Nenia Dea: Difference between revisions
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The '''Nenia Dea''' (''or short'': '''Nenia''', ''never'': '''''Naenia'''''<ref>This alternative spelling | The '''Nenia Dea''' (''or short'': '''Nenia''', ''never'': '''''Naenia'''''<ref>This alternative spelling was only used in some secondary scholarly publications and does not accord with any of the ancient sources, although it might in theory have been used also by the Romans.</ref>) was an ancient Roman goddess of [[Rome]], who had a sanctuary outside of the Porta [[Viminal Hill|Viminalis]].<ref>[[Sextus Pompeius Festus]], ''De verborum significatu'' 161.32–162.1 Müller, 2nd ed. Leipzig 1880 (156.13–15 Lindsay, Leipzig 1913): ''< Neniae deae > sacellum ultra portam < Viminalelm …… > …………t aediculam.'' Cf. Paulus ed. of Fest. ''De verb. sign.'' 163 Müller (157 Lindsay): ''Neniae deae sacellum extra portam Viminalem fuerat dedicatum.''</ref> The cult of the Nenia is doubtlessly a very old one, but according to Wissowa<ref>[[Georg Wissowa]], ''Religion und Kultus der Römer'', München 1912/1971, p. 197</ref> the location of Nenia's shrine outside of the center of early Rome indicates that she didn't belong to the earliest circle of Roman deities. | ||
Nenia shares her name with the [[Nenia|''nenia'']] that also had the meaning of ''carmen funebre'' ("dirge"), and [[Marcus Terentius Varro]] regarded the Nenia Dea as a personification of the funerary lament's protective power.<ref>Marcus Terentius Varro, ''Antiquatatum rerum humanarum et divinarum libri XLI'' 14, fragment 65 Agahd, Leipzig 1898; testimony in: [[Augustine of Hippo|Aurelius Augustinus]], ''De Civitate Dei'' [http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/120106.htm 6.9]; see also: Georg Wissowa, ''Religion und Kultus der Römer'', München 1912/1971, p. 245; Kroll, "Nenia", in: [[Pauly-Wissowa|''RE'']] 2392; Kurt Latte: ''Römische Religionsgeschichte'', München 1960, p. 52</ref> She was therefore a goddess also connected to the end of a person's life. It has to be noted that Varro assigned the Nenia Dea to a polar position with respect to the god [[Janus|Ianus]], which was probably inspired by one of the ancient Roman etymologies of the word ''nenia'', defining it as ''nenia ' finis''' ("end").<ref>See the article on the [[Nenia|''nenia'']] for this specific etymology including sources.</ref> | Nenia shares her name with the [[Nenia|''nenia'']] that also had the meaning of ''carmen funebre'' ("dirge"), and [[Marcus Terentius Varro]] regarded the Nenia Dea as a personification of the funerary lament's protective power.<ref>Marcus Terentius Varro, ''Antiquatatum rerum humanarum et divinarum libri XLI'' 14, fragment 65 Agahd, Leipzig 1898; testimony in: [[Augustine of Hippo|Aurelius Augustinus]], ''De Civitate Dei'' [http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/120106.htm 6.9]; see also: Georg Wissowa, ''Religion und Kultus der Römer'', München 1912/1971, p. 245; Kroll, "Nenia", in: [[Pauly-Wissowa|''RE'']] 2392; Kurt Latte: ''Römische Religionsgeschichte'', München 1960, p. 52</ref> She was therefore a goddess also connected to the end of a person's life. It has to be noted that Varro assigned the Nenia Dea to a polar position with respect to the god [[Janus|Ianus]], which was probably inspired by one of the ancient Roman etymologies of the word ''nenia'', defining it as ''nenia ' finis''' ("end").<ref>See the article on the [[Nenia|''nenia'']] for this specific etymology including sources.</ref> | ||
Revision as of 13:13, 28 April 2007
This article is about the Roman goddess Nenia. For the ancient Roman vocal music see Nenia.
For the modern poetic and musical development see Nänie.
The Nenia Dea (or short: Nenia, never: Naenia[1]) was an ancient Roman goddess of Rome, who had a sanctuary outside of the Porta Viminalis.[2] The cult of the Nenia is doubtlessly a very old one, but according to Wissowa[3] the location of Nenia's shrine outside of the center of early Rome indicates that she didn't belong to the earliest circle of Roman deities.
Nenia shares her name with the nenia that also had the meaning of carmen funebre ("dirge"), and Marcus Terentius Varro regarded the Nenia Dea as a personification of the funerary lament's protective power.[4] She was therefore a goddess also connected to the end of a person's life. It has to be noted that Varro assigned the Nenia Dea to a polar position with respect to the god Ianus, which was probably inspired by one of the ancient Roman etymologies of the word nenia, defining it as nenia ' finis' ("end").[5]
Arnobius of Sicca[6] places men, who are near to death, under the care of Nenia. Although Arnobius' writings are mainly influenced by Cornelius Antistius Labeo, the identification of the Nenia Dea as the guardian of human transience here also suggests a Varronian origin.[7] It is unclear whether Tertullian referred to the Nenia Dea, when he wrote about the "goddess of death herself".[8]
References
- ↑ This alternative spelling was only used in some secondary scholarly publications and does not accord with any of the ancient sources, although it might in theory have been used also by the Romans.
- ↑ Sextus Pompeius Festus, De verborum significatu 161.32–162.1 Müller, 2nd ed. Leipzig 1880 (156.13–15 Lindsay, Leipzig 1913): < Neniae deae > sacellum ultra portam < Viminalelm …… > …………t aediculam. Cf. Paulus ed. of Fest. De verb. sign. 163 Müller (157 Lindsay): Neniae deae sacellum extra portam Viminalem fuerat dedicatum.
- ↑ Georg Wissowa, Religion und Kultus der Römer, München 1912/1971, p. 197
- ↑ Marcus Terentius Varro, Antiquatatum rerum humanarum et divinarum libri XLI 14, fragment 65 Agahd, Leipzig 1898; testimony in: Aurelius Augustinus, De Civitate Dei 6.9; see also: Georg Wissowa, Religion und Kultus der Römer, München 1912/1971, p. 245; Kroll, "Nenia", in: RE 2392; Kurt Latte: Römische Religionsgeschichte, München 1960, p. 52
- ↑ See the article on the nenia for this specific etymology including sources.
- ↑ Arnobius of Sicca, Against the heathen 4.7
- ↑ Contra: R. Agahd "Varronis Antiquitatum rerum divinarum Libri", in: Jahrbuch für classische Philologie, Supplement Volume 24, Leipzig 1898, p. 124; pro: John Lewis Heller: "Nenia", in: Transactions of the American Philological Association, Vol. 74, 1943, p. 225: The expliciteness of the identification as finis strongly suggests a Varronian origin.
- ↑ Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, Libri duo ad Nationes II.15