Verminus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In Roman mythology, Verminus was the Roman god who protected cattle from disease. The god may have been inherited from the Indigetes, whom the Romans conquered in 218 BC. An altar dedicated by consul (or duovir) Aulus Postumius Albinus in 151 BC to Verminus was discovered in 1876,[1] [2] and was housed in the museum of the Antiquarium Comunale in Rome.[3]

A second century inscription dedicated to the god has been considered to be a reaction to increased worm infections among humans. However, Spanish veterinary scientist M. Cordero del Campillo has concluded that it was due to an epidemic infectious disease affecting both humans and animals.[4]

An altar to Verminus was discovered on Viminal Hill in Rome.[5]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Adkins, Lesley, and Roy A. Adkins. "Verminus." Dictionary of Roman Religion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 1996. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On File, Inc. (accessed March 22, 2008).
  2. ^ Scipio, Laelius, Furius and the Ancestral Religion, Elizabeth Rawson, The Journal of Roman Studies, Vol. 63. (1973), pp. 161-174. (p. 161, Accessed 22 March 2008).
  3. ^ Vediovis, the Volcanic God: A Reconstruction, A. L. Frothingham, The American Journal of Philology, Vol. 38, No. 4. (1917), pp. 370-391. (p. 375, Accessed 22 March 2008).
  4. ^ PubMed Abstract for "On the Roman god Verminus," Cordero del Campillo, M. Historia medicinae veterinariae 1999;24(1):11-9. (Accessed 22 March 2008).
  5. ^ The Death of Romulus, Jesse Benedict Carter, American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 13, No. 1. (Jan. - Mar., 1909), pp. 19-29. (p. 28, Accessed 22 March 2008).
This article relating to an Ancient Roman myth or legend is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.