The beginning of the spread of Egyptian themes in magical amulets in Italy can be attributed to the remark of Pliny the Elder: "Even men are now beginning to wear images of Harpocrates and the Egyptian gods on their fingers." ¹ . This observation is confirmed by the findings of similar amulets from Pompeii and Capua ^.2 In both cases, terminus ante quern is 79, the date of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and Pliny's death.

One of the most common images of the Egyptian gods is that of Serapis. This cosmocrator god was most popular in the late Roman Empire. His veneration becomes almost monotheistic: the god of Egyptian origin replaces most of the deities of pure antiquity. In one of his speeches, the emperor Julian said:" One and the same - Zeus, Hades, Helios, this is Serapis " ³ . Almost the same wording can be found in the inscriptions on magical amulets: "Zeus and Serapis are one and the same" ⁴ .

Macrobius preserved the lines of a very popular hymn in honor of Serapis in his time:

The sky is my head, the belly is the wide sea,

Feet - the stronghold of the earth, ears-the space of the ether,

The eyes are the sunlight that spreads far out in the world ⁵ .

Miniature sculptural bust from chalcedony (Hermitage) dates back to the end of the second century. ⁶ This type of sculpture from chalcedony or alabaster ("sculptures of gods for traveling", according to W. Hornbostel) was a specialty of Egyptian stone-cutting workshops ^.7 Even in the iconography of Septimius Severus, you can see a combination of portraits of the emperor with images of Serapis (late II century). His son Caracalla is named "filoserapis" ⁱⁿ an inscription dated 216 . He was the first to build the temple of this god in Rome (on the Quirinal Hill) ^.9 In one of the portraits of Caracalla (Liverpool City Museum), two phalanx medallions adorn the emperor's cuirass: they depict Serapis and Horus-Harpocrates. Caracalla tramples on the enemy. He was considered a "victoriosus semper", just as the god Serapis was considered an "invictus" (invincible) ¹⁰ . On magical amulets, you can often see images of Serapis accompanied by appropriate inscriptions.: "Serapis, conquer all!" - read on the Hermitage amulet ¹¹ . The amulet from Sofia has an image of Mars (or warrior) with an inscription facing Serapis: "Serapis, sole Zeus, have mercy on Kar!" ¹² . On the Hermitage amulet, a similar request comes from a Roman named Mark Dill ¹³ . As the "ever-conquering" god, Serapis is often surrounded on amulets by icons-banners of the Roman legions ^.14 Images of Serapis accompanied by Isis are frequent. Sometimes even the imperial couple is assimilated with the Alexandrian gods, as in the cameo known as the paired portrait of Julian the Apostate and Helen (British Museum) ^.15

' Pin NH. XXXIII. 41.

^{Punnuti U.} 2 Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli. Catalogo della collezione glittica. Roma, 1983. N 6, 106-110, 127, 392-331, 350- 354.

^lulian. 3 la Solo reg. 5.

⁴ GE. Inv. N W 6721; Neverov O. Ya. Magicheskie amulety Imperatorskoy epokhi [Magic amulets of the Imperial Era]. Collection of Scientific works, L., 1981, p. 32.

^Macrobius. 5 Saturnalia. I. 20.

⁶ GE. Inv. N E 2893; Neverov O. Ya. Antique cameos in the Hermitage collection, Leningrad, 1988, N 473.

^{Hornbostel W.} 7 Sarapiaca I. Hommages a M.J. Vermaseren. II. Leiden, 1978. P. 512.

⁸ Ibid. P. 517.

⁹ Ibid.

¹⁰ Ibid. P. 514. PI. CXIV.

¹¹ GE. Inv. N W 6731; Neverov. Magic amulets ... p. 32.

^{Milchevi A.} 12 Antichni gemi i kamei [Ancient gems and cameos]. Sofia, 1980. N 272.

¹³ GE. Inv. N W 6760.

^{Vollenweider M.-L.} 14 Deliciae Leonis. Mainz am Rhein, 1984. 1,350; Milcheva. Uk. op. N 200.

^{Megow W.-R. van.} 15 Kameen von Augustus bis Alexander Severus. В., 1987. S. 276. Taf. 17.

page 154

Figure 1. Anubis. Jasper. II century Hermitage

2. Hermes-Thoth. Jasper. III century Hermitage

3. Horus-Harpocrates. Jasper. II century Hermitage

4. The mummy of Osiris. Crystal. II century Hermitage

The image of Anubis, the god with the head of a jackal, is sometimes found alone (Fig. 1), then together with Isis ¹⁶ . Often, Anubis has the attributes of the Roman Mercury: a caduceus and a purse. Mercury is sometimes identified with the Egyptian Thoth and is accompanied by the ibis bird (Figure 2). The God of the Mountains, Harpocrates-the symbol of the rising sun-is depicted either standing with a gesture of silence (index finger on his mouth), or sitting in a lotus flower (Figure 3), or in a Nile barge, accompanied by baboons worshipping he's ¹⁷ . On one of the amulets of the Mountain is accompanied by the inscription: "Serapis is the only Zeus" ¹⁸, on another amulet near him are inscribed the names of the archangels of Judaism:"Michael, Raphael, Anael". A hippopotamus is depicted on the back, and the name of the main Jewish god is also included: "Adonai" ¹⁹ . Images in the Nile barge sometimes show the gods of the Alexandrian triad (Serapis, Isis, and Horus) alongside the Greek goddesses Selene, Persephone ,and Demeter. ²⁰

¹⁶ GE. Inv. N W 6435, 6559, 6758; Ol. 70; X. 1905.70; Neverov Magic amulets... p. 33.

¹⁷ GE. Inv. N W 6571, 6561, 6564, 6563, 6552, 6732, 6722-6725, 6741, 6739; Neverov. Magic amulets.... p. 32.

¹⁸ AGDS. Ill (Kassel), N 148.

¹⁹ GE. Inv. N W 6561; Neverov. Magic amulets ... p. 31.

²⁰ GE. Inv. N W 1511, 6721, 6722, 6728; Neverov. Magic amulets ... p. 31.

page 155

5. A lion trampling on a skeleton. Jasper. III century Hermitage

6. Anubis and the mummy of Osiris on the lion. Seven vowel letters of Jasper. III century Hermitage

Fig. 7. Khnubis. Agate. II-III centuries. Hermitage

The solar theme (Mountains, scarabs, etc.) is combined with the theme of resurrection after death. The mummy of Osiris (Fig. 4), the lion trampling on the skeleton (Fig. 5) are symbols of the resurrection. They are accompanied by the names of the Jewish gods: "Adonai, Iao (Yahweh)" or the magical names of the Sun, like the name "Semesilam" ²¹ . On one Oxford amulet, the mummy of Osiris is accompanied by an unexpected inscription: "Preserve forever my youth and my beauty!" ²² Such a supplication might have been made to the Egyptian god by a courtesan who was terrified of her future. A number of amulets show the mummy of Osiris lying on the back of a lion, accompanied by Anubis (^Fig. All these images symbolize the idea of a posthumous resurrection, borrowed from Egyptian texts and art monuments. On magical amulets, the image of a snake with a lion's head in a halo is very common. It is accompanied by the name Khnubis. On one amulet in the Hermitage, this strange creature is named: "Khnubis, the great god of the stomach" (^fig. Here it was possible to give an example-

²¹ GE. Inv. N W 436; Neverov. Magic amulets ... p. 31.

^{Voppeg S.} 22 Studies in Magical Amulets Chiefly Graeco-Egyptian. Ann Arbor- London, 1950. P. 48.

²³ GE. Inv. N W 1521; Neverov. Magic amulets ... p. 25.

²⁴ GE. Inv. N W 1518; Neverov. Magic amulets ... p. 30.

page 156

you know the doctors of late antiquity who recommended the use of carvings of this god against stomach diseases. The physician Marcellus Empiricus (IV century) wrote: "Carve the following sign on the jasper and hang it around the patient's neck... you will have a miraculous recovery. " ²⁵ Magical phylacteries against female diseases had images of the uterus and the demons Ororiut, Typhon and Set. On a similar amulet from the Hermitage there is an inscription: "Shrink down, mother, lest Typhon take you, Ororiut!" ²⁶ . Sometimes a Demon is depicted squatting at the top of the uterus. Very often the so-called Bes-Pantei appears alone with the attributes of other gods ^.27

Amulets of the third century sometimes indicate a fairly accurate acquaintance with local Egyptian gods, little known to foreigners, such as Ra in the form of a four-headed ram, Khnum with a ram's head, or the Meroite god Apedemak with the head of a lion ^.28 The latter is similar to the deity of magic named Helioros (Helios-Goros). He was depicted lion-headed with a snake and a vase (situla) in his hands ²⁹ . There are prescriptions of Roman doctors advising to carve a Heliosus holding a sphere and a vase on the phylactery ³⁰ .

One can note the influence of the Roman world in magical amulets with Egyptian images. We have already mentioned the appearance of Roman banners next to the image of Serapis. The eagle that appears in images of this type, the avis romana , is a common decoration of the legion standards of Rome. Everything in general is a symbol of victory, which is provided by the god Serapis. The iconography is borrowed from the world of the Roman army. You can compare the amulet from Sofia with the inscription: "[Legionis] XI C[laudiae] P[iae] F[idelis]" ³¹ .

