Porobonus – Mysterious Unknown Pagan God

Conny Waters - AncientPages.com - Nearly a year ago, a sacrificial altar dedicated to an unknown Pagan god, Porobonus, was discovered in Bulgaria.

The limestone artifact, dating back to the first half of the 3rd century AD, was unearthed at the Roman fortress Ad Putea.

Archaeologist Petar Banov showing the sacrificial altar of ancient deity Porobonus which has been found during the excavations of the Ancient Roman fortress and road station Ad Putea in Bulgaria’s Riben, Pleven District. Photo: InfoPleven

The village's name originates from the former Roman settlement and the roadside Roman station "Ad Putea." It is also the location of the modern-day town of Riben (14 km northeast of the city Dolna Mitropolia).

The fortified settlement served as a Roman fortress and road station during the Roman era. The term "Ad Putea" refers to the site's strategic location along a Roman road network, where it functioned as a fortified outpost and a stopover point for travelers and military personnel.

The significant archaeological site Ad Putea was discovered along one of the major Roman roads, the Via Trayana (Traiana), on the hill called „Gradishteto“ near the settlement of Riben.

This fortified settlement is strategically positioned along one of the major Roman roads, the Via Trayana. The emperor Trajan built this ancient road to extend the Via Appia, one of the ancient republic's earliest and strategically most important Roman roads.

The site of Ad Putea holds significant historical value, in the region.

Probonus' altar. Abritus Museum, Razgrad. Photo: Ortolf Harl (2012)

The fortress and road station have undergone extensive archaeological excavations, revealing significant historical insights.

These expeditions uncovered two towers, residential buildings, one of which featured a hypocaust system for heating, and various outbuildings.

These discoveries have been carefully preserved, providing a glimpse into the past without the obstruction of modern structures. The site remains an open archaeological area, allowing for further exploration and study of its rich historical heritage.

The altar of the Pagan god Porobonus was discovered in excavations led by Petar Banov, the lead archaeologist from the Pleven Regional Museum of History. The artifact sheds light on the diverse religious practices and deities revered during the Roman era in this region, offering valuable insights into the cultural landscape of that time.

This is the third altar ever found dedicated to the god Porobonus, whose true identity is unknown in ancient mythology.

However, some scholars have hypothesized that the deity might be of Celtic or Thracian / Dacian origin.

Another sacrificial altar of Porobonus has been found in the ancient Toman city of Abritus, located near Razgrad in Northeastern Bulgaria.

The third one was discovered in Ratiaria, in Northwest Bulgaria.It was a city founded by Moesi, a Daco-Thracian tribe, in the 4th century BC, along the river Danube.

The Porobonus altar found at Ad Putea has an inscription in Latin that reads, "Domitius Domitianus placed [for] Porobonus according to his vow for himself and his kin."

Nikolay Sharankov, from the Classical Philology Department of Sofia University's St. Kliment Ohridski, read and translated the inscription. However, the deity still remains mysterious and unknown.

'The dedications are only in Latin. The dedicators are Roman citizens, or they might also have been locals who received Roman citizenship. From a scientific point of view, this is an extremely interesting monument,' Banov commented.

Written by Conny Waters - AncientPages.com Staff Writer