Ocelus is a
Celtic god
The gods and goddesses of the pre-Christian Celtic peoples are known from a variety of sources, including ancient places of worship, statues, engravings, cult objects and place or personal names. The ancient Celts appear to have had a pantheon ...
known from three inscriptions in
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the period in classical antiquity when large parts of the island of Great Britain were under occupation by the Roman Empire. The occupation lasted from AD 43 to AD 410. During that time, the territory conquered was ...
. He is twice invoked on dedications at
Caerwent
Caerwent ( cy, Caer-went) is a village and community in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located about five miles west of Chepstow and 11 miles east of Newport. It was founded by the Romans as the market town of ''Venta Silurum'', an important settle ...
: one stone is the base of a statue of which only a pair of human feet and a pair of goose feet survive. The invocation is to
Mars Lenus or Ocelus
Vellaunus
Vellaunus is a Celtic god known from two inscriptions.
Epigraphy
The deity Vellaunus is known from two inscriptions.
The first, found at Caerwent, is the base of a state recording the dedication of the statue to:
: EOMARTI LENO
: VE OCELO V ...
and the "numen" (spirit) of the emperor, and was dedicated on 23 August AD 152. The second Caerwent inscription dedicates an altar to Mars Ocelus. The god was also venerated at
Carlisle
Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...
, where he was once more equated with
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...
and again linked to the imperial cult. So Ocelus seems to have been a British, perhaps
Silurian
The Silurian ( ) is a geologic period and system spanning 24.6 million years from the end of the Ordovician Period, at million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Devonian Period, Mya. The Silurian is the shortest period of the Paleozo ...
god, associated with Mars, probably in the latter's Celtic capacity as a protector. At Caerwent he is linked with Lenus, a Treveran healing deity, and with Vellaunus, who is recorded among the Gaulish
Allobroges
The Allobroges (Gaulish: *''Allobrogis'', 'foreigner, exiled'; grc, Ἀλλοβρίγων, Ἀλλόβριγες) were a Gallic people dwelling in a large territory between the Rhône river and the Alps during the Iron Age and the Roman period.
...
.
The Caerwent inscription uses the actual name of Ocelus and reads as follows:
DEO MARTI OCELO
AEL AGUSTINUS
OP V S L M
God Mars Ocelus
Ael(ius) Agustinus
Op(tio) Paid His Vow
(VSLM stood for Votum Soluit Libens Merito)
References
* Green, Miranda. ''Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend''. Thames and Hudson Ltd. London. 1997
External links
Roman Altar found in Caerwent
{{Celtic mythology (ancient)
Gods of the ancient Britons
Martian deities