It is assumed that the widespread distribution of magical amulets from Egypt to Italy, which covered the entire Roman world, is associated with Roman legionnaires. Many magic characters have a Roman appearance and wear the weapons and cuirasses of Roman officers. This is how Helioros ³² is depicted . The serpent-legged god with the head of a rooster combines the features of a giant and a Roman officer (cuirass and shield) ³³ . The amulet from the Hermitage Museum N W 6742 shows the trophy ³⁴ . A similar gem is kept in Leiden. On one amulet, the snake-legged demon is accompanied by an image of Mars Ultor ³⁵ . Sometimes the portrait of the emperor is surrounded by magical formulas. There are still portraits of Commodus, Pertinax, and Claudius, which were used as magical amulets due to the addition of similar inscriptions ^.36

In some cases, a character with a Latin name is named as the owner of the amulet: Ce-cundilla, Marcellus, Vibia Paulina, Sabina, the daughter of a certain Calpurnius ³⁷ . A cameo in the Merz collection in Bern stands out. On one side of it is carved Mercury, on the other-the following inscription:: "Iao, Abrasax, Adonai, sacred names, hidden powers, help Vibia Paulina!" ³⁸. M.-L. Follenweider considered this gem "problematic". A. Barb attributed it to the time around the middle of the first century and considered it authentic ³⁹ . There is an unmistakable connection between this cameo and a historical episode concerning a Roman matron, a fan of the Egyptian cult, narrated by Tacitus and Josephus ⁴⁰ . This is the love story of a Roman horseman and a noble Roman woman named Vibia Paulina. Tormented by unrequited love, the said horseman devised a deception: the" sacred marriage " of this lady with Anubis in the Roman temple of Isis (30 AD). The priests were bribed. Emperor Tiberius strictly

^{Bahelon Е.} 25 La gravure en pierres fines. P., 1894. P. 222.

²⁶ GE. Inv. N W 6554; Neverov. Magic amulets ... p. 37.

²⁷ GE. Inv. N W 404, 6549, 6708, 6710, 6752, 6753; Neverov. Magic amulets ... p. 32.

²⁸ GE. Inv. N W 5954.

^{Zazoff P.} 29 Die antiken Gemmen. Miinchen, 1983. S. 356.

³⁰ Ibid. S. 356.

^{Milcheva street.} 31 UK. op. N 208.

³² GE. Inv. N W 6445.

³³ GE. Inv. N W 394, 1515, 4254, 6395-6398, 6548, 6742-6747; Neverov. Magic amulets ... p. 28.

³⁴ GE. Inv. N W 6742; Neverov. Magic amulets ... p. 29.

^{Zwierlein-Diehl Е.} 35 Glaspasten im Martin-von-Wagner Museum der Universitat Wiirzburg. Miinchen, 1986. N 853.

³⁶ GE. Inv. N W 341; Neverov. Antique cameos... N 265; Zwierlein-Diehl. Op. cit. N 795; Oherleilner W. Geschnittene Steine. Die Prunkkameen der Wiener Antikensammlung. Wien, 1985. S. 52. Abb. 41.

^Bonner. 37 Op. cit. P. 95 ff., 173.

^{Vollenweider.} 38 Op. cit. N 508.

^{Barb A.} 39 Three Elusive Amulets // Journal of the Warburg and Curtauld Institute. 1964. 27. P. 1 ff.

^Josephus. 40 Jewish antiquities. XVII. 3 sqq.

page 157

He condemned the perpetrators and ordered the destruction of the temple of Isis. It is believed that this historical episode may be connected with a magical amulet from Bern.

It is obvious how the Egyptian themes on the amulets of the time of the Empire came to Italy: with the Roman legions, thanks to the syncretism of the Roman religion, which in this era absorbed many of the beliefs of Egypt. The question of the origin of the amulets and the localization of the workshops that produced Egyptian-themed amulets remains open. Despite the widespread use of the term "Greco-Egyptian amulets", it can be assumed that in the Late Imperial era, their manufacture was not the exclusive prerogative of Egypt.

EGYPTIAN SUBJECTS ON MAGIC AMULETS OF THE ROMAN TIME

O.Ya. Neverov

A note in Pliny (H.N. XXXVIII, 41) and some finds in Pompeii and Capua mark AD 79 as the terminus ante quern tor the start of the spread of Egyptian subjects on Roman magic amulets. Sarapis, as cosmocrator, was especially popular in Roman Empire. The legends placed by his image on the amulets are prayers about victory to the god who was considered invictus. Another widespread formula is "The Only Zeus, Sarapis". On an amulet from Cassel this exclamation accompanies (quite unexpectedly) the image of Carpocrates, on a gemma from Sophia that of Ares. The incription on an early 3 _rd с. gemma calls Emperor Caracalla Philoserapis. By this period the spread of Egyptian subjects on amulets had reached its peak.

Occasionally the Egyptian motifs on amulets show some knowledge of local oriental gods, e.g. Re, but he is depicted as a four-headed ram or in various forms of Meroite lion-headed god Apedamak.

But the amulets demonstrate a contrary trend: Italic features penetrate into oriental magic. The images of war trophies, Roman military leaders'armour, figures of Mars Ultor etc. belong here. Occasionally a magic inscription is added to the emperor's portrait on a gemma.

It is not unusual that the person who ordered an amulet bears a Roman name: Secundilla, Vibia, Paulina etc.

Quite peculiar is an amulet gemma of Mertz Collection (Berne), which some scholars connect with the episode about a noble Roman lady told by Dio Cassius and Joseph Flavius.

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