A Roman altar - the place for offerings in ancient times.
"Do ut des" - I give so that you may give. This was the principle on which the worship of the gods was based in ancient Rome.
People were pragmatic at the time - and deeply religious in equal measure. In every Roman household there was a Lararium, a small Roman altar where sacrifices were made to the Lares, the patron gods of the house, and to the many other gods who belonged to the almost unmanageable round of deities and spirit beings, large and small.
They were omnipresent and able to intervene in people's lives at any time - to give them a positive or negative turn. A good relationship with these almighty gods was important, they had to be heeded and mellowed so that mischief did not befall the family.
The family had weight. A Roman altar was the place where family members, slaves and the master of the house made offerings and begged the gods for their assistance.
- Altar height: about 21 cm
- real alabaster plaster patinated
- The copper bowl is not included
Great gods and small gods ruled over life
Jupiter was the supreme god and ruler over all the gods; Juno, the goddess of marriage and childbirth; Apollo, the golden-haired one, god of light, poetry and music, of agriculture and herds, to name just a few of his manifold attributes - they are well known and often depicted.
But who knows Fabulinus? He was something of a speech therapist, for he was responsible for helping young children speak properly. And Cardea? She was the Roman goddess of hinges and mistress of the two-headed Janus, the god of doors and gates. A sensible symbiosis, one might think. It is also conceivable that some parents offered Cuba very special treats, because Cuba watched over children and made sure they slept well. And who would neglect Plutus, the god of wealth?
A Roman altar was probably among the most important furniture in the ancient household.
Roman altar for the gods of the state
But a Roman altar was also the place for the worship of the three gods of the state, the Capitoline Triad, Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. War and peace, jurisprudence, politics and wisdom were under their power.
Even today, a Roman altar is often found during archaeological excavations.
A Roman altar from Spain served as a model for this beautiful, marbled replica. A beautiful item for those who have retained a sense of the importance of ancient life and traditions in modern times.
The replica is about 21 cm high and is made of genuine, patinated alabaster plaster.
Alabaster plaster is a particularly fine-grained, marble-like, translucent plaster that is popularly used in arts and crafts for statues, consoles or angels, as its surface is reminiscent of porcelain and marble.
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