Ocelus

Ocelus
Not to be confused with Ocellus.

Ocelus is a Celtic god known from three inscriptions in Roman Britain. He is twice invoked on dedications at Caerwent: one stone is the base of a state of which only a pair of human feet and a pair of goose feet survive. The invocation is to Mars Lenus or Ocelus Vellaunus and the "numen" (spirit) of the emperor, and was dedicated on 23 August AD 152. The second Caerwent inscription dedicates an altar to Mars Ocelus. The god was also venerated at Carlisle, where he was once more equated with Mars and again linked to the imperial cult. So Ocelus seems to have been a British, perhaps Silurian god, associated with Mars, probably in the latter's Celtic capacity as a protector. At Caerwent he is linked with Lenus, a Treveran healing deity, and with Vellaunus, who is recorded among the Gaulish Allobroges.


The Caerwent inscription uses the actual name of Ocelus and reads as follows:


DEO MARTI OCELO AEL AGUSTINUS OP V S L M

God Mars Ocelus Ael(ius) Agustinus Op(tio) Paid His Vow

(VSLM stood for Votum Soluit Libens Merito)


References

Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend. Miranda Green. Thames and Hudson Ltd. London. 1997

http://www.caerleon.net/history/army/altar2.htm


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Lenus — was a Celtic healing god worshipped mainly in eastern Gaul, where he was almost always identified with the Roman god Mars. He was an important god of the Treveri tribe, who had large sanctuaries at medicinal springs at Trier and the Martberg by… …   Wikipedia

  • Vellaunus — is a Celtic god known from only two inscriptions. The first, found at Caerwent is the base of a state recording the dedication of the statue to: To the god Mars Lenus, otherwise known as Ocelus Vellaunus and to the Imperial numen .Above this base …   Wikipedia

  • Mars (mythology) — Mars, 1st century, found in the Forum of Nerva (Capitoline Museums, Rome) Ancient Roman religion …   Wikipedia

  • A.N.G.E. — A.n.g.e. est une série de livres écrite par Anne Robillard. Cet acronyme signifie « Agence Nationale de la Gestion de l Étrange ». Sommaire 1 Les livres 2 Synopsis du tome 1 3 Personnages …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Silures — The Silures were a powerful and warlike tribe of ancient Britain, occupying approximately the counties of Monmouthshire, Breconshire and Glamorganshire in south Wales. Origins According to Tacitus biography of Agricola, the Silures usually had a… …   Wikipedia

  • Venta Silurum — was a town in the Roman province of Britannia (later Britannia Prima). Today it consists of remains in the village of Caerwent in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. Much of it has been archaeologically excavated and is on display to the public.The… …   Wikipedia

  • naupliar eye — Relatively simple, median eye, typically consisting of 3 photoreceptor units (up to 7 in taxa where it persists in the adult) and first appearing in the nauplius larval stage. Thought to be a primitive (defining) feature of the Crustacea; it is… …   Crustacea glossary

  • Simple eye in invertebrates — For eye like markings, see eyespot (mimicry). Ocellus redirects here. For the Celtic god, see Ocelus. Head of Polistes A simple eye (sometimes called a pigment pit[1] …   Wikipedia

  • Lenus — Mars war ein keltischer Gott, der besonders bei den Treverern, aber auch in Britannien verehrt wurde. Auf einer Inschrift bei Virton trägt er den Beinamen Exsobinus.[1] In der Interpretatio Romana wurde er mit Mars identifiziert, allerdings wird… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”