Archaeologists have uncovered the first direct epigraphic evidence for the worship of Jupiter Dolichenus at the Roman fort of Apsaros on Georgia’s Black Sea coast, following the discovery of a rare inscribed gold votive plaque during excavations in 2024.
The discovery, published in the Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik by researchers from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw (PCMA UW) and the Georgian Adjara Cultural Heritage Protection Agency, sheds new light on the religious life of the Roman garrison stationed at the strategically important frontier fortress.
The small gold plaque, fashioned in the shape of a stylised leaf using the repoussé technique, bears a Greek inscription recording that a man named Thrasymedes dedicated the offering to the “Dolichen God”—Jupiter Dolichenus, a syncretic deity whose cult originated in Syria and became especially popular among Roman soldiers during the second and third centuries AD.
Although the Roman fort of Apsaros, modern-day Gonio, has long been known from ancient writers including Arrian and Pliny the Elder, inscribed artefacts have been exceptionally rare. Researchers say the plaque represents the first direct epigraphic evidence linking the site to the cult of Jupiter Dolichenus.
The inscription also offers a rare glimpse into the life of an individual who lived nearly two millennia ago. While little is known about Thrasymedes, his uncommon Greek name suggests he may have had Greek cultural roots, reflecting the diverse population that inhabited the military installation.
Researchers note that the gold offering demonstrates the importance of the cult within the fort, indicating that its followers were willing to commission valuable votive gifts in honour of the deity.
The discovery may also point to the existence of a dedicated sanctuary for Jupiter Dolichenus at Apsaros. Excavations in the same area have produced additional objects associated with the god, including a bronze figurine depicting an eagle standing on a bull—one of the deity’s most recognisable symbols.
Besides its religious significance, the finding provides new evidence for the cultural diversity of Rome’s eastern frontier. Apsaros was situated along the main axis linking the Black Sea coast to the Caucasus and the interior of Asia and was the meeting point for Roman, local and Eastern cultures.
The plaque not only provides insight into the garrison of the fort but also into the cultural and religious interactions of the frontier provinces of the Roman Empire under the second century AD, the researchers say.
Sources : Kazimierz Michałowski Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology
