Deities in Trajan’s and Marcus Aurelius’ Column

Abstract

In his paper the author deals with the deities depicted on Trajan's and Marcus Aurelius' Column with a special regard to the cult of Danuvius/Danube and the winged and bearded god of the rain miracle. The cult of Danuvius is rarely attested epigraphically (and not before the 2 nd century AD) and it must be connected to Trajan's campaign against the Dacians. The rain god is iconographically unique but a figure of a river god among the Dionysiac relief panels of the theatre in Perge dated to Marcus Aurelius' reign can be its first parallel.

Divine Representation in Documentary Style: Gods on the Columns of Trajan and Marcus Aurelius

“…40 and 45. Kovács 2017 focuses on depictions of the river god Danube and Jupiter and takes a different approach to that offered in the present article.…”

“… 11 Danube's identity is unanimously agreed: Hamberg 1945: 108; Hölscher 1980: 292; Lepper and Frere 1988: 50; Coarelli 2000: 48; Kovács 2017: 47. For the iconography of the god: BMC III 84–5, 395–9 (Trajanic coins depicting Danube); Kovács 2017: 47–50.…”

“… 12 Gesture: Lepper and Frere 1988: 50; Bode 1992: 134; Kovács 2017: 49–50. An open-handed gesture of divine encouragement is also exhibited in imperial reliefs by deities such as Honos, on the Arch of Titus (Pfanner 1983: 69–70: hand missing but arm extended); and Mars, on the Cancelleria Reliefs, Frieze A (Langer and Pfanner 2018: 43, pls 6 and 7).…”

“… 16 Hölscher 1980: 292. Post-Trajanic cult for Danube is attested in the northern provinces: Kovács 2017: 49–50 (with a range of media describing Danube as a god).…”

“… 21 Jupiter tonans : Hamberg 1945: 117–18; Gauer 1977: 25; Lepper and Frere 1988: 68–9; Baumer et al 1991: 291; Bode 1992: 141–2; Coarelli 2000: 68; Hölscher 2017: 22–3; Kovács 2017: 50; Fox 2018: 12–13. Against: Lehmann-Hartleben 1926: 94 n. 11; Faust 2012: 39–40, n. 249 (‘Jupiter propugnator ’, because of the god's aggressive action; contra , Hölscher 2017: 22–3).…”