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Undergraduate
Classics Teaching Collections |
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| Backward |
Forward |
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| Name: |
Votive
Relief of the Sun |
| Picture: |
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| Description: |
From
Corbridge (Corstopitum). Corbridge Museum. H. 0.6m. Relief of a bust
of the sun-god Sol-Helios, in very simple style. The neck and shoulders
are merely indicated, the head being the important focus here. The
face is frontal, with huge eyes and a simple nose and mouth. Stylised
hair, then a halo of hatched lines radiating out from the back of
the head. |
| Date: |
Fourth century
A.D. |
| Discussion: |
Sun-worship
was important in the native Celtic religion of Britain, and this was
combined with worship of Helios and with that of Mithras (who could
appear as a sun-deity; see for example at the Carrawburgh Mithraeum)
to create a blend of religions all intent on the worship of Sol. Such
religious syncretism worked well in Roman Britain, and persisted despite
(or because of) the early waves of Christianity spread by Constantine,
who originally married sun-worship with Christianity. |
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