We had discussed how the yavana Cynic tradition intersected with the middle pAshupata tradition culminating in the imagery of lakulIsha. We’ve suspected this intersection persisted &influenced other more western Roman cults. Jupiter Dolichenus is the most obvious one to investigate.
The above is his cultic image from Hungary. Imagine what associations it might have brought to mind to a coeval H or Eastern Iranic. Of course the old iconography going back to the hittite Teshub of the bull-riding deity is apparent but we talking of the Roman age: Apart from the Greek elements Nike to the left & Athena with her spear; bottom right note the Greco-Roman Herakles to the bottom left – bridging the rudra-class of the west to the Indo-Iranic world (also lakulIsha). Above Athena note the Iranian fire altar-like emblem, keeping with the eastern locus of origin of the cult. However, in this image the fire altar is more like the Vestal fire altar (the gArhapatya equivalent of the Roman “shrauta” altars of the state), above which is the eagle of Jupiter.
But here note he comes with his wife Juno on what many later writers identify as a stag. But note her iconography with the mirror paralleling that of rudrANI in the coeval Indo-Iranian images.
Here he is shown with his vajra & Juno with his usual axe, but both hold harvest.
- Notably, Nike rises from above an altar with a chakra – a v.Indic motif.
- The next 2 levels seem to represent ectypes of the god& the goddess in the context of the ritual fire& on the solar & lunar chariots. Above that are the actual sun & moon archons as can be seen albeit differently represented in some Indic imagery or rudra/rudrANI.
Another version of Jupiter Dolichenus & Juno from Germania; It’s unclear if she holds a mirror or a patera. But here her vAhana look like an ass. Just as the shambhu-para & shakti-para flavors of the tradition in our midst, this seems like a shakti-para variant of the romaka cult.
Another image of Jupiter Optimus Maximus Dolichenus and his wife Juno Regina Dolichena from Anatolia. Here we can see two rituals making offerings at the altar parallel to what seen in many images in the Indo-iranian world: a widespread iconographic convention.
This is another widespread & important iconography of Jupiter Dolichenus & his wife. Here their twin sons Castor& Pollux are shown. Above them are the solar/lunar archons, Sol Invictus on top with Nike. But the twins +++(=castor and pollux)+++ on 1 side link us to the PIE religion, ashvin-s as divo napAtau & in the “raudra” cast with the ashvin-s as the sons of rudra. This continues in the AV-YV tradition of bhavA-sharvau & in the para-Vedic & later H tradition as skanda-vishAkhau.
In addition to this image from Germania, you can see the twins in the image with vestal fire altar.
In this image from what’s today Budapest, you can seen Jupiter flanked by Castor & Pollux on the 1st row, 2nd shows J.Dolichenus & Juno with Iranic-style fire altar in middle, the solar/lunar archons, the jovian eagle on top
This image from Germania is again notable and we’ll look at it in some detail:
The first panel shows Castor & Pollux in their ancestral ashvin form with the spear standard & spears inherited by skanda-vishAkhau. Then we have Jupiter Dolichenus and Juno in their characteristic form. Above them are the solar and lunar archons. Finally we have the Jovian eagle and an undamaged Nike.