Mercurius - Hermes-Thot. O statuetă de bronz din Dobrogea romană

Abstract

Mercurius - Hermes-Thot. A Bronze Statuette from Roman Dobrudja

The authors present a bronze statuette representing Mercurius-Thot, discovered in an unknown place of the Roman Dobroudja (Moesia Inferior) and now included in the collections of the Constanta Museum of National History and Archaeology. The Egyptian Mercurius type has not yet been attested in the north of the province, but it is reflected in a series of discoveries coming from its south, where many monuments presenting this god, in fact one of the most popular divinities of the province's Pantheon, were found. Bronze statuettes of the god were discovered at Tomis, Durostorum, Oescus, Novae, Nicopolis ad Istrum, inside the manufacturing centre of Butovo and also in the Tolbuhin area. The spreading of these representations seems to be confined to the urban areas and the handicraft centres. Most of these statuettes can be regarded as import objects, but a series of them may be included in the inventory of local, provincial art products, to which the statuette presented above might also belong. A statuette of Mercurius-Thot, belonging to the so called „Gruppe Popovo”, might be a proof of this type of production in Moesia Inferior, besides the traditional areas of Egypt, Italy and Gaul.

Keywords: Mecurius, bronze figurine, roman [Roman] Dobrudja