarely preserved. A tetrastyle temple on a high dais was put up in the oldest part of the city, the so-called Urbs vetus. This is the only cult building fully explored to date. Opposite the front elevation of the temple, a theatre was later built. Before the erection of the theatre, in the central part of the city there were a few more smallish temples observed during investigations. In the immediate vicinity of the theatre, Dyggve uncovered the forum, where in the northern part he determined the foundations of the first temples. Double temples of the common prostyle type on high built pedestals very likely derived from the time of Augustus. Apart from these temples in the oldest urban core of Salona – Urbs vetus, Dyggve discovered and partially excavated in 1931 one more temple in the new eastern part, the Urbs orientalis. Since he did not complete his investigation, he published an interim report on the excavations: “Within the town-wall stands another temple the masonry of which unfortunately is badly ruined. I have, however, succeeded in laying bare a number of details from rich marble decorations The building is of particular religiohistorical interest as it is certainly the last pagan temple that was erected in the town of Salona. It dates back to about the same time as the Palace of Diocletian,” Dyggve’s archives still retain a sketch of the discovered parts of the temple, in which one can recognise part of the longitudinal wall of the building, and a square base in front. Because of the place of the find, Dyggve called the pagan cult building found “Tempel ver Porta Andetria”. To these architectural sketches and notes, two photographs of the architectural sculpture of the temple were attached, and these have been published. According to the archival photographs, it can be noticed that some of the architectural sculptures were made of marble, such as the acroterion of the roof of the temple and the very refined and rich ornamentation. Perhaps the capitals too were marble. which cannot be determined for certain from photograph documentation but this would tend to be confirmed by a large fragment of acanthus leaf, which very likely belonged to one of the capitals. Although only parts of corners with volutes and the beginning of the acanthus decoration and part of a simply moulded abacus are extant, the type of capital can be determined. They are very likely Corinthian capitals of the Asiatic type, similar to those of Proconnesian marble recently discovered from the Temple of Jupiter renovated at the time of Diocletian and located in the forum in the centre of Urbs orientalis. They are of the same time as the marble capitals that are today to be found in the Church of St Stephen on Sustipan, originally belonging to the so-called Small Temple in Diocletian’s Palace. Other architectural decorations, as one can conclude from the documentation, imposts, friezes of frames and cornices of the doors of the temple were probably made out of local limestone, as in the temples in Diocletian’s Palace. An invaluable specimen for the identification of the architectural sculpture of the previously found modest fragments of the Salona temple, according to the form and appearance of the ornamentation, is given almost entirely by the uniquely preserved Small Temple. It is not only a matter of the same type of architecture but of architectural decorations that came out of the same stone-carving workshops of domestic craftsmen, or imported imperial ones. This is supported by the employment of the same Corinthian capitals of the Asiatic type of Proconnesian marble used in the pagan cult buildings created in the same workshops and clearly commissions of the same time. This shows the incontrovertible connection of building activity between the imperial palace and Salona at the time of Diocletian. In the vicinity of the temple uncovered a marble sculpture of Venus Victrix with Cupid was found; it is placed on an oval pediment with the prominent inscription VENER(I) VICTR(ICI). Since the goddess’s sculpture was found west of Porta Andetria, like the temple, Dyggve recorded it with the question mark “Venus Tempel?” He must then have hypothesised that the sculpture might have belonged to this cult building or that the temple might have been dedicated to Venus Victrix, although only the first traces of architecture and fragments of sculpture had been unearthed. In the Archaeological Museum in Split one more sculpture of Venus is displayed. Although only the lower part of the marble sculpture with a support in the form of a dolphin is extant, the characteristic iconography of Venus pudica can be recognised, of the same kind as the Salona statue of Venus Victrix. Because the sculpture was found in Split, city that sprang from Diocletian’s Palace, its origin can be guessed at. In the imperial residence there were several temples, and probably numerous sculptures of the various deities, and imperial statues too, almost completely vanished by now, alas. North of Diocletian’s residence, i.e. the imperial palace in the true sense of the word, there were several temples. According to historical sources, the temples were consecrated quite variously. The Temple of Jupiter was the biggest building, and is also considered the imperial mausoleum. The same titular is ascribed the prostyle temple built opposite, but Aesculapius and Janus have also been suggested. In the literature, the Small Temple is sometimes just called the Temple, as distinct from the Mausoleum of Diocletian, since some authors thought it was the only temple in the palace. In front of this uniquely preserved building of the perpendicular prostyle type on a raised dais, two temples of circular form were put up. According to the description of Antonius Proculianus the southern temple was consecrated to Cybele and was circular (in figura spherical et circulare), and the northern Venus temple was hexagonal (angulare hessagona). Perhaps the marble sculpture of Venus pudica with dolphin and Cupid was originally disposed as a cult statue of the Temple of Venus in Diocletian’s Palace. In this context one should definitely point out the similarity of the choice of the Venus pudica type for the Salona sculpture of Venus victrix, which was probably the cult statue of a temple built at the time of Diocletian in the north east part of Urbs orientalis. The Salona temple of Venus Victrix put up by Porta Andetria shows some considerable connection with the cult edifices of the imperial palace. Not only do the architectural sculptures derive from the same stone-carving workshops, but similar types of statues of the deities might have been placed in them. Venus Victrix, symbol of the absolute supremacy and prosperity of the Roman Empire, was particularly revered in the official religion of the Empire. Her political importance was highlighted in the civil wars that preceded the creation of the Empire, and she figures all the way until Late Antiquity. This is confirmed by the clear symbolism of the Salona temple with the cult statue of the Victrix, and perhaps the same type of cult statue was in the Temple of Venus of the imperial palace. In this context, it is important to reconfirm Dyggve’s statement that Diocletian’s Palace needs looking at from the angle of Salona, because of the tight connections it had with Salona, which will undoubtedly be borne out by future investigations into the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia