Voltumna

Voltumna applies not quite right, and especially among the Romans, which took it over under the name Vortumnus, later Vertumnus by the Etruscans, as supreme deity in the Etruscan religion. He shares some characteristics with the Etruscan god Tinia high.

Word history

The development of the name Voltumna to Vertumnus based research considers may be due to a popular etymology based on the Latin vertere ( = change, turn away, stow ), now apparently in Rome for the main characteristics of God, which according to Ovid, flood protection was attributed to. The secure than strange for a male deity by the Romans perceived feminine ending -a, in the Etruscan has no genus character, was replaced with the Latin Maskulinendung -us, besides, also a cash and cash exchange of l has occurred to r as in Latin, among other and Greek occurs. Whether Voltumna ever was an Etruscan word, and not merely a Roman auxiliary designation is unclear, because it is not recorded in the 7500 usually very short texts preserved Etruscan language from the 8th century BC to the 1st century AD. The prefix vol - turn occurs in etruscan names like Volsinii, Volaterrae, Volturno, Volci as well as in tribal names such as Volsci heaped on. Vel is a common self - or gentile name after the finding of the dedications and is of historical linguistics as a derivation of place names with Vel-/Vol-. Overall, therefore, already demonstrates the word history to the transitory nature of this oscillating between Etruscan and Roman mythological figure.

Mythological representation, function and historical background

The Etruscan Voltumna seems to have been originally an old earth god, who was also responsible for the change of seasons, and he is, as is often found in mythologies, was later with the shape of Tinia, the actual high god of the Etruscans, merged, after the Romans had plundered the sanctuary of Voltumna and abducted the gods statue to Rome. From a Vertumnus speaks Marcus Terentius Varro, who the "Deus princeps Etruriae ", the highest god of Etruria and calls him by this name, he was also worshiped by the Romans. Typical of the cult Voltumnas as Tinias are Libationsaltäre for libations, the chthonic deities were reserved in Greece for the cult, since the victim is able to penetrate through an opening in the altar in the depths of the earth. At his side is seen in representations usually university, the goddess of Veii, which is attributed to the Tinia as a wife.

The twelve peoples of Etruria, the so-called Twelve Cities reaffirmed by Roman sources ( Livy ) every year at the Shrine of Voltumna at Volsinii, the Fanum Voltumnae, their togetherness in a solemn ceremony. Also during crises between cities and between them and Rome the place served as a center where you can resolve the conflict or trying to win the support of other cities. Also met there in the sanctuary, the so-called by Livy " Concilium Etruriae " under the guidance of a priest, the treated alongside religious and organizational issues as a parent ethnic association of Etruria and political problems.

As the founder of the cult in Rome applies according to ancient tradition, Servius Tullius already, the legendary sixth king of Rome, and maybe a Etruscans. The Romans considered Voltumna any case so important that they (now Bolsena ) in 264 BC to the Roman Aventine a temple for him were built at the instigation of M. Fulvius Flaccus commander after their victory over Volsinii and so the defeated Etruscans their most important deprived of religious basis, as they, though otherwise no looting occurred ( with the exception of Rusellae and Volsinii ), the entire temple establishment of Volsinii robbed (after the Naturalis historia of Pliny in 2000 the statues) and transferred to the new Roman sanctuary. The process also referred to as the final political end of the Etruscans, for they have lost their spiritual center and went gradually to the Roman state association.

Interpretation problems and mythological development

The main problem in the interpretation is that none of the case only few surviving and interpretable Etruscan inscriptions provides evidence that exactly the functions Voltumnas in the Etruscan religion were now, as it should be classified in the cosmic system, because his name does not appear on the bronze liver Piacenza. His relationship with God Tinia is therefore unclear. However, there are many Latin sources that generally do more than contribute to the confusion for clarification, especially since they often differ among themselves still strong and only partially reflect the most current view and was a Roman, not Etruscan. Livy, for example, describes the Fanum Voltumnae, he never locates this Etruscan main sanctuary however, and it is still not clearly established, where it was located. Some scientists suspect that it is in the vicinity of today's Italian town of Bolsena, near the conquered by the Romans Etruscan capital Volsinii, was located. Anyway, the Romans from the Etruscans adopted parts of the world of the gods (as well as by the Greeks ), gradually modified mythological and fit into their worldview, as is often the case in such intercultural transitions and how Cavendish this example, for the mythology of the Romans describes. Here fluctuate this " double Gods" repeatedly from one function and iconography in the other, however, was the Roman Vertumnus, the character of the high god whose place held now occupied Jupiter, lost, only some aspects of fertility remained. Ovid Voltumna combined later with the fruit goddess Pomona. He also seems to have been very popular with the Romans, because they dedicated him a private party, the Vertumnalia, which were celebrated in the first half of August.

Representations and text documents

A youthful bronze statue of Vertumnus / Voltumna was in Rome at the Vicus Tuscus, the " Etruscan road ". Apparently saw the local greengrocer him as their patron saint, especially since he was also romantically involved with the mythological goddess of fruit Pomona and was also worshiped as the god of commerce. The turnip -shaped stylized lightning in his hand, he also led due to its merger with Tinia, was evidently misunderstood as fruit. Sextus Propertius mentioned that this bronze statue of an older wooden statue of " Vortumnus " replaced that had stood in a simple shrine with the name " Signum Vortumni " ( sign of Vortumnus ), who had been each decorated according to the season. The bottom plate of the statue was discovered in 1549, may still be in its original location, but has since disappeared. The inscription referred to a restoration of the statue in the early 4th century AD: Vortumnus Temporibus Diocletiani ET MAXIMIANI ( Vortumnus the time of Diocletian and Maximian ).

Ovid recalled, moreover, in his poem " Fasti " ( festivals) at a time when the Roman Forum, near which stood the Vertumnus statue, only a reed passing the swamp was, " That God Vertumnus whose name has many forms, it was not so, because he still did not drive the water upstream. " ( To turn a pun on the Latin vertere = (ab); Ovid here probably refers to the old name Voltumnus and mixed here the function of the Tinia as flood God with the Voltumnus ). In Ovid's Metamorphoses, in Book XIV, 622-697 the Vertumnus even angedichtet a love story with the Roman goddess of fruit Pomona. This is actually a Dryad, to which he, after one and after all the transformations -. , He also appears as an old woman - returns in the form of a beautiful youth This provides a strong indication of its old character than of changing vegetation god and his former dual nature as Tinia / Voltumnus Represents the subject as such was in the art up to the Renaissance and Baroque very popular.