The roles of Isis in Roman domestic cults: A study of the “Isis-Fortuna” bronze statuettes from the Vesuvian area 37

Abstract

Abstract Among the material evidence related to the Isiac cults, the so-called “Isis- Fortuna” bronze statuettes are well attested throughout the Roman world. These objects were mainly discovered in domestic contexts with other divine figurines. Based on a survey of the archaeological and iconographic evidence for “Isis-Fortuna” from the Vesuvian area, this paper aims at examining the contexts of production and the geographical distribution of the bronze statuettes. In view of the information already published, we need to provide new answers by analysing how these images were created, transformed and/or adapted in specific contexts or geographical areas. Insofar as the images of Isis were commonly combined with elements borrowed from other deities, the iconographic type of “Isis-Fortuna” raises serious questions about terminology, typology and the so-called “syncretic phenomenon”. These questions will be discussed in the light of the preliminary results of our research, trying to frame the historico-religious background that conditioned the role(s) of Isis in Roman domestic cults.