Kornelija A.
Giunio
IZIDA – ZVIJEZDA MORA
I OBRED NAVIGIUM ISIDIS
U razdoblju helenizma, kao i u rimskom razdoblju, kult
štovanja Izide proširio se i izvan granica Egipta. Ona je
smatrana „Jednom“, to jest svim stvarima, jedinstvenom
osobnošću koja je utjelovljavala sve bogove i boginje. Od
orijentalnih kultova koji su prodrli u rimski panteon, kultu
Izide, „kraljice mnogih imena“, pripalo je najvažnije mjesto.
U ožujku, lađa simbolično posvećena Izidi otvarala je
sezonu plovidbe otvorenim morem pod njenom zaštitom.
Obred se nazivao Navigium Isidis. Ovaj rad također
prikazuje golem utjecaj egipatske religije na druge vjere,
uključujući i kršćanstvo.
KLJUČNE RIJEČI: Egipat, Izida, Navigium Isidis, karneval,
kršćanstvo
ARHEOLOŠKI MUZEJ ZADAR
TRG OPATICE ČIKE 1
23000 ZADAR
kagiunio@amzd.hr
UDK: 299.31(37/38)
IZVORNI ZNANSTVENI ČLANAK / ORIGINAL SCIENTIFIC PAPER
PRIMLJEN/ RECEIVED 24. 12. 2012.
PRIHVAĆEN/ ACCEPTED 15. 01. 2013.
ISIS – THE SEA STAR
AND THE CEREMONY
OF NAVIGIUM ISIDIS
During the Hellenistic and Roman periods, the worship of
Isis spread beyond the borders of Egypt. She was seen as
“One”, that is, all things, a unique character that represented
all the gods and goddesses. Among the oriental cults which
infiltrated the Roman pantheon, the cult of Isis, “the queen
of many names”, occupied a primary role. In March, a small
boat symbolically dedicated to Isis opened the season
of navigation on the high seas under her protection. The
ceremony was called Navigium Isidis. This paper also shows
the immense influence the religion of Egypt had on other
faiths, including Christianity.
KEY WORDS: Egypt, Isis, the Navigium Isidis, Carnival,
Christianity
421
 U razdoblju helenizma, kao i u rimskom razdoblju,
kult štovanja Izide proširio se i izvan granica Egipta.
Ona je smatrana „Jednom“, to jest svim stvarima,
jedinstvenom osobnošću koja je predstavljala sve
bogove i boginje. Među orijentalnim kultovima koji
su se infiltrirali u rimski panteon, kult Izide, „kraljice
mnogih imena“, zauzimao je vodeće mjesto.
421 - 440
Plutarh, grčki spisatelj koji je živio od 46. do 120.
poslije Kr., napisao je De Iside et Osiride, djelo koje
se smatra glavnim izvorom kasnih mitova o Izidi.
U svom djelu piše da je Izida boginja “i mudra, i
ljubiteljica mudrosti, kao što joj ime govori, te znanje
pripada njoj”.1 U Apulejevim Metamorfozama
ona se opisuje na sljedeći način: „Vidiš me ovdje,
Lucije, u odgovoru na svoju molitvu.“ “[...] ja, mati
sve prirode, vladarica svih počela, početak i prvo
kornelija a. giunio: izida – zvijezda mora i obred navigium isidis
stvaranje vjekova, najviša od božica, kraljica
sjena pokojnika, prva od nebeskih bogova i u
meni su sjedinjeni likovi svih bogova i božica. Ja
svojom voljom upravljam sjajnim vrhovima neba,
blagotvornim dahom mora i očajnom tišinom
podzemlja. Ja sam jedino božanstvo i sav me svijet
obožava na mnoge načine, raznim obredima, i
pod raznim imenima. [...] neki me zovu Junonom,
neki Belonom [...]. Egipćani koji se ističu svojom
drevnom znanošću, obožavaju me uz obrede koji
mi najviše pripadaju i nazivaju me mojim pravim
imenom ... Izida”.2
Izida je bila dominantan lik egipatskog kulta koji se
proširio grčkim i rimskim svijetom, no ona nije bila
jedino egipatsko božanstvo koje su prihvatili prvo
Grci, a zatim i razne etničke i socijalne skupine
Rimskoga Carstva. Bili su tu i Oziris i Serapis,3
DIADORA 26/27
1
Plutarh, De Iside et Osiride, 2. [O Izidi i Ozirisu, Zagreb, 1993, na
hrvatski prevela Ljiljana Živković].
2 2
Apulej, Metamorphoses, XI, 4. [Zlatni magarac, Zagreb, 1969,
preveo Albin Vilhar; lektura i stilizacija hrvatskoga izdanja Jozo
Vrkić].
3
Serapis je bio bog proglašen posebnom odlukom. Novi je bog
imao osobine vrhovnog i univerzalnog božanstva nalik Zeusu, no
njegov ga je naglašeni htonski karakter i soteriološka priroda kao i
povezanost s kultom Zemlje, povezivala s Ozirisom. Uspostava
novog božanstva, Serapisa, koji će postati Izidin supružnik, nije
iskorijenila Ozirisa. To nije bilo ograničeno samo na Egipat gdje je
bilo duboko ukorijenjeno štovanje Ozirisa. U grčkom i rimskom
422
During the Hellenistic and Roman periods, the
worship of Isis spread beyond the borders of
Egypt. She was seen as “One”, that is, all things, a
unique character that represented all the gods
and goddesses. Among the oriental cults which
infiltrated the Roman pantheon, the cult of Isis,
“the queen of many names”, occupied a primary
role.
Plutarch, a Greek scholar who lived from 46 to 120
AD, wrote De Iside et Osiride, which is considered to
be the main source of late myths about Isis. In it he
writes of Isis as “a goddess exceptionally wise and
a lover of wisdom, to whom, as her name at least
seems to indicate, knowledge and understanding
are in the highest degree appropriate”.1 In
Apuleius’s Metamorphoses she describes herself:
“You see me here, Lucius, in answer to your prayer.
I am nature, the universal Mother, mistress of all
the elements, primordial child of time, sovereign
of all things spiritual, queen of the dead, queen
of the ocean, queen also of the immortals, the
single manifestation of all gods and goddesses
that are. My nod governs the shining heights of
Heavens, the wholesome sea breezes. Though I am
worshipped in many aspects, known by countless
names … some know me as Juno, some as Bellona
… the Egyptians who excel in ancient learning and
worship call me by my true name … Queen Isis”.2
Isis was the dominant figure of the Egyptian cult
which spread through the Hellenistic and Roman
world, but she was not the only Egyptian deity
which the Hellenes, followed by the heterogeneous
ethnic and social groups in the Roman Empire,
accepted. There were also Osiris and Sarapis,3
1
Plutarch, De Iside et Osiride, 2.
Apuleius, Metamorphoses, XI, 4.
3
Serapis was a god established by decree. The new god had the
characteristics of a supreme and universal divinity, resembling
Zeus, but whose chtonic element emphasised his soteriological
nature and also his connection with the cult of the Earth, which
connected him to Osiris. The establishment of the new god
Serapis, who became Isis’s official husband, did not remove Osiris.
This was not restricted to Egypt, where Osiris’s cult was deeply
rooted. In the Hellenistic-Roman period, Serapis took on the role of
the supreme state god identified with Zeus in the official religion,
Anubis,4 Harpokrat,5 kao i zagonetna figura
Jupitera-Amona, koji su svoje uključivanje mogli
zahvaliti svojim obiteljskim ili misterijskim vezama
s Izidom.
U ožujku, lađa simbolično posvećena Izidi otvorila
bi sezonu plovidbe otvorenim morem pod njenom
zaštitom. Obred se nazivao Navigium Isidis.
Započnimo s nekoliko činjenica o genealogiji
štovanja Izide.
Pogledamo li malo bolje, čini se da su Izida ili,
nazovemo li je njenim drevnijim egipatskim
imenom, Iset, dva različita božanstva.6 U trenutku
kad se u grčkom i rimskom razdoblju počelo
štovati Izidu, Iset je već bila u zaboravu stotinama
godina. Svo to vrijeme, tek je mala skupina
svećenika još uvijek znala čitati hijeroglife na
zidovima hramova. Grčki i rimski način nametanja
kulturnih vrijednosti egipatskoj kulturi utjecali
su na tumačenje izvorne Iset, poričući njezino
egipatsko podrijetlo i pretvarajući je u rimsko
božanstvo. Egipatska Iset drevno je egipatsko
žensko božanstvo, čije se ime pisalo hijeroglifom
za “prijestolje” ili “sjedište”. Kao personifikacija
prijestolja Egipta, koje je “stvaralo kraljeve”, ona je
razdoblju, Serapis je preuzeo ulogu vrhovnog državnog božanstva
koje se u službenoj religiji poistovjećivalo sa Zeusom – Jupiterom.
Serapis je bio javni bog, dok je Oziris postao poznat samo onima
koji su sudjelovali u svetim obredima. On je bio bog posvećenih,
bog tajnih obreda, bog misterija. P. M. Fraser, 1967, 23-45; L.
Vidman, 1970, 125-138; L. Castiglione, 1978, 208-232; J. Assmann,
1979, 93-115; U. Bianchi, 1980, 9-36; W. Burkert, 1991, 5-70; J.
Leclant, 1997, 19-27; L. Kákosy, 1997, 148-150.
4
U Egiptu, Anubis je bio bog koji se izričito povezivao sa
sepulkralnim kultom. Prvotno, on je bio bog-šakal, bog nekropole,
pripadnik podzemnog suda te stoga najbliži Ozirisu. Dakle,
njegove funkcije u grčkom razdoblju uključuju njegovu ulogu
pratitelja duša u podzemlje i njegovu povezanost s Hermesom koji
je imao analogne funkcije. Također je poznat u obliku Hermanubisa,
vodiča mrtvih, posrednika između dvaju svjetova. J. C. Grenier,
1977, 169-175.
5
Helenizam je preobrazio još jednog egipatskog boga, Horusa,
koji će postati Harpokrat i preuzeti funkciju novog mladog boga.
On je bio i novo sunce koje se pojavljivalo u cvijetu lotosa. U
faraonskom Egiptu, dječak s prstom na ustima simbolizirao je
djetinjstvo, ali u grčkom i rimskom razdoblju taj se znak tumačio
kao simbol tišine i misterije tako da je postao bogom misterija.
6 6
M. Münster, 1968; J. Gwyn Griffiths, 1980; S. Donadoni, 1997, 32-36.
Anubis,4 Harpocrates,5 and the enigmatic figure of
Jupiter-Amun, who all had to thank their familial
or mystery ties with Isis for their inclusion.
In March, a small boat symbolically dedicated to
Isis opened the season of navigation on the high
seas under her protection. The ceremony was
421 - 440
called Navigium Isidis.
Let us start with a few facts about the genealogy
of the cult of Isis.
Isis or, to give her her more ancient Egyptian
name, Iset, seems like two different deities if we
take a closer look.6 When the worship of Isis arose
kornelija a. giunio: isis – the sea star and the ceremony of navigium isidis
in Greek and Roman days, Iset had already been
forgotten for hundreds of years. At this time, only
a small group of priests still knew how to read the
hieroglyphs of the temple walls. The Greek and
Roman way of superimposing their cultural values
on Egyptian culture affected the interpretation
of the original Iset, depriving her of her Egyptian
origins and turning her into a Roman deity. The
Egyptian Iset is the ancient Egyptian female deity,
whose name is written with the hieroglyph for
“throne” or “seat”. As the personification of the
Throne of Egypt, which “made kings”, she was
i.e. Jupiter. Serapis was the public god, while Osiris became known
only to those who took part in holy ceremonies. He was the god of
the initiated, the god of secret ceremonies, the god of mysteries. P.
M. Fraser, 1967, 23-45; L. Vidman, 1970, 125-138; L. Castiglione,
1978, 208-232; J. Assmann, 1979, 93-115; U. Bianchi, 1980, 9-36; W.
Burkert, 1991, 5-70; J. Leclant, 1997, 19-27; L. Kákosy, 1997, 148-
DIADORA 26/27
150.
4
In Egypt, Anubis was a god expressly connected with a sepulchral
cult. Originally, he was the jackal god, the god of the necropolis, a
participant of the underworld court, and therefore the closest to
Osiris. Thus, his functions in the Hellenistic period included his role
as attendant of the soul in the underworld and his connection
with Hermes for analogical functions. He also is known in the form
of Hermanubis, the guide of the dead, the mediator between the
two worlds. J. C. Grenier, 1977, 169-175.
5
Hellenism transformed yet another Egyptian god, as Horus
became Harpocrates and took on the functions of a new young
god. He was also the new sun who appeared on the lotus flower. In
Pharaonic Egypt, the boy with a finger on his mouth represented
childhood, but in the Hellenistic-Roman period, this sign was
interpreted as the sign of silence and the sign of mystery, and so
he became the god of mysteries.
M. Münster, 1968; J. Gwyn Griffiths, 1980; S. Donadoni, 1997, 32-36.
423

421 - 440
kornelija a. giunio: izida – zvijezda mora i obred navigium isidis
SL. 1. Kipić s nepoznatog lokaliteta koji predstavlja aleksandrijsku
trijadu (Oziris, Izida i Horus), oko 850. pr. Kr., Louvre, Pariz (www.
louvre.fr)
FIG. 1. Small statue from an unknown site representing the triad of
Osiris (Osiris, Isis and Horus), c. 850 BC., Louvre, Paris (www.louvre.
fr).
bila simbolička majka Kralja i kao takva imala je
za njega posebno značenje. Prvotno ona nije bila
velika i rasprostranjena božanska majka. Njen
prvi spomen potječe iz razdoblja 4. dinastije,
kao mitski član Eneade iz Heliopolisa. Tamo je se
DIADORA 26/27
spominje kao sestru i ženu koja oplakuje Ozirisa
(Wsir, grčki Osiris), majku Horusa (Herw, grčki
Horus) i sestru Neftide (Nebe-Hwt, grčki Nephtys)
i Seta, djecu Geba (bog zemlje) i Nut (božice
neba) heliopolitanske Eneade (Sl. 1). Iset je bila
zagrobno božanstvo, zajedno sa svojom sestrom
Neftidom prikazivana je na sarkofazima u obliku
zmaja ispruženih krila, štiteći pokojnike. Također
je susrećemo prikazanu na Posljednjem sudu
kako zaštitnički stoji iza Ozirisova prijestolja.
U određenim razdobljima povijesti, svećenici
bi „uređivali“ mitove nastojući učvrstiti utjecaj
pojedinog božanstva, a time, naravno, i svoj.
424
the symbolic mother of the King and as such of
particular significance to him. Initially, she was not
first and foremost a great and widespread mother
deity. She is first mentioned during the IV Dynasty
as a mythological part of the Ennead of Heliopolis.
There, she was the sister-spouse and mourner of
Wsir (in Greek Osiris), mother of Herw (in Greek
Horus) and sister of Nebe-Hwt (in Greek Nephtys)
and Set, children of Geb (god of the Earth) and Nut
(goddess of the sky) of the Heliopolitan Ennead
(Fig. 1). Iset was a funerary deity; together with
her sister Nebe-Hwt she is depicted on coffins in
the shape of a dragon with outstretched wings,
protecting the deceased. She is also seen in the
Hall of Judgment standing protectively behind the
throne of Wsir (Osiris).
At certain points in history, myths were “edited”
by priests in an effort to strengthen a certain
deity’s influence, and thereby of course their own.
The myth cycle of Iset, Wsir and Herw is hinted
at in the Pyramid Texts (Old Kingdom), but it was
significantly rewritten and added to by Plutarch.7
In myth, she appears more ruthless than a mother
goddess, strong-willed and quick to forward her
motives. She appears as the scorpion goddess
Serket, the protector from and healer of poisonous
bites. As the star Sopdet (Sirius (in Greek Sothis)),
she heralds the life-giving inundation. The ancient
Egyptians called her the “Eye of Ra”, associating
her with the sun, which should be noted, as there
are those who would connect her with the moon.
While this might fit in very well with the Roman Isis,
in the ancient Egyptian religion Djehuty (Thot) had
been the moon deity since ancient times. Iset was
often called the “Mistress of Magic” or the “Great of
Heka”, as she had managed to trick Ra into telling
7
The Pyramid Texts are a series of magical sentences for the
Pharaoh’s funeral rites. They were written on the walls of the tomb
chambers in the pyramids at the end of the Fifth and Sixth
Dynasties of the Old Kingdom (2670-2150 BC) and in the following
First Intermediate Period. The leading example is the Unas Pyramid
of the Fifth Dynasty in Saqqara, the key to understanding the
Egyptian religion: R. O. Faulkner, 1925, 153-161; A. Piankoff, 1968,
9-110; M. Lehner, 2008, 153-165. Plutarch, De Iside et Osiride. The
work was written about the year 120 AD. It is one of the most
significant written sources of all our knowledge about Egypt.
Mitološki ciklus Izide, Ozirisa i Horusa naznačen
je i u Tekstovima piramida (Staro kraljevstvo), no u
velikoj mjeri ga je preradio i proširio Plutarh.7
U mitu ona se pokazuje okrutnijom od boginje-
majke, ona je svojeglava i odlučna u ostvarivanju
svojih motiva. Javlja se kao božica škorpiona
Serket, zaštitnica i iscjeliteljica od otrovnih ugriza.
Kao zvijezda Sopdet (Sirius, grčki Sothis), ona
nagovješćuje životvorne poplave. Drevni su je
Egipćani zvali „Oko Raa“, povezujući je sa Suncem,
što valja istaknuti jer je neki povezuju s Mjesecom.
Dok se to, moguće, poklapa s rimskom Izidom, u
drevnoj je egipatskoj religiji božanstvo Mjeseca od
davnina bio Djehuty (Thot). Iset su često nazivali
„Gospodaricom magije“ ili „Majstoricom Heka“
jer je uspjela varkom pridobiti Raa da joj otkrije
svoje tajno ime, čime joj se otvorio pristup velikom
znanju. Najpoznatiji mit o Iset je priča o tome kako
je, kad je njenog muža Wesira ubio njegov brat Set,
bacivši njegovo tijelo u Nil, ona žalovala za njim te
otišla u potragu za njegovim tijelom, u društvu
svoje sestre Neftide. Kad ga je, nakon brojnih
pustolovina, konačno pronašla, uspjela ga je vratiti
u život i začeti sina Horusa, koji će s vremenom
preoteti prijestolje od svog strica Seta.
U Srednjem kraljevstvu, ona, baš kao i njen muž
Oziris, počeli su stjecati sve veću popularnost
među običnim ljudima zahvaljujući pojmu
zagrobnih promjena, a u Novom kraljevstvu, Iset
i Hator (egip. Hwt-hr, grčki Hathor) počele su se
stapati u jedno. Prikazivane su na isti način, obje
noseći sunčevu ploču s rogovima, te ih više nije bilo
moguće prepoznati po njihovoj ikonografiji, nego
isključivo po hijeroglifima. Isetino se štovanje dalje
razvijalo kroz razdoblje Novog kraljevstva sve do u
Kasno razdoblje. S vremenom, ona je utjelovljavala
7
Tekstovi piramida predstavljaju niz magijskih rečenica vezanih uz
pogrebne običaje faraona. Napisani su na zidovima grobnica u
piramidama iz razdoblja potkraj 5. i 6. dinastije Starog kraljevstva
(2670.-2150. pr. Kr.) te u Prvom prijelaznom razdoblju koje je
potom uslijedilo. Kronološki prvi primjer je Unasova piramida 5.
dinastije u Sakari, koja predstavlja ključ za razumijevanje egipatske
religije: R. O. Faulkner, 1925, 153-161; A. Piankoff, 1968, 9-110; M.
Lehner, 2008, 153-165. Plutarh, De Iside et Osiride. Djelo je napisano
oko 120. godine. Predstavlja jedno od najvažnijih pisanih vrela
našeg cjelokupnog znanja o Egiptu.
her his secret name, thus gaining access to great
knowledge. The most well-known myth about Iset
is the story of how when her husband Wesir was
murdered by his brother Set and his body thrown
into the Nile, she had mourned him and gone
in search of his body, accompanied by her sister
Nebt-Het. When, after many adventures, she finally
421 - 440
found him, she managed to bring him back to life
and begot his son Heru, who would in time win
the throne back from his uncle Set.
In the Middle Kingdom, her popularity began to
rise among the common people, as did that of her
husband Wesir, due to the concept of the afterlife
changing, and in the New Kingdom Iset and Hwt-
kornelija a. giunio: isis – the sea star and the ceremony of navigium isidis
hr (in Greek Hathor) began to merge. They were
depicted in the same way, both wearing a horned
solar disc, and could only be identified, not by
their iconography, but by their hieroglyphs. Iset’s
cult continued to develop throughout the New
Kingdom and into the Late Period. Over time,
she incorporated most of the traits of other great
goddesses and also certain gods. Her sufferings as
a widow and lonely mother made it easy not only
for women to identify with her. She was also greatly
worshipped for her healing and protective powers.
Love spells and amulets (a tyet knot) connected to
Iset were frequently used. Her popularity grew and
endured longer than any other Egyptian goddess
in the Greek and Roman periods, when she was
interpreted according to their cultural values and
religious viewpoints.
Egypt successively enchanted Persia, Greece and
Rome. The father of Greek history Herodotus in
DIADORA 26/27
the 5th century BC dedicated more than one whole
book of his masterpiece to Egypt.8 Alexander the
Great founded a city in Egypt, Alexandria, which
was his greatest achievement, and his successors,
the Ptolemies, although they preserved the
ancient Pharaonic heritage, in Alexandria created
the most active cultural centre of the Greek world.
After the defeat of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra
at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, Egypt became
8
Herodotus, The History, book two: Euterpa, and the beginning of
book three: Thalia.
425
 većinu osobina drugih velikih božica, kao i nekih
bogova. Zbog patnji koje je prolazila kao udovica i
usamljena majka, s njom su se mogle jednostavno
poistovjećivati ne samo žene. U velikoj je se mjeri
štovalo radi njenih iscjeliteljskih i zaštitničkih moći.
Često su se koristili ljubavni uroci i amuleti (čvor
tyet) povezani s Iset. Njena je popularnost rasla i
421 - 440
potrajala duže nego li bilo koje druge egipatske
boginje u grčkom i rimskom razdoblju, kad su
je interpretirali kroz svoje kulturne vrijednosti i
vjerske stavove.
Egipat je redom očarao Perziju, Grčku i na kraju
Rim. Otac grčke povijesti, Herodot, u 5. je stoljeću
pr. Kr. posvetio više od jedne cijele knjige svog
remek-djela upravo Egiptu.8 Aleksandar Veliki u
Egiptu je osnovao grad, Aleksandriju, što je bilo
kornelija a. giunio: izida – zvijezda mora i obred navigium isidis
njegovo najveće dostignuće, a njegovi nasljednici,
Ptolomejevići, iako su zadržali drevno faraonsko
nasljeđe, u Aleksandriji su osnovali najdjelatnije
kulturno središte grčkog svijeta. Nakon poraza
Marka Antonija i Kleopatre u bitci kod Akcija 31.
godine pr. Kr., Egipat je došao pod rimsku upravu
i egipatska su božanstva pronašla put do Rima.
Prvi od Ptolomejevića, Ptolomej I. Soter, uvidio je
da bi Grcima neka od tradicionalnih egipatskih
božanstava u životinjskim liku bila smiješna. Došao
je na zamisao da Izidu i njenog muža Ozirisa učini
središtem novog kulta, vješto ih helenizirajući.
U svojoj metamorfozi u grčko-rimskom svijetu,
Izida je poprimila osobine vrhovnog i univerzalnog
božanstva koje nije mogla posjedovati u okviru
osobitog ustroja egipatske religije. Osnovni
podaci o tim preobrazbama potječu iz nekolicine
DIADORA 26/27
grčkih izvora koji se nazivaju aretalogije.9 Sve one
počivaju na preteči znanoj pod nazivom Aretalogija
8
Herodot, Povijest, Knjiga druga: Euterpa, i početak Knjige treće:
Talija.
9 complete. The Aretalogy from Thessaloniki is contemporaneous, while
Aretalogija je u grčko-rimskoj literaturi pripovijest u slavu
božanstva. Na grčkom, arete znači vrlina kao dio etike, znanosti o
ćudoređu u ljudskom ophođenju. Najstarija je Aretalogija iz
Maroneje u Trakiji iz 1. st. pr. Kr., nakon koje slijedi Aretalogija iz
Andra. Jedino je Aretalogija iz Kyme iz 1.-2. st. poslije Kr. sačuvana
u cijelosti. Aretalogija iz Soluna je istodobna s njom, dok je nešto
mlađa Aretalogija s Hija iz 3. st. poslije Kr.: A.-J. Festugiere, 1972,
138-163; F. Mora, 1990, 47-71.
426
subservient to the rulers of Rome, and Egyptian
divinities found their way to Rome. The first of
the Ptolemies, Ptolemy I Soter, had understood
that the Greeks would find some of the traditional
Egyptian gods in animal shape ridiculous. He came
up with the idea of making Isis and her husband
Osiris the centre of the new worship by skilfully
Hellenising the divinities.
In her metamorphoses in the Hellenistic-Roman
world, Isis gained the characteristics of a supreme
and universal divinity which in the special structures
of the Egyptian religion she could not have had. The
basic data about these metamorphoses are obtained
from several Greek sources which we call Aretalogies.9
They all depend on a single prototype called the
Memphis Aretalogy, most probably produced in the
3rd century BC, at the beginning of the Ptolemeian
period, when the process of adjusting the Pharaonic
divinity to Greek religion occurred throughout Egypt.
Isis had the fundamental role of a goddess whose
legislative characteristics arranged the world.
She was the goddess who brought the basics
of civilisation, and regulated order and justice.
Moreover, her fundamental role as the goddess of
fertility was woven into her cosmic functions.
The data from the Aretalogies on the universality
of Isis’s divinity are completed by other sources
like the Hymns of Isidorus and Apuleius’s well-
known Metamorphoses. The Hymns of Isidorus
were written on the walls of the entrance hall of
the temple in Faiyum, the modern Medinet Madi
in the 1st century BC.10 The goddess guaranteed
9
An Aretalogy is a story in praise of a certain divinity in Greco-Roman
literature. In Greek, arete means virtue, a part of ethics, the science of
morality in human conduct. The oldest is the Aretalogy from Maroneia
in Thracia from the 1st century BC, followed by the Aretalogy from
Andros. Only the Aretalogy from Cyme from the 1st-2nd century AD is
the Aretalogy from Chios from the 3rd century AD is more recent: A.-J.
Festugière, 1972, 138-163; F. Mora, 1990, 47-71.
10
Each hymn bears Isidorus’s name clearly at the end. They were
found inscribed in 1935, in situ, at the southern gate of a large
Greco-Egyptian temple near a village in the extreme south of
Faiyum, the modern village of Medined Madi: V. F. Vanderlip, 1972,
9-96; E. Bresciani, 1997, 37-41.
SL. 2. Mramorni kip Izide koja drži sistrum i oinochoe, iz Ville
Adriane u blizini Tivolija, 40.-50. poslije Kr., Musei Capitolini, Rim,
inv. br. MC744 (preuzeto s www.wikimedia.com)
FIG. 2. Marble statue of Isis holding a sistrum and an oinochoe, from
the Villa Adriana near Tivoli, 40-50 AD., Musei Capitolini, Roma, inv.
br. MC744 (from www.wikimedia.com).

