Lenus
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Lenus was a Celtic healing god worshipped mainly in eastern Gaul, where he was identified with the Roman god Mars. He was an important god of the Treveri tribe, who had sanctuaries at medicinal springs at Trier and Pommern in what is now Germany. Two dedications to him are also known from southwestern Britain (Chedworth and Caerwent). His name most often appears in inscriptions as Lenus Mars, rather than Mars Lenus as would be expected from other most syncretized names. His sanctuary had a large Romano-Celtic temple, and a huge altar. At Trier Mars Lenus's divine partners were the Celtic goddess Ancamna and the Roman Victoria. At Mensdorf, Luxembourg, he is accompanied by the Celtic goddess Inciona.[1]
Lenus was not the only Celtic god identified with Mars by the Treveri; others, such as Iovantucarus (apparently a protector of youth), Camulos, and Loucetios were identified with Mars and perhaps, by extension, with Lenus. His name occasionally appears as Mars Laenus;[2] the more usual form Lenus Mars is accompanied by the epithets Arterancus and Exsobinus on one inscription each.
In Britain, Lenus Mars may have been identified with Ocelus Vellaunus, on the evidence of this inscription on the base of a statue:[3]
- DEO MARTI LENO SIVE OCELO VELLAVN ET NVM AVG M NONIVS ROMANVS OB IMMVNITAT COLLEGNI D D S D GLABRIONE ET HOMVLO COS X K SEPT
- To the god Mars Lenus or Ocelus Vellaunus and to the Numen of the Augustus, M. Monius Romanus dedicated this from the privilege of the college during the consulship of Glabrio and Homulus ten days before the Calends of September.
[edit] References
- ^ L'Arbre Celtique
- ^ Nicole Jufer & Thierry Luginbühl (2001). Les dieux gaulois : répertoire des noms de divinités celtiques connus par l'épigraphie, les textes antiques et la toponymie. Paris: Editions Errance. ISBN 2-87772-200-7.
- ^ B. Collingwood and R.P. Wright. The Roman Inscriptions of Britain. Oxford. RIB 309. Quoted at Roman-Britain.org.
