Samnite Religion

[Veritas Aequitas]

Samnite Religion

Worshiping the same gods was for the Samnites the element of tribal unity. Religion was quite important to assist them in the aspect of daily life. They did not share an Olympus, yet most of the gods were worshipped by all of the Samnites. During war times, all soldiers were united by an holy oath, never violated, so much was the faith they believed in. People from the italian center-south shared the same anthropomorphic deities (with human like attributes, HdG) such as Jupiter, Mars (Mamerte), Mercury, Diane, Apollo, the Dioscurs (Castor and Pollux), Dyonisious, Ceres and the Nymphs. Hercules was very much revered and symbolized by small statuettes or sculped over the soldiers' shields. Obviously the religious greek influence on the Samnites was very evident especially at the end of the IV century b.C. after the annexation of the Campani's territories. Another indication of this strict religious behaviour was the respect for customs and beliefs of the people the did business with. They tolerated the worship of their gods and at time partecipated in their rites just to justify the acceptance of their beliefs (1). People living in the center of Italy professed many cults among them the Ver Sacrum or Holy Springtime being of major importance. Another one was the Lex Sacrata or Sacred Law being the ritual bonding of men and their actions together with their families and possessions. The only ones among the italics, the Samnites strictly adhered to such values at times for political reasons. Properly, the Samniti's divineties were not communely worshipped as in Greece in one temple, rather separately revered.
The samnites' gods were worshipped each one for its own merit and everyone in its own place. Typical example is found in the Agnone's tablet, inscribed in oscan language, where 17 gods were venerated in one single temple. The Samnites revered their gods, semigods and lesser gods without priority or importance. Foremost in their own world, was the concept of misterious beings that needed respect and veneration in order to enjoy their good graces.

These gods not always were represented in human-like form, even their sex was not known. And among the anthropomorphic deities, they were more goddess than male gods. They would live in special places. To solicit their favors, special prayers and offerings were made. The gods were invoked for special protection and to safeguard the fireplace, the entrance door, the pantry in the house, the harvest in the fields and fresh water springs and burial sites within their territories. The Samnites feared contagious diseases, for they practised exorcism for purificaton. If invaded, for example, their territory became contaminated. For this reason they enacted the famous yoke ritual as in the case of the Romans being submitted to the Caudine Forks. Because of this roman invasion, the land needed to be purified and the people in contact with the defeated invaders, had to be cleansed. For good luck the Samnites used amulets. Horatius, of Sabellic lineage, often cites the Sabella Carmina, or magical wordings favourably invoking gods and spirits in special occasions as in the case of a wedding or harvest.

These practises more magical and less religious were much used by the Samnites. They also used to interpret the flights of birds or the animals' bowels used for the offerings. It seems that a flight of birds interpreter to whom the Samnites would go before a battle had actually lived around the town of Agnone.

NOTES

(1) Social relation with the Gauls was very important.
Many religious practises as reported by ancient historians refer to Druids' rites. And many references, like the inscription in oscan language seemed to be celtic inspired. Same it can be told of circular walls used for prayers away from inhabited centers. Same it can be said about the Sacrati's rites to the Legio Linteata circa 293 b.C., where druids' priests worshipped together with the Samnites. As in the descriptions of the roman writer, Livius, a definite Druid's ritual was the sacrifice of men and animals together. Moreover, a priest's prayer book, most likely imagined and described by Titus Livius, written over a linen's cloth and attributed to a fictional name Ovio Paccio, like a John Doe, of those times was actually found among the bandages of a mummy of Zagreb, thus coinciding with the religious customs used by the Druids.

The bronze tablet of Agnone, measuring 28x16,5 centimetres, with an handle at very top, is today preserved in the British Museum of London.
It is by far the most important inscription in oscan language after the Abellano's boundary stone and the Tabula Bantina much larger in size, going back to 250 b.C. according to the way the letters of the alphabet were written.
Legible and deeply carved are the inscriptions found on both sides, the first one containing 25 rows, the other 23. An holy enclosure where religious ceremonies in honor to the goddess Ceres took pace is being described onto the first side. The inscription also tells that within that sacred compound every two years would take place a special ceremony on the altar of the fire. It continues saying that every year during the Floralia season they should offer sacrifices to four different gods. This side of the tablet just depicts the religious aspect, the rules and the dates to be observed.
The other side instead, clearly states which santuary and divinity to offer prayers within the outdoor compounds after removing the icons from the regular temple.
The "Saahtum Tefurum" must be within the fire's area. Then it goes on describing that only those paying regular dues were to be admitted to the sanctuary, it lists an inventory of items pertaining to the sanctuary, the name of the congregants and the directory of those in charge.
This small wooded area close to the village of Agnone would have been located in the proximity of the Cerro' mountain, between Capracotta and Agnone (loc. Fonte del Romito), where just about a century ago this tablet was found by Mommsen. The local slang language called it "Uorte" or kitchen-garden, from the latin name Hortus and Horz sculped onto the tablet. As mentioned before, this particularly holy place was dedicated to the goddess Ceres and people paid dues for its upkeep.
On special dates processions took place where as special stops were made on each of the fifteen altars within the holy garden. Every two years a symbolic fire was begun for special offerings. Outside this garden, special offerings were made to goddess Flora and other divinities. All together, the tablet of Agnone mentions 17 gods proving the Samnites' poli-worshiping dedication.
All these Gods were linked to the agriculture, the harvest and the fruits as it is underlined by the word Kerriais or Cere-als.

Following are those gods mentioned in the tablet:

Kerres - Ceres whom the holy place was dedicated to;

Vezkei

Evklui - Mercury or Ades,Jupiter's brother;

Futrei Kerriiai - Persephones, Demetra's daughter;

Anter Statai - Stata Mater (Marsicans' mother);

Ammai Kerriiai - Demetra;

Diumpais Kerriiais - Nymphs of the Springs;

Liganakdikei Entrai - Agriculture's God;

Anafriis Kerriiuis - Rain's Nymphs;

Maatuis Kerriiuis - Italic god of the crops' dew;

Diuvei Verehasiui - Giove Virgator;

Diuvei Regaturei - Giove Pluvio;

Hereklui Kerriiui - Hercules;

Patanai Piistiai

Deivai Genetai - Mana Geneta;

Pernai Kerriiai

Fluusai - Germitation's Patroness.


Above all, major importance is being given to Kerres or Ceres. The holy place where these religious functions took place were all dedicated to this goddess and all the other Olympus' gods venerated by the Samnites. All of them, with Ceres at the very top, had to be honored and invoked for their propitious help in safeguarding the earth and its fruits. So that Ceres was the pivotal deity of all the religious activities taking place in this "holy garden" a rather sacred place fully representing the religious awe the inhabitants had for the agriculture. It is not by a coincidence this tablet made of bronze, a special metal used in honor to the Ceres the goddess, was uncovered in the proximity of what today is called Cerro' Mountain or Ceres' Mountain.

SAMNITES AND SAMNIUM - History and Archaeology