421 - 440
iz Memfisa, nastaloj najvjerojatnije u 3. stoljeću
pr. Kr., na početku razdoblja Ptolomejevića, kad
je diljem Egipta započeo proces prilagođavanja
faraonskog božanstva grčkoj religiji.

Izidi je pripala ključna uloga božice čiji je karakter

predstavljao službeni temelj tadašnjeg svjetskog
poretka. Ona je bila božica koja je omogućila

kornelija a. giunio: isis – the sea star and the ceremony of navigium isidis
uspostavu temelja civilizacije te vladavine reda
i pravde. Štoviše, njena osnovna uloga božice
plodnosti utkana je u cjelokupnu svrhu njenog
kozmičkog postojanja.

Podatke iz aretalogija o univerzalnosti Izidine bo-

žanske prirode upotpunjuju drugi izvori, kao što su
Izidorove himne i poznate Apulejeve Metamorfoze.
Izidorove himne ispisane su na zidovima predvorja
hrama u Fayumu, u današnjem Medinet Madiju, u
1. st. pr. Kr.10 Božica je osiguravala zakonski i svjet-
ski poredak, kao i pozitivan prirodni tok, a muš-
karcima je njena plodnost omogućavala potrebne
vještine. Za razliku od aretalogija, u himnama na-
mijenjenima širenju njenog kulta grčko-rimskim
svijetom naglasak je bio na Izidinoj soteriološkoj
naravi, odnosno prirodi spasiteljice. Ona je bila
univerzalno božanstvo i na različitim se mjestima
javljala pod raznim imenima. Bila je polynymos ili
myrionymos, Boginja s Deset Tisuća Imena, Velika

DIADORA 26/27
Božanska Majka.

Egipatska je Izida prikazivana kao žena odjevena u

tijesne halje, obavijene oko njenog tijela od vrata
do nožnih zglobova. Na glavi nosi krunu u obliku
prijestolja. Sinkretizmom s Hator prikazuje se s
krunom iz koje izbijaju kravoliki rogovi. Oni uokviruju
10
Na kraju svake himne jasno je istaknuto Izidorovo ime. Himne
su otkrivene 1935., in situ, upisane na južnom ulazu u veliki grčko-
egipatski hram u blizini današnjeg Medinet Madija, sela na
krajnjem jugu Fayuma: V. F. Vanderlip, 1972, 9-96; E. Bresciani,
1997, 37-41.
the laws, the orderly organisation of the world,
and the positive flow of nature, while her fertility
gave men skills. In contrast to the Aretalogies, the
soteriological nature of Isis, her nature as a saviour
was emphasised in the Hymns, which facilitated
her spread in the Greco-Roman world. She was a
universal divinity and in different places appeared
under different names. She was polynymos or
myrionymos, the Goddess of Ten Thousand Names,
and the Great Mother Goddess.

