Info on Disciplina

[Guest SassinidAzatan]

From the limited information I found, Disciplina was the Goddess of Discipline.She was commonly worshipped by imperial Roman soldiers, particularly those who lived along the borders of the Roman Empire.Altars to her have been found in Great Britain(in and North Africa where Roman soldiers were stationed. In the fort of Cilurnum along Hadrian's Wall was dedicated to the goddess Disciplina, as witnessed by an extant dedicatory inscription on a stone altar found in 1978. Her chief virtues were frugalitas, severitas and fidelis?frugality, sternness, and faithfulness. In worshiping Disciplina, a soldier became frugal in every way: with money, with energy and actions. The virtue of severitas was shown in his focused, determined, not easily dissuaded, and decisive behavior. He was faithful to his unit, his army, the officers and the Roman people.

 

 

 

I tried researching on the net for more details but apparently this goddess is so obscure there is very few details of her on the net.Could anyone help give me more info perferably a site or book devoted to this goddess?I really value the virtue of Discipline and since she is the Goddess of Discipline(and the word comes from her) Iam really interested in learning more about her!

[Ursus]

Disciplina ("discipline"). Also known as Discipulina, a roman goddess of of orderly conduct used for propaganda purposes in the later empire to help maintain order within the legions. The earliest dedication to this goddess appears to be an inscription on the altar found at Chesters, Hadrian's Wall, England. Here the dedication was to the discipline of the Emperor Hadrian and dates to his reign (117 - 138). Dedications were more usually "Disciplina Augusti" or "Discipulinae Augusti" ("to the discipline of the Emperor"). Disciplina was portrayed on coins during the latter part of Hadrian's reign, and dedications are known from various parts of the empire where troops were stationed. Eight dedications are known from Britain and seven North Africa. - Dictionary of Roman Religion. Adkins and Adkins.

 

I don't think Discliplina was a real goddess per se, more like a deified virtue along the lines of Peace or Concord, used to inspire servants of the empire and reinforce the ruler cult. The fact that there are only a few dedications known, all of them military, seem to enforce that view.

 

I doubt you'll find much more than what the Adkins managed to dredge up.

[Virgil61]

Disciplina ("discipline"). Also known as Discipulina, a roman goddess of of orderly conduct used for propaganda purposes in the later empire to help maintain order within the legions. The earliest dedication to this goddess appears to be an inscription on the altar found at Chesters, Hadrian's Wall, England. Here the dedication was to the discipline of the Emperor Hadrian and dates to his reign (117 - 138). Dedications were more usually "Disciplina Augusti" or "Discipulinae Augusti" ("to the discipline of the Emperor"). Disciplina was portrayed on coins during the latter part of Hadrian's reign, and dedications are known from various parts of the empire where troops were stationed. Eight dedications are known from Britain and seven North Africa. - Dictionary of Roman Religion. Adkins and Adkins.

 

I don't think Discliplina was a real goddess per se, more like a deified virtue along the lines of Peace or Concord, used to inspire servants of the empire and reinforce the ruler cult. The fact that there are only a few dedications known, all of them military, seem to enforce that view.

 

I doubt you'll find much more than what the Adkins managed to dredge up.

 

Browsed through this post just now and might have something to offer.

 

I have an ebook copy of 'Roman Military Service: Ideologies of Discipline in

the Late Republic and Early Principate' by Sara Elise Phang.

 

While it is interesting it's very academic in its prose. It reads sort of like a post-modern"ish" PhD thesis (if that makes sense), not exactly a page turner. Here's what she had on the issue of a deity in all of 330+ pages;

 

According to some, Roman disciplina militaris was originally religious or sacral

in nature, enforced by taboo and sacrilege, and underwent Weberian Entzauberung (disenchantment), becoming more rational. 53 This book will not examine this transition, due to the problems posed by antiquarian accounts, written many

centuries later, of archaic Roman religion. However, it does appear that Roman

military punishment left the sacral sphere, in which disobedience was a sacrilege

and capital punishment an expiatory sacri?ce, and became rationalized.

 

53 Rupke 1990: 80, 93