Прямокутні вівтарики зі стандартними рельєфними сценами на чотирьох сторонах відомі в багатьох античних центрах. Серія їх фрагментів,
знайдених у ботросі на Центральному теменосі
Ольвії, публікується вперше і дозволяє визначити
ареал найчисленніших знахідок аналогічних виробів
у Понтійському регіоні. Аналізуються причини їх
поширення і можливість виготовлення в Ольвії.
Pontic region. Their origin is being discussed for almost a century. According to number of finds, Southern Italy was believed
to be the place of their production, while according to the analogies on mouldmade pottery it was Athens. However, a find of
such item made of imported clay in Athens, as well as quantitative prevailing of them in the Black Sea region allow presuming
the additional centres of their production.
Most of published here terracottas from Olbia were found in a botros at the Central temenos where a coroplast’s workshop
had functioned. No mould for arulae production was discovered there, but their significant number, the variations in décor and
size of the upper part, finds of smaller size arulae of the next generation of mould, as well as manufactural techniques peculiar
for Olbian coroplastics of the 2nd century BC allow presuming the local production of these items.
It is revealed that the height of the area above the denticule between the palmettes depended on processing by hand and
varied significantly. It means that such an indicator as size of the altars should not be considered as decisive in determining of
their origin.
The publication of Olbian finds brings corrections also into the discussion on the interpretation of relief scenes on the altars.
There are various versions of attributing the kitharode and a god with a trident, as well as their companions. Temples of Zeus an
Apollo functioned at the temenos where the published items were found. Relief scenes on analyzed arulae at least for habitants
of Olbia depicted the gods worshipped here. The god with a trident was Zeus for them, not Poseidon, while the god with a kithara
was Apollo, not Orpheus. Accordingly, the order of personages on such thymiateria for Olbian worshippers was as following:
Zeus, Nike, Dionysus and Apollo.
Images of various gods on a single item could reflect the need to worship many gods at once during the cultic practices at
home. The arulae could be produced within the sacral precinct for the needs of family cults, as they are often found in houses.
Probably the very scenes as a set of main cults were the reason of rapid spread of such arulae in the Greek world.