427
 sunčevu ploču, dok se ispred nalazi uspravljena
kobra (ureus). Dvije odrednice koje su Izidu pratile
u grčko-rimskom razdoblju bile su izidinski čvor,
znamen mistične navale energije, i zvečka, takozvani
sistrum, glazbalo također podrijetlom iz faraonskog
razdoblja, koje je sa svoje karakteristične četiri (ili tri)
šipke objavljivalo cjelovitost svijeta (Sl. 2).
421 - 440
Ova se nova i složena religija proširila na Rim preko
Sicilije i Velike Grčke.11 U Rimu, kamo je ova religija
stigla u vrijeme Lucija Kornelija Sule, nije bila
osobito popularna. S jedne strane, bila je prilično
putena te kao takva uvredljiva za rimsko poimanje
časti. S druge strane, pristigla je iz zemlje koja je
zadnjih godina Republike bila gotovo uvijek u
lošim odnosima s Rimom, što je kulminiralo u
nesretnom odnosu Marka Antonija i Kleopatre.
kornelija a. giunio: izida – zvijezda mora i obred navigium isidis
Rimski je Senat četiri puta u deset godina (58.,
53., 50. i 48. god. prije Kr.) naložio uništavanje
egipatskih svetišta i skulptura.12 Nakon poraza
Marka Antonija i Kleopatre, prakticiranje kulta
postalo je opasnije no ikada. Godine 28. prije Kr.
zabranjeno je podizati oltare aleksandrijskim
božanstvima unutar gradskih zidina (pomerium),
a sedam godina kasnije Marko Vipsanije Agripa,
Augustov vojskovođa, proširio je zabranu na
područje u krugu jedne milje od grada. Godine
19. poslije Krista, u vrijeme cara Tiberija, Izidin
kult izazvao je velike skandale, što je imalo za
posljedicu progone Izidinih sljedbenika. No, sve
su te mjere bile neučinkovite. Religija se proširila
čitavom Italijom premda su njeni sljedbenici u
Rimu bili izloženi progonstvu. S Tiberijeveom
smrću prestalo je i razdoblje progona ove religije.
DIADORA 26/27
Godine 38. poslije Krista, car Kaligula na Marsovom
je polju (Campus Martius) u Rimu sagradio velik
Izidin hram, kojeg su kasniji carevi dodatno
uljepšavali.13 Tijekom njegove vladavine, u Rimu
11
L. Vidman, 1970, 106-124; F. Dunand, 1973, 196-254; M. Malaise,
1972; M. Malaise, 1972a; M. Malaise, 1978, 627-717; M. Malaise,
1984, 1629-1648; A. Grimm, 1997, 120-133; E. M. Orlin, 2010, 203-
212.
12
A. Grimm, 1997, 122-123.
13
C. Alfano, 1989-1990, 785-791; C. Alfano, 1990, 41-46; L. Sist,
1997, 297-321.
428
The Egyptian Isis was represented as a woman
dressed in a tight dress wrapped around her body
from the neck to the ankles. On her head, she wore
the set in the form of a throne. With her syncretism
with Hathor, she began to wear a crown from which
cow-like horns sprouted. This framed the sun disc,
and on the front there was an erect cobra – ureus.
Two of Isis’s determinants which would follow her
into the Hellenistic-Roman period were the Isiac
knot, the sign of the mystical twist of energy, and
the musical instrument the sistrum, which with its
four (or three) sticks declared the totality of the
world and was also descended from the Pharaonic
period (Fig. 2).
This new and complex religion spread to Rome
throvak Sicily and Magna Graecia.11 In Rome,
where this religion arrived at the time of Lucius
Cornelius Sulla, it was not particularly popular. On
the one hand, it was rather sensual and as such
offended the Roman idea of dignity. On the other,
it came from a country which in the last years of
the Republic was almost always on bad terms
with Rome, which culminated in the unhappy
relationship of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra. The
Roman Senate four times in one decade (in 58, 53,
50 and 48 BC) ruled that Egyptian shrines should
be demolished and their sculptures destroyed.12
After the defeat of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra,
the cult was potentially more dangerous than
ever. In 28 BC, it was forbidden to raise altars to
the Alexandrian divinities inside the city walls
(inside the pomerium), and seven years later
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Augustus’s lieutenant,
increased the injunction to one mile from the city.
In 19 AD, at the time of the Emperor Tiberius, Isis’s
cult provoked great scandals, which led to the
persecution of Isis’s followers. However, all of these
measures were ineffective. The religion spread
throughout Italy, even though it was persecuted
in Rome. After Tiberius’s death, the days of
banishment of this religion passed.
11
L. Vidman, 1970, 106-124; F. Dunand, 1973, 196-254; M. Malaise,
1972; M. Malaise, 1972a; M. Malaise, 1978, 627-717; M. Malaise, 1984,
1629-1648; A. Grimm, 1997, 120-133; E. M. Orlin, 2010, 203-212.
12
A. Grimm, 1997, 122-123.
SL. 3. Ulomak ploče s prikazom scene Izdinog kulta,
pronađen u grobnici otkrivenoj uz Via Appia u Ariciji, oko
100. godine poslije Kr. Museo Nazionale Romano – Palazzo
Altemps, Rim, inv. br. 77255 (preuzeto s www.flickriver.com)
FIG. 3. Fragment of a slab with a scene from the cult of Isis
from a tomb along the Via Appia in Ariccia, c. 100 AD. Museo
Nazionale Romano – Palazzo Altemps, Roma, inv. nr. 77255
(from www.flickriver.com).
su se počele obilježavati izidinske svečanosti
Navigium Isidis. Car Oton bio je deklarirani
poklonik Izide, no to je bio tek nagovještaj onog
što će uslijediti za vrijeme vladavine Flavijevaca.
Vespazijan je proglašen carem u Egiptu, te
su ga prvo priznale egipatske legije, a onda i
žitelji Aleksandrije. Nakon preuzimanja Carstva,
posjetio je Serapisov hram. Nakon početnog
oklijevanja oko preuzimanja carskih funkcija, u
hramu aleksandrijskog božanstva Vespazijan je
pronašao potrebnu snagu i podršku.14 Prodor
egipatske vjere u rimski duhovni svijet postao
je neizbježan (Sl. 3). Car Hadrijan posjetio je
Egipat 130. god. poslije Krista, no taj posjet
nije bio isključivo političke prirode. Čini se
da je Hadrijan u Hermopolisu iniciran u tajno
znanje Hermesa-Tota. Hadrijanova egipatska
iskustva dobila su posebno mjesto u njegovom
duhovnom životu. Veliku ulogu odigrala je smrt
utapljanjem u Nilu njegovog miljenika, kasnije
diviniziranog Antinoja. Nakon što je svrstan
među božanstva, Antinoj je doveden u vezu
s ostalim egipatskim božanstvima u Rimu i
štovan u Izeumu na Marsovom polju. Hadrijan
je bio čovjek profinjenih umjetničkih sklonosti
i njegov je boravak u Egiptu, osim što je imao
vjersko značenje, snažno utjecao na cara i
na estetskoj razini. Careva naklonost prema
predmetima egipatskih obilježja odražava se i
u svojevrsnoj egiptomaniji u ukusu Rimljana.
14
P. Derchain – J. Hubaux, 1953, 38-52.
421 - 440
In 38 AD, the Emperor Caligula built a great Temple
kornelija a. giunio: isis – the sea star and the ceremony of navigium isidis
of Isis on the Campus Martius in Rome, which
subsequent Emperors further embellished.13
During his reign, the Isiac festival of the Navigium
Isidis was established in Rome. The Emperor Oton
was a declared follower of Isis, which was just the
prelude to what would occur under the Flavian
dynasty. Vespasian became Emperor in Egypt
and was acclaimed first by the Egyptian legions
and then by the people in Alexandria. Upon
taking over the Empire, he visited the Temple
of Sarapis. Hesitating in accepting the imperial
functions, Vespasian found in the temple of the
Alexandrian god the strength and support he
needed.14 The penetration of the Egyptian creed
into the Roman spiritual world was irreversible
(Fig. 3). The Emperor Hadrian visited Egypt in
130 AD and the visit was not only of a political
nature. It seems that Hadrian was initiated into the
secret knowledge of Hermes-Thot in Hermopolis.
His Egyptian experiences had a special place in
DIADORA 26/27
Hadrian’s spiritual life. A major part was played by
the death by drowning in the Nile of his favourite,
the later divinised Antinous. With his promotion
to a divinity, Antinous was associated with other
Egyptian divinities in Rome and honoured in the
Iseum on the Campus Martius. Hadrian was a man
of refined artistic inclinations and his sojourn in
13
C. Alfano, 1989-1990, 785-791; C. Alfano, 1990, 41-46; L. Sist,
1997, 297-321.
14
P. Derchain – J. Hubaux, 1953, 38-52.
429
 421 - 440
kornelija a. giunio: izida – zvijezda mora i obred navigium isidis
SL. 4. Zidna slikarija iz Ostije s prikazom Navigium Isidis. S desne
strane zastava rimskih careva (vexillum) s prikazom triju bisti,
vjerojatno Septimija Severa i njegovih dvaju sinova, Karakale i
Gete, upućuje na slavlje u čast caru. Musei Vaticani, Rim (preuzeto
s www.ostia-antica.org/vmuseum/cynegetica.htm)
Nadalje, pretpostavlja se da je Hadrijanov
boravak u Egiptu imao za posljedicu isticanje
egipatskog karaktera i podrijetla božanstava
izidinskog kruga u njihovom štovanju u Italiji i
drugim rimskim provincijama širom Europe. U
tom je razdoblju započeo uspon Serapisa koji je
dotad uvijek bio u Izidinoj sjeni, što mu je dalo
status moćnog i univerzalnog božanstva koje
su prihvatili i podržali rimski carevi. Komod je
tijekom svoje vladavine objavio svoju snažnu
DIADORA 26/27
sklonost istočnjačkim religijama u skladu sa
svojom željom da, u skladu s istočnjačkim
poimanjem, u jednakoj mjeri naglasi božanski
karakter svoje vladavine. Štovanje izidinskih
božanstava doseglo je vrhunac u razdoblju
Severske dinastije početkom 3. st. (Sl. 4). Nakon
toga, ona su počela ustupati teren svojim
sirijskim i perzijskim suparnicima te, naposljetku,
kršćanstvu. Njihova je propast privremeno
zaustavljena za vladavine cara Dioklecijana,
odnosno u razdoblju tetrarhije. Usponom
kršćanstva tijekom 4. st. njihovo je štovanje
zadržano uglavnom u aristokratskim krugovima.
Svečanost nazvana Navigium Isidis ili Ploiaphesia,
430
FIG. 4. Wall painting from Ostia with a representation of the
Navigium Isidis. To the right, there is a reference to a feast related to
the Emperor in view of a banner (vexillum) with the representation
