Why did the Romans need Venus Erucina?
- Authors: Kvashnin V.A.1
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Affiliations:
- Vologda State University
- Issue: Vol 15, No 3 (2023): The Man of Antiquity in public and private life
- Pages: 340-346
- Section: RELIGION AND CULTURE
- URL: https://journals.rudn.ru/world-history/article/view/35951
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.22363/2312-8127-2023-15-3-340-346
- EDN: https://elibrary.ru/RTQKJV
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Abstract
The study is devoted to the origins of the cult of Venus of Eryx, whose temple was erected on the Capitol during the Hannibal War. After analyzing the sources, the author studied both the specific historical context of the establishment of a new cult, and the connection of the new deity with various hypostases of Venus, which became widespread in the territory of ancient Italy. The author associated the creation of the cult of Venus Erucina, firstly, with victories during the struggle between Rome and Carthage and, secondly, with an attempt to integrate Rome into the cultural space of the Greek world, since Venus was identified with Aphrodite. The scientific novelty of the undertaken study lies in the fact that the author, taking into account the famous senatusconsultum on bacchanalia, put forward a hypothesis about the conduct in 186-184 BC by the Porcii clan and their allies, a kind of religious reform, which made it possible, on the one hand, to preserve the Greek traditions of the veneration of Venus of Eryx, and on the other hand, to “cleanse” the cult of Venus Capitoline from foreign influences.
Keywords
About the authors
Vladimir Aleksandrovitch Kvashnin
Vologda State University
Author for correspondence.
Email: kvashninv195@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0931-6207
doctor of sciences (history), professor department of jurisprudence
15 Lenina St, Vologda, Russian Federation, 160000References
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