Lesson plan
Bubona
In ancient Roman religion, Bubona is thought to have been a goddess of cattle, but she is named only by Saint Augustine. Augustine mocks Bubona as one of the minor Roman deities whose names correspond to their functions, and derives her name from the Latin word bos (genitive bovis, hence English "bovine"), which usually means "ox" in the singular and "cattle" in the plural (bubus in the dative and ablative plural; compare bubulcus, one who drives or tends cattle). The formation of this theonym has been compared to that of Bellona, "she who presides over war (bellum)"; Pomona, "she who presides over orchard fruits (pomum)"; and Epona, the Romano-Celtic horse goddess (from Gaulish epos, "horse" ) whose image was placed in stables as a tutelary for the animals. Augustine mentions Bubona in two passages. In addition to the passage on theonyms and divine personifications, he lists her among several other deities who had specialized functions for the Romans, in contrast to the one god of the Jews. Georg Wissowa thought that a festival of cattle (ludi boum causa) mentioned by Pliny must have been dedicated to Bubona. Those who celebrated the rites were called Bubetii, a title which appears only in Pliny.
Article summary
In ancient Roman religion, Bubona is thought to have been a goddess of cattle, but she is named only by Saint Augustine. Augustine mocks Bubona as one of the minor Roman deities whose names correspond to their functions, and derives her name from the Latin word bos (genitive bovis, hence English "bovine"), which usually means "ox" in the singular and "cattle" in the plural (bubus in the dative and ablative plural; compare bubulcus, one who drives or tends cattle). The formation of this theonym has been compared to that of Bellona, "she who presides over war (bellum)"; Pomona, "she who presides over orchard fruits (pomum)"; and Epona, the Romano-Celtic horse goddess (from Gaulish epos, "horse" ) whose image was placed in stables as a tutelary for the animals. Augustine mentions Bubona in two passages. In addition to the passage on theonyms and divine personifications, he lists her among several other deities who had specialized functions for the Romans, in contrast to the one god of the Jews. Georg Wissowa thought that a festival of cattle (ludi boum causa) mentioned by Pliny must have been dedicated to Bubona. Those who celebrated the rites were called Bubetii, a title which appears only in Pliny.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.