of three busts, probably of Septimius Severus and his two sons,
Caracalla and Geta. Musei Vaticani, Roma (from www.ostia-antica.
org/vmuseum/cynegetica.htm).
Egypt, beside its religious meanings, had a strong
influence at the aesthetic level. The Emperor’s
predilection for things Egyptian reflected a certain
Egyptomania in Roman taste. In addition, it has
been supposed that Hadrian’s sojourn in Egypt
led to the accentuation of the Egyptian character
and origin of the divinities of the Isiac circle in their
veneration in Italy and other European provinces
of the Empire. This is the period when Sarapis, until
then always in Isis’s shadow, began his ascension
which gave him the status of a powerful and
universal divinity accepted and supported by the
Roman emperors. Commodus, during his rule,
declared his great predisposition towards the
Eastern religions in accordance with his wish to
emphasise equally the divine character of his rule
in eastern terms. The Isiac divinities reached their
peak under the Severan dynasty at the beginning
of the 3rd century (Fig. 4). Afterwards, they began
to cede ground to Syrian and Persian competitors
and finally to Christianity. Their decline was
temporarily interrupted during the rule of the
Emperor Diocletian, i.e. the period of the Tetrarchy,
but during the 4th century the rise of Christianity
koja se obilježavala 5. ožujka, označavala je
ponovni početak sezone plovidbe pod zaštitom
Izide. Održavala se redovito te je, uz svakodnevne
rituale i obrede inicijacije, u grčko-rimskom
svijetu predstavljala kult božice, pružajući
vjernicima priliku da božanske slike, koje su se
obično držale u svetištima i hramovima, vide u
sklopu svečane povorke. “Dan koji dolazi nakon
ove noći posvećen je meni na temelju prastarih
običaja. Zimske su bure prošle, na morskim
valima više ne bjesne oluje, more je za plovidbu:
moji svećenici posvećuju mi novu lađu i prinose
na dar kao žrtvu prve predmete trgovine.”15
Pisana i druga vrela nerijetko definiraju Izidu kao
božicu mora i pomorstva. U Aretalogiji iz Kyme,
ona kazuje o sebi: “Ja sam donijela djelatnost
pomorstva16”. Kao božica mora, obožavana je
kao Izida Pelagia, koju ikonografija prikazuje
kako stoji na lađi, te kao Izida Pharia, budući da
svjetionici pokazuju sigurne pomorske putove.
Svakako najraširenija ikonografska forma Izide,
kao božice koja se dovodi u vezu s morem i
plovidbom, lik je Izide Fortunae, koji je prikazuje
s desnom rukom koja počiva na kormilu broda
(kormilarskom veslu), označavajući njenu
kontrolu nad tijekom ljudskog života, a s lijevom
rukom pridržava rog izobilja (cornucopia), simbol
bogatstva i obilja.
Ova svečanost, kako je posvjedočeno
epigrafskim materijalom,17održavala se još
u grčkom svijetu pri kraju helenističkog
razdoblja te je stekla veliku popularnost u
carskom razdoblju. Njeno je obilježavanje,
prema svjedočanstvima Laktancija, Firmicija
Materna i Auzonija, zahvaljujući raširenosti
izidinske religije među rimskom aristokracijom
nastavljeno u kasnoj antici.18 Ediktom iz 395.
15
Apulej, Metamorphoses, XI, 5.
16
Aretalogija iz Kyme preuzeta s www.classics.ukzn.ac.za. M. W.
Meyer, 1987, 172-174.
17
F. Dunand, 1973, 223-224.
18
Laktancije, Div. Inst., I, 11; Firmicije Matern, De errore, 2;
Auzonije, Eglog., XXIII.
restricted them to aristocratic circles. The Festival,
which was called the Navigium Isidis or Ploiaphesia
and which was celebrated on 5 March, marked the
reopening of navigation under the protection of
Isis. It was held regularly and along with the daily
rituals and rites of initiation constituted the cult
of the goddess in the Greco-Roman world and
421 - 440
provided the faithful with the opportunity to see
divine images, usually kept in shrines and temples,
carried in solemn procession. “The day which will
be born of this night has been consecrated to me
by immemorial religious usage. It is the day on
which the tempests of winter have abated and
the stormy sea waves have subsided, when the
ocean is again navigable and my priests sacrifice a
kornelija a. giunio: isis – the sea star and the ceremony of navigium isidis
brand new ship as the first offering of the season’s
trade”.15
Written and other sources often define Isis as
the goddess of the sea and seamanship. In the
Aretalogy from Cyme, she says of herself: “I devised
the activities of seamanship”.16 As the goddess
of the sea, she was revered as Isis Pelagia, who
iconography shows standing on a ship, and also
as Isis Pharia, as lighthouses indicate safe seaways.
Certainly, the most widespread iconographic form
of Isis as a goddess associated with the sea and
sailing is that of Isis Fortuna, showing her with her
right hand resting on a ship’s wheel (rudder), which
refers to her control over the course of human lives,
and her left hand holding a cornucopia, a symbol
of abundance and prosperity.
This festival, as attested by the epigraphic
evidence,17 already existed in the Greek world at
DIADORA 26/27
the end of the Hellenistic period, and attained
great popularity during the Empire. It continued to
be celebrated in Late Antiquity, according to the
testimonies of Lactantius, Firmicus Maternus and
Ausonius, thanks to the spread of the Isiac religion
15
Apuleius, Metamorphoses, XI, 5.
16
Aretatalogy from Cyme taken from www.classics.ukzn.ac.za. M.
W. Meyer, 1987, 172-174.
17
F. Dunand, 1973, 223-224.
431
 god. zabranjene su sve poganske svečanosti,19
pa tako i Navigium Isidis, no poneki pisci
svjedoče o njenim prežicima u 5. i 6. stoljeću.20
Witt navodi Herodotovu tvrdnju da su
Grci preuzeli znanje od prvih ljudi koji su
institucionalizirali festivale, procesije i vjerske
421 - 440
prikaze, od Egipćana.21 Drevni pisci spominju da
se svetkovina Navigium Isidis obilježavala tijekom
vladavine Tutankhamona u razdoblju egipatske
18. dinastije.22 Scene poput onih kakve opisuje
Apulej bile su uobičajen blagdanski prizor:
posvećene lađe, tamjan i tamburini, cvijeće
i libacije, modeli svetišta i povratak rijekom
od Luksora do Karnaka jedanaest dana nakon
isplovljavanja.
kornelija a. giunio: izida – zvijezda mora i obred navigium isidis
Najvrjednije vrelo za nas su Apulejeve
Metamorfoze čiji detaljan opis nam omogućuje
praćenje različitih faza svečanosti. Njegovo
se svjedočanstvo odnosi na 2. st., no za
pretpostaviti je da se obred izvodio na sličan
način i u ranijim razdobljima. Lucije Apulej
bio je latinski prozni pisac, numidijski Berber,
rođen oko 125. godine u Madauri (današnji
M’Daourouch u Alžiru), rimskoj koloniji u
Numidiji (umro oko 180. god.). Studirao je
platonističku filozofiju u Ateni, proputovao
Italiju, Malu Aziju i Egipat te je iniciran u
nekolicinu kultova i misterija, uključujući
dionizijske misterije i Izidin kult. Bio je i svećenik
Asklepijev te, kako piše Sveti Augustin, sacerdos
provinciae Africae.23 Metamorfoze, o kojima
Sveti Augustin piše kao o Zlatnom magarcu
(Asinus Aures), jedino je u potpunosti očuvano
DIADORA 26/27
prozno djelo na latinskom jeziku. Protagonist
romana zove se Lucije. Na kraju romana, otkriva
se da je iz Madaure, rodnog grada samog
Apuleja. Radnja se raspreda oko protagonistove
19
Codex Theodosianus, 2, 8, 22.
20
Vegecije, Epitoma rei militaris, IV, 39; Lid, De mensibus, IV, 45.
21
R. E. Witt, 1997, 165-184.
22
D. Bonneau, 1964, 396; C. Desroches-Noblecourt, 1965, 139; R.
E. Witt, 1997, 165.
23
Aurelije Augustin, Epistulae, 138. 19.
432
among the Roman aristocracy.18 With the edict of
395, the Navigium Isidis was banned along with
all pagan festivals,19 but some writers attest to its
survival in the 5th and 6th centuries.20
Witt cites Herodotus as stating that the first
people to institute festivals, processions and
religious presentations were the Egyptians, from
whom the Greeks received their knowledge.21
Ancient writers indicate the Navigium Isidis
was already being held during the reign of
Tutankhamen during the 18th Dynasty in Egypt.22
Scenes such as we find described by Apuleius
were familiar holiday spectacles: the sacred
barges, the incense and the timbrels, the flowers
and the libations, the models of the shrines, and
the return by river from Luxor to Karnak eleven
days after setting out.
The most invaluable source for us is Apuleius’s
Metamorphoses with its detailed description of
the festival, which allows us to follow it through
its various stages. His testimony relates to the 2nd
century, but one can assume that the ceremony
was similarly performed even in earlier periods.
Lucius Apuleius was a Latin prose writer who was
a Numidian Berber born in c. 125 AD in Madaurus
(now M’Daourouch in Algeria), a Roman colony in
Numidia, and who died in c. 180 AD. He studied
Platonist philosophy in Athens, travelled to Italy,
Asia Minor and Egypt, and was an initiated into
several cults and mysteries, including the Dionysian
mysteries and the cult of Isis. He was also a priest
of Aesculapius and, according to St. Augustine,
sacerdos provinciae Africae.23 The Metamorphoses,
which St. Augustine referred to as the Golden Ass
18
Lactantius, Div. Inst., I, 11; Firmicus Maternus, De errore, 2;
Ausonius, Eglog., XXIII.
19
Codex Theodosianus, 2, 8, 22.
20
Vegetius, Epitoma rei militaris, IV, 39; Lydus, De mensibus, IV, 45.
21
R. E. Witt, 1997, 165-184.
22
D. Bonneau, 1964, 396; C. Desroches-Noblecourt, 1965, 139; R.
E. Witt, 1997, 165.
23
Aurelius Augustinus, Epistulae, 138. 19.
SL. 5. Zidna slikarija iz Izidinog hrama u Pompejima s prikazom
svećenika. Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Napulj, inv. br. 8922
(preuzeto s www.wikimedia.com)
FIG. 5. Wall-painting from the temple of Isis in Pompei with the
representation of a male officiant. Museo Archeologico Nazionale,
Napoli, inv. nr. 8922 (from www.wikimedia.com).

421 - 440
radoznalosti i nezasitne želje da vidi i prakticira
magiju. Dok nastoji izvesti čaroliju kako bi se
preobrazio u pticu, slučajno biva pretvoren u
magarca. To ga odvede na daleko putovanje,
doslovno i metaforičko, isprepleteno ubačenim
pričama. Konačno nalazi spas zahvaljujući
uplitanju božice Izide, čijem se kultu pridružuje.

kornelija a. giunio: isis – the sea star and the ceremony of navigium isidis
Sad kad je opet u ljudskome liku, naš junak,
Lucije, spreman je za inicijaciju u misterijski
kult Izide. Odriče se zabranjene hrane, kupa
se i pročišćava. Uveden je u Navigium Isidis.
Objašnjene su mu tajne kultne knjige i otkrivene
druge tajne prije nego će proći kroz postupak
inicijacije koji uključuje sud po elementima na
putovanju u podzemlje. Od Lucija se, potom,
zahtijeva da zatraži inicijaciju u Ozirisov kult
u Rimu te je, konačno, iniciran u pastophoroi,
skupinu svećenika koji služe Izidi i Ozirisu.

Značenje svečanosti u priči otkriva sama Izida:

“Zimske su bure prošle, na morskim valima
više ne bjesne oluje, more je za plovidbu: moji
svećenici posvećuju mi novu lađu”24 i prinose
prvu žrtvu sezone trgovine. Bila je to sezonska (Asinus Aures), is the only Latin novel to survive in
svetkovina čiji vrhunac je predstavljalo porinuće its entirety. The protagonist of the novel is called
lađe koju je pročistio vrhovni svećenik bakljom, Lucius. At the end of the novel, he is revealed to
jajetom i sumporom, posvećene božici i be from Madaurus, the hometown of Apuleius

napunjene svakojakim žrtvenim darovima
vjernika. Svečanost u čast gospe od mora i
zaštitnice pomoraca, Isis Pelagia, tipičnog
aspekta božice grčko-rimskog svijeta, bogato
je dokumentirana, no ona vuče svoje korijene
vjerojatno iz Egipta, gdje je funkcija zaštitnice
plovidbe već postojala u liku Izide, ali je bila
tek sekundarna. Čini se da je svečanost imala
šire značenje. Ona nije bila samo proslava
ponovnog otvorenja plovidbe i obnove čitave
24
Apulej, Metamorphoses, XI, 5.
DIADORA 26/27
himself. The plot revolves around the protagonist’s
curiosity and insatiable desire to see and practise
magic. While trying to perform a spell to transform
into a bird, he is accidentally transformed into
an ass. This leads to a long journey, literal and
metaphorical, filled with inset tales. He finally
finds salvation through the intervention of the
goddess Isis, whose cult he joins. Our hero, Lucius,
once human again, is eager to be initiated into the
mystery cult of Isis. He abstains from forbidden
foods, bathes and purifies himself. He is introduced
to the Navigium Isidis. Then the secrets of the cult’s
book are explained to him, and further secrets
revealed before he goes through the process of

433
 prirode, kako je posvjedočio Apulej.25 Obredu
puštanja u plovidbu prethodila je procesija koja
je uključivala različite skupine ljudi, maskiranih
muškaraca i egzotičnih životinja koji vjerojatno
nisu predstavljali dio egipatskog rituala, ali su
imali apotropejsko značenje. Na čelu procesije
bili su magistrati, gladijatori i filozofi. Procesiju
421 - 440
su predvodile žene odjevene u bijelo i ukrašene
cvjetnim vijencima, razasujući cvijeće oko sebe.
Druge su nosile zrcala i češljeve za uređivanje
božice, dok su treće, pak, sipale mirise i pomade.
Za njima su išli muškarci i žene sa svjetiljkama,
bakljama i svijećama, slijede glazbenici, pjevači
i tibicines posvećeni Serapisu. Zatim je slijedila
skupina posvećenika odjevenih u bijele haljine,
žena zastrtih koprenama i muškaraca obrijanih
glava, udarajući u svoje čegrtaljke (sistra).26 S
kornelija a. giunio: izida – zvijezda mora i obred navigium isidis
njima su išli svećenici odjeveni u bijele platnene
halje, svaki od njih noseći neki kultni predmet,
svjetiljku i prijenosni žrtvenik. Nosili su stablo
palme i kaducej, zlatnu vazu u obliku dojke,
zlatno sito s lovorovim granama i amforu (Sl. 5
i 6).27
“Odmah iza njih pojaviše se bogovi koji su
blagoizvoljeli ići ljudskim nogama”,28 svećenik
s Anubisovom maskom, s kaducejem u lijevoj
ruci, a u desnoj zelenom palminom granom, za
njim junica, simbol Izide-Hator, zatim svećenik s
kutijom koja u sebi krije tajne uzvišene religije
boginje te još jedan s krčagom koji sadrži vodu
iz Nila, inkarnaciju Ozirisa. Procesija je, zatim,
stizala do mora, gdje se, kao što je rečeno,
odvijalo porinuće svete lađe. Bijela jedra bila su
ispisana molitvama upućenima Izidi za uspješnu
DIADORA 26/27
25
Apulej, Metamorphoses, XI, 7.
26
Sistrum je glazbalo tipa udaraljki koje se poglavito povezuje s
drevnim Irakom i Egiptom. Sastoji se od drške i metalnog okvira u
obliku slova U, izrađivan je od mjedi ili bronce, a širina mu varira
između 76 i 30 cm. Kad ih se protrese, tanke metalne karičice ili
petlje na pokretnim poprečnim prečkama proizvode zvuk u
rasponu od nježnog zveketa do glasnog štropotanja. Ime je
izvedeno iz grčkog glagola σείω, seio, tresti, i σείστρον, seistron,
ono što se trese. U staroegipatskom se ovo glazbalo nazivalo
sekhem ili sesheshet. T. Tibiletti, 1997, 660-663.
27
Apulej, Metamorphoses, XI, 10.
28
Apulej, Metamorphoses, XI, 11.
434
initiation, which involves a trial by the elements in
a journey to the underworld. Lucius is then asked
to seek initiation into the cult of Osiris in Rome,
and eventually is initiated into the pastophoroi – a
group of priests that serves Isis and Osiris.
The meaning of the festival was revealed in the
story by Isis herself: “It is the day on which the
tempests of winter have abated and the stormy
sea waves have subsided, when the ocean is again
navigable and my priests sacrifice a brand new ship
as the first offering of the season’s trade”.24 It was a
seasonal holiday, whose climax was the launching
of a ship purified by the high priest with a torch, an
egg and sulphur, consecrated to the goddess and
loaded with offerings of all kinds by the faithful. It
was Isis Pelagia, the lady of the sea and protector
of sailors who was worshipped in this festival, a
typical aspect of the goddess of the Greco-Roman
world, for which we have rich documentation
but which probably had its roots in Egypt, where
the function of the protectress of navigation was
already present, though secondarily, in the figure
of Isis. The festival seems to have had a broader
meaning; it was not only the celebration of the
reopening of navigation and the renewal of all
nature, as witnessed by Apuleius.25 The launching
ceremony was preceded by a procession which
included different groups of people, masked
men and exotic animals, probably foreign to the
Egyptian ritual, with some apotropaic functions.
At the head of the procession were magistrates,
gladiators and philosophers. The procession
opened with women dressed in white and
adorned with garlands scattering flowers. Others
wore mirrors and combs to style the goddess,
while others poured perfumes and ointments.
They were followed by men and women with
lanterns, torches and candles, and then musicians,
singers and tibicines consecrated to Sarapis. Then
came the group of initiates dressed in white linen,
women with heads veiled, and men with shaved
24
Apuleius, Metamorphoses, XI, 5.
25
Apuleius, Metamorphoses, XI, 7.

