Mercurio Sobrio tra Africa e Roma
In: Archeologia Classica: 59, 2009
Permalink: http://digital.casalini.it/4231052
The cult of Mercury is particularly important in North Africa and a number of studies have focused specifically on this religious tradition. Peculiar within this panorama appears to be the presence of the cult of Mercury Sober (characterised by milk libations as reported by Festus), attested so far only in different parts of North Africa and in the city of Rome. The aim of the paper is to reconsider the archaeological, epigraphic and topographical evidence in both North Africa and the city of Rome in connection with ancient literary sources. The data, in fact, seem to suggest that the cult may have had Pre-Roman origins in Punic Africa and was brought to Rome by the Carthaginian hostages taken to the Urbs from the second Punic war.