Votive crown; 3rd/2nd century BCE.
“The object, which reproduces in stone a vegetable crown of leaves intertwined with flowers, is offered by L. Decumius M.f., naive (born free), to Fortuna Primigenia, divinity holder of the most famous prenestine sanctuary. Crowns of leaves (and tiaras) were used to adorn divine simulacra, representations of offerers, altars, as well as the worshipers themselves. In the Greek and Roman world there is also no shortage of testimonies on the use of offering votive crowns to the deities, often made of precious metal. The custom of offering crowns to Fortuna Primigenia appears further documented by the donations offered in the sanctuary by a room in the conlegium of coronarii, as well as by other inscriptions from the imperial age. The inscription [Fortuna Prim (i) g (enia) / L (ucius) D (e) cumius M (arci) f (ilius) / don (um) ded (it)], for the rather simple form, suggests a chronological classification of the document towards the end of the III century B.C. or, at the latest, at the beginning of the following century.”
Terme di Diocleziano, Rome, Italy [source]
Coins from Ephesos in the collection of the Staatliche Museum in Berlin [the whole collection]
2nd – 1st century BCE
Cista mystica with the lid half open, from which a snake is wriggling out. Framed by ivy wreath.
