TELESPHORUS. A HEALING CHILD GOD IN ROMAN DACIA
TELESPHORUS. A HEALING CHILD GOD IN ROMAN DACIA

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this study is to map the repertoire of the cult of the healing child-god Telesphorus and to trace the spatial layout and the specific patterns of each of his distinct iconographical types. First of all this study will try to trace the itinerary of this child-god from Pergam to the Danubian area and implicitly to Dacia, based on the literary, epigraphic, or iconographic sources. Furthermore this study attempts to analyze and confirm the identity of an ithyphallic Telesphorus at Ampelum, proving that its earlier interpretations as Priapus or genius cucullatus are not sufficient theories, and correlating the few analogies that can be attributed to Telesphorus with other literary, epigraphic and numismatic sources. Lastly it identifies some rare associations (i.e. the Hygieia – Telesphorus statuette from Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa, the presence of Hypnos or Epione next to the healing triad), some unusual archaeological contexts (i.e. the presence of ten terracotta figurines representing Telesphorus in the favissae of the Liber Pater sanctuary of Apulum) and some distinct iconographical types (i.e an ithyphallic Telesphorus, votive reliefs with pseudo-aedicula framework portraying the healing triad, typical for the Thracian area, and votive reliefs with the healing quartet, typical only for the Eastern part of the Roman Empire.)

• Details
• Contents