The Moving Waters of the Spring Sanctuary at Nîmes: Sensory Religious Experience in Roman Gaul (15 min)

Presenters

Gretel Rodríguez, Brown University

Abstract

The Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis was characterized by a wide fluvial network spreading across the Rhône River Valley, which facilitated the mobility of peoples and artifacts. Besides functioning as essential communication routes, those water sources were integral parts of the cultural and religious identity of the region. A multitude of sacred springs, lakes, and streams were the focus of cult activity since prehistoric times, and were often monumentalized with the construction of altars, shrines, and sanctuaries. After the Roman conquest, despite the introduction of foreign cults and novel types of religious architecture, many of those native centers continued to function as places of worship. This paper focuses on the water sanctuary of Nemausus (modern Nîmes), an indigenous healing center dedicated to the eponymous local deity, