OGRADA NA ASERIJATSKOM FORUMU

• Main Author: Cambi, Nenad; University of Zadar
• Format: Text
• Language: Croatian
• Published: Archaeological museum in Zadar 2003
• Subjects: Jupiter; Morali; Pana; Pillar; Tergeste; sami
• Online Access: http://hrcak.srce.hr/9016; http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/13763

Prigodom arheoloških istraživanja na dijelu aserijatskog foruma na mjestu srušene crkve Sv. Duha otkrivena su godine 1999. dva fragmenta kamene ploče na kojima su prikazani lebdeći eroti koji nose girlandu. Još od ranije jedan sličan fragment nalazio se u muzeju u kaštelu Benkoviæ u Benkovcu. Treæi fragment očito je pripadao istom ansamblu kao i druga dva. Četvrti fragment otkriven je kao spolium u kasnoantičkom bedemu koji je kao dodatak bio podignut ispred snažnih megalitskih zidina grada. Iako na prvi pogled izgleda da taj fragment također pripada istom ansamblu, analiza je ipak pokazala da je on drukčijeg karaktera i da je po svoj prilici pripadao nekom sepulkralnom arealu izvan grada. Pluteji su stajali na sjevernoj strani foruma, iako nije moguće utvrditi na kojem je to bilo mjestu. Kako sami pluteji nisu mogli stajati samostalno, tako se postavlja pitanje kakvi su elementi morali nosti ploče. Slične pluteje i ploče imaju i forumi mnogih gradova na Jadranu i unutrašnjosti (Akvileja, Trst, Pula, Celeia, Jader, Salona i dr.). Njih nose stupci na kojima predominiraju likovi Jupitera Amona, Gorgona, mješovitih ljudsko-bikovskih bića, Pana i Dioniza. Što se pak pluteja tiče oni su redovno imali girlande koje nose eroti ili orlovi, a pojavljuju se i prikazi morskog tiasosa. Repertoar je vjerojatno još veći. Svi se ovi motivi vezuju uz carsku ikonografiju i kao takvi našli su plodno tlo na elementima forumskih ograda u mnogim dijelovima rimskog carstva. Nije poznato kakvi su elementi nosili pluteje u Aseriji, ali stupac iz obližnjeg Perušića je po svoj prilici pripadao upravo takvoj ogradi kao nosač. To je tim vjerojatnije jer takav motiv imaju i stupci koji se nalaze na ogradi gornjeg kata južnog portikata foruma Jadera. Aserijatska ograda se gradi negdje na kraju I. ili u prvoj polovici II. st. Two fragments of stone slabs with flying erotes (fig. 1-2) were discovered on the northern part of the Asseria forum during archaeological excavations in 1999. In fact, they were used as building material for the small church of St. Spirit which was destroyed by Serbian rebels in the latest war (1991-95). A similar fragment (fig. 3) was found even before excavations and it is kept in the Benkoviæ Castle at Benkovac. During archaeological excavations in 2000 fourth fragment (fig. 4) was discovered in the late-Antique remparts in front of the town fortifications built of megalithic blocks. The fragments nos 1-3 belonged to the same ensamble, while the fragment no. 4 obviously made part of a funerary precinct which suggests that all the fragments did not belong to the same unit. It is not possible to establish where was the original place of the cancel, since this part of the forum was radically rebuilt in the later Roman period (fig. 5). The plutei could not stand upright without supporting pillars, but these have not been found. Therefore it was necessary to search for parallels in the region. Similar cancels existed on many fora in the Roman towns on the Adriatic coast. These cancels depicted also erotes carrying garlands (or some other garland bearers) and scenes of marine thiasos. The plutei pillars show masks of Jupiter Ammon, Gorgons, heads of mixed human and bulls’ creatures, Pan (fig. 6) and Dionysos. Such cancels were discovered during excavations in Aquileia, Tergeste, Pola, Celeia, Jader (fig. 7, 8) and Salona. Similar cancels were not found further south of Salona. The decoration of these cancels reveal cultural phaenomenon obviously linked with imperial cult which is not limited only to the Adriatic regions, since such an iconography appeared also in other parts of the Roman world. The heads of Jupiter Ammon had nothing in common with the introduction of Egyptian religions in Adriatic areas. Very probably the masks of this type were also used in Asseria. A fragment of pillar with the Dionysos’ head was found in nearby Perušiæ (fig. 11, 12). Since it was a spolium there, it is very likely that its provenience was Asseria. The Perušiæ fragment enables us to get an idea concerning these pillars. On the pillars of the Asseria cancel the masks of Pan alternated with masks of Dionysos, as was the case with the cancel of the upper floor of the southern portico of the nearby Jader Forum (fig. 9, 10). The Asseria cancel dates back to the end of the 1st or the beginning of the 2nd centuries AD. Such a chronology is suggested by the character of reliefs and by the inscriptions that speaks about building activity on the Asseria forum.