ancient Roman religion Religion in ancient Rome consisted of varying imperial and provincial religious practices, which were followed both by the people of Rome as well as those who were brought under its rule. The Romans thought of themselves as highly religious, ...

, Stata Mater ("

Mother ] A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ge ...

who stops or stabilizes") was a Compitalia, compital

goddess A goddess is a female deity. In many known cultures, goddesses are often linked with literal or metaphorical pregnancy or imagined feminine roles associated with how women and girls are perceived or expected to behave. This includes themes of s ...

who protected against fires. She had an image ''(simulacrum)'' in the

Forum Forum or The Forum (plural forums or fora) may refer to: Common uses *Forum (legal), designated space for public expression in the United States *Forum (Roman), open public space within a Roman city **Roman Forum, most famous example *Internet ...

, and her ''

cultus Cultus may refer to: *Cult (religious practice) * ''Cultus'' (stonefly), a genus of stoneflies *Cultus Bay, a bay in Washington *Cultus Lake (disambiguation) Cultus Lake may refer to: *Cultus Lake, British Columbia, Canada *Cultus Lake (Oregon), Un ...

'', as

Festus Festus may refer to: People Ancient world * Porcius Festus, Roman governor of Judea from approximately 58 to 62 AD *Sextus Pompeius Festus (later 2nd century), Roman grammarian *Festus (died 305), martyr along with Proculus of Pozzuoli *Festus ( ...

notes, spread from there throughout the neighborhoods ''( vici)'' of the city. The original statue was set up by an Aurelius Cotta who had supervised the installation of new pavement in the Forum at the end of the 80s BC. The goddess's purpose was to safeguard the stonework from fire damage. Only the Lares Augusti outnumber her as recipients of surviving dedications from compital shrines.

In the neighborhoods

The cult of Stata Mater was centered on compital shrines of the ''vici'', and numerous inscriptions to her were made by the heads of neighborhood associations ''(vicomagistri)''. Her popularity attests to the everpresent threat and danger of fire in metropolitan Rome. She is sometimes given the additional title '' Augusta'', perhaps in reference to the reorganization of the regions of Rome under Augustus in 7 BC. One of the outcomes of this redistricting was to create local boards or neighborhood watches ''(vigiles)'' tasked with fire control, as a response to recent arson in the Forum. The dedications mark the success of local fire brigades in putting out fires. One pairs Stata Mater Augusta with Volcanus Quietus Augustus, "the 'Quieted'

Vulcan Vulcan may refer to: Mythology * Vulcan (mythology), the god of fire, volcanoes, metalworking, and the forge in Roman mythology Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * Vulcan (''Star Trek''), name of a fictional race and their home p ...

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...

." Stata Mater is perhaps to be identified with the Fortuna Augusta Stata named in an inscription. Her cultivation is an example of localized

Imperial cult An imperial cult is a form of state religion in which an emperor or a dynasty of emperors (or rulers of another title) are worshipped as demigods or deities. "Cult" here is used to mean "worship", not in the modern pejorative sense. The cult ma ...

under

. A ''Vicus Statae Matris'' ("Stata Mater's Neighborhood") was located on the

Caelian Hill The Caelian Hill (; la, Collis Caelius; it, Celio ) is one of the famous seven hills of Rome. Geography The Caelian Hill is a sort of long promontory about long, to wide, and tall in the park near the Temple of Claudius. The hill ov ...

, and a ''Vicus Statae Siccianae'' in the Transtiberim. W.H. Roscher places ''Stata mater'' among the ''

indigitamenta In ancient Roman religion, the ''indigitamenta'' were lists of deities kept by the College of Pontiffs to assure that the correct divine names were invoked for public prayers. These lists or books probably described the nature of the various deiti ...

'', the list of deities maintained by Roman priests to assure that the correct divinity was invoked for rituals. W.H. Roscher, ''Ausführliches Lexikon der griechischen und römischen Mythologie'' (Leipzig: Teubner, 1890–94), vol. 2, pt. 1, p. 223.

References

{{Reflist

External links

*
pedestal for Stata Mater
from

Roman Spain Hispania ( la, Hispānia , ; nearly identically pronounced in Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, and Italian) was the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula and its provinces. Under the Roman Republic, Hispania was divided into two provinces: Hisp ...

Fire goddesses Roman goddesses

In the neighborhoods

See also

References

External links