SL. 6. Reljef iz Rima s prikazom četvorice izidinskih svećenika kako
nose raznovrsne svete predmete u procesiji. Museo Gregoriano
Egizio, Rim (preuzeto s www.colorado.edu)
plovidbu te sezone. Na valovima je obavljana
libacija i sipalo se mlijeko. Otpuštala se užad i
lađa bi skliznula u vodu i more, bez posade koja
bi njome upravljala dok je nestajala na obzoru.
Izricale su se državne molitve i zaključivale
formulom o otpuštanju u stilu „lađa je puštena“.
Naposljetku bi svi otišli u Izidin hram, gdje je
svećenik svima poželio obilja i proglasio sezonu
plovidbe otvorenom, dok je gomila vjernika
izražavala štovanje kipu boginje. Prikaze
izidinskih procesija nalazimo na freskama u
Herkulanumu, u sakrariju Izidinog hrama u
Pompejima (Sl. 7),29 a columnae coelatae rimskog
kompleksa Iseo Campense nose takve prikaze.30
S vremenom, svečanost je doživjela određene
promjene. Više se nije obilježavala 5. ožujka,
29
Sacrarium je bio svojevrsna sakristija hrama i vjerojatno
prostorija u kojoj su se nalazili posvećenici. Izidin hram u
Pompejima čuven je po sjajnim slikarijama koje obiluju potvrdama
izidinskog kulta i nilotskog svijeta. Građevina, smještena u središtu
dvorišta, tetrastilni je prostilni hram, sagrađen na visokom podiju.
P. Hoffmann, 1993, 42-227.
30
S. Ensoli Vittozzi, 1990, 59-70.
421 - 440
kornelija a. giunio: isis – the sea star and the ceremony of navigium isidis
FIG. 6. Relief from Rome showing four officials of the Isiac cult
carrying various sacred objects in procession. Museo Gregoriano
Egizio, Roma (from www.colorado.edu).
heads, shaking their rattles (sistra).26 With them
advanced the priests clothed in white linen robes,
each carrying an object of worship, a lamp and
a portable altar. They carried a palm tree and a
caduceus, a vase of gold in the shape of a breast, a
golden sieve with laurel branches, and an amphora
(Figs. 5 and 6).27
“Next appeared the gods who deigned to proceed
on human feet”,28 a priest wearing the mask of
Anubis holding a caduceus in his right hand and
brandishing a green palm-leaf in his left, followed
DIADORA 26/27
by a heifer, a symbol of Isis-Hathor, a priest with a
26
A sistrum is a musical instrument of the percussion family,
chiefly associated with ancient Iraq and Egypt. It consists of a
handle and a U-shaped metal frame, made of brass or bronze and
is between 76 and 30 cm in width. When shaken, the small rings or
loops of thin metal on its movable crossbars produce a sound that
can be from a soft clank to a loud jangling. The name derives from
the Greek verb σείω, seio, to shake, and σείστρον, seistron, is that
which is being shaken. Its name in the ancient Egyptian language
was sekhem or sesheshet. T. Tibiletti, 1997, 660-663.
27
Apuleius, Metamorphoses, XI, 10.
28
Apuleius, Metamorphoses, XI, 11.
435
 nego 3. siječnja. Posljedica toga bila je da se više
nije neposredno povezivala s početkom sezone
plovidbe, već je poprimila druga značenja. Alföldy
ukazuje na novac iz 4. stoljeća sa scenama koje
su prikazivale, primjerice, Izidu u svetoj lađi kako
objema rukama nateže jedro ili personifikaciju
Nila kako leži na boku sa svetom lađom u rukama,
421 - 440
aludirajući na Navigium Isidis, te ih povezuje
s legendom o javnim zavjetima za dobrobit i
zdravlje cara (vota publica).31 Datum je pomaknut
tako da je padao na dan kad su se obilježavali
vota publica za cara na početku Nove godine.
Svečanost je izgubila svoje prvotno značenje,
a dobre želje za dobrobit plovidbe (prospera
navigatio) postale su želje za sreću i dobrobit
cara te samim time i Carstva. Rimske su kovnice
na novčićima donosile različite prikaze Izide kao
kornelija a. giunio: izida – zvijezda mora i obred navigium isidis
zaštitnice lúka i plovidbe te izumiteljice jedara.
Novčiće ili medalje s carskim bistama prvi je dao
iskovati Dioklecijan prigodom dolaska broda iz
Aleksandrije, a tradicija se nastavila tijekom 4.
st. Posljednja koja se pojavila bila je carska bista
Valentinijana II. (375.-392. poslije Kr.). “Anonimna”
serija s likovima Izide i Sarapisa na aversu, također
iskovana u 4. st., pokazuje kako su se službene
vlasti jasno udaljile od preostataka poganskih
kultova.32 Pretpostavlja se da je “anonimna” serija
koegzistirala s novcem na kojem su prikazivani
carski portreti, sve dok je nisu zabranili carevi
Gracijan i Teodozije, nastavivši se do kraja stoljeća.
Izidina lađa, koja je isplovljavala svaki put iznova sa
svakim novim izdanjem festivalske serije, objavila
je otvoreni rat Kristovoj crkvi.
Fascinantna hipoteza povezuje podrijetlo
DIADORA 26/27
karnevala i festivala Navigium Isidis, poznatog
i pod nazivom carrus navalis, s praznikom vota
publica.33
31
A. Alföldy, 1937, 46-56.
32
E. A. Arslan, 1997, 139; R. E. Witt, 1997, 179-180; L. Bricault, 2006,
152-176.
33
Preostaci tog obreda zadržali su se u kršćanskim obredima kao
što su Blagoslov stopala i blagdan Svete Agate na Siciliji. Ostale
bliske poveznice su Festival svjetlosti, ili Bogojavljenje u Kršćana i
Kopta. Muslimani se običavaju drugog dana blagdana Eid el Adha
ukrcati na brodice i isploviti, vraćajući se na taj način svečanosti
Navigium Isidis.
436
chest containing the sacred emblems and mysteries
of the goddess and another with a jar containing
the water of the Nile, the incarnation of Osiris. The
procession then came to the sea, where, as we have
said, the launch of the sacred vessel took place. The
white sails were emblazoned with prayers to Isis for
the successful conduct of the season’s navigation.
Upon the waves, libations were made and milk
was poured. The cables were cast off, and the ship
slipped down into the water and glided out to sea
with no crew to guide it as it disappeared toward
the horizon. State prayers were said and concluded
with the formula of dismissal “the ship has been
let go”. Eventually, everyone went to the temple
of Isis, where the priest wished all prosperity and
proclaimed the opening of the season of navigation,
while the crowd of the faithful paid homage to
the statue of the goddess. Representations of
Isiac processions can be found in the frescoes of
Herculaneum and in the sacrarium of the temple of
Isis in Pompeii (Fig. 7),29 and on the columnae coelate
from the Iseo Campense in Rome.30
Over time, the festival underwent some changes.
It was no longer celebrated on 5 March, but on 3
January. Consequently, it was not closely related
to the opening of the season of navigation, but
took on other meanings. Alföldy points to certain
coins of the 4th century with particular scenes, for
example Isis on the sacred boat with her hands in
the act of stretching the sail or the Nile reclining
with the sacred boat in his hands, alluding to the
Navigium Isidis and associated with the vota publica
legend, that is, the wishes of prosperity for the
Emperor.31 It had been moved so it fell on the day of
the celebration of the vota publica for the Emperor
at the start of the New Year. The festival lost its
original meaning, and well wishes for prosperous
29
The sacrarium was a sort of sacristy of the temple and probably
the meeting room of the initiates. The temple of Isis in Pompeii is
famous for its splendid paintings which are full of references to the
Isiac cult and the Nilotic world. The building, placed in the centre
of the courtyard, is a tetrastyle prostyle temple built on a high
podium. P. Hoffmann, 1993, 42-227.
30
S. Ensoli Vittozzi, 1990, 59-70.
31
A. Alföldy, 1937, 46-56.

SL. 7. Izidin hram u Pompejima
Egipatska religija, kult Izide i ostalih s njome
povezanih likova imali su golem utjecaj na druge
vjere, uključujući kršćanstvo. Drevno ime za
Djevicu Mariju, majku Isusa Krista, bilo je Naša
Gospa, Zvijezda Mora. To je prijevod latinskog
naziva Stella Maris, koji se po prvi puta pouzdano
koristio vezano uz Djevicu Mariju u 9. stoljeću.34
Stella Maris, „Zvijezda Mora“, naziv je za α Ursae
Minoris ili Polaris, “Zvijezde vodilje” (također
„Sjevernjača“, „Polarna zvijezda“, „Polara“, itd.), koja
se od starine koristila za astronomsku navigaciju
u pomorskoj plovidbi. Naziv se koristio kako bi se
istaknula uloga Marije kao simbola nade i zvijezde
34
Paschasius Radbertus u 9. stoljeću piše o Mariji, Zvijezdi Mora,
vodilji koju treba slijediti na putu Kristu.
421 - 440
kornelija a. giunio: isis – the sea star and the ceremony of navigium isidis
FIG. 7. Temple of Isis in Pompeii.
navigation (prospera navigatio) became a wish for
the happiness and prosperity of the Emperor and
consequently the Empire. Rome’s mints provided
various depictions of Isis on coins as the protectress
of harbours, the patroness of navigation, and the
DIADORA 26/27
inventor of sails. Such coins or tokens with imperial
busts were first struck by Diocletian to mark the
arrival of the ship from Alexandria, and the tradition
continued through the 4th century. The last imperial
bust to appear is that of Valentinian II (375-392
AD). The “anonymous” coinage with the figures of
Isis and Sarapis on the obverse side, also minted in
the 4th century, shows us how the official powers
clearly distanced themselves from the residual
437
 vodilje Kršćana. Za vjerovati je da se Djevica
Marija pod tim nazivom zauzimlje za moreplovce
ili pomorce kao njihova vodilja i zaštitnica. Posvete
ovom imenu Marijinom nalazimo u poznatoj
katoličkoj pjesmi Hail Queen of Heaven, the Ocean
Star [„Zdravo, Kraljice Neba, Zvijezdo Oceana“]
kao i još starijoj Ave Maris Stella [„Zdravo, Zvijezdo
421 - 440
Mora“].
kornelija a. giunio: izida – zvijezda mora i obred navigium isidis
DIADORA 26/27
438
pagan cults.32 The “anonymous” series would have
coexisted with those with the Imperial portrait
until the prohibitions of the Emperors Gratian and
Theodosius, and continued until the end of the
century. The boat of Isis launched again and again
with every fresh issue of festival coinage declared
open war on the church of Christ.
A fascinating hypothesis establishes a link
between the origins of Carnival and the festival of
the Navigium Isidis, also known as carrus navalis,
connected with the celebration of the vota
publica.33
The religion of Egypt, the cult of Isis and her
associates, had an immense influence on other
faiths, including Christianity. An ancient title for
the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, was Our
Lady, Star of the Sea. This is the translation of the
Latin title Stella Maris, first reliably used in relation
to the Virgin Mary in the 9th century.34 Stella Maris,
the “sea star”, is the name of α Ursae Minoris or
Polaris, the “guiding star” (also “lodestar”, “ship
star”, “steering star”, etc.), which has been used
for celestial navigation at sea since antiquity. The
title was used to emphasise Mary’s role as a sign
of hope and as a guiding star for Christians. Under
this title, the Virgin Mary is believed to intercede as
a guide and protector of those who travel or seek
their livelihoods on the sea. Devotions to this title
of Mary are found in the popular Catholic hymn
“Hail Queen of Heaven, the Ocean Star” and the
ancient prayer Ave Maris Stella.
32
E. A. Arslan, 1997, 139; R. E. Witt, 1997, 179-180; L. Bricault, 2006,
152-176.
33
There are also vestiges of the ritual being performed during
Christian rituals such as the Blessing of the Feet and the Feast of St.
Agatha in Sicily. Other close associations are the Festival of Lights,
or the Epiphany of the Christian and Coptics. Muslims, on the
second day of the Eid el Adha feast, embark on small boats and
take to the waters, harking back to the Navigium Isidis.
34
Paschasius Radbertus in the 9th century wrote of Mary as the
Star of the Sea, a guide to be followed on the way to Christ.
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Apulej, Metamorphoses Lucius Apuleius, Metamorphoses

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(preuzeto s/ taken from: www.latinlibrary.com i www.naderlibrary.com/goldenass.htm)

kornelija a. giunio: izida – zvijezda mora i obred navigium isidis
DIADORA 26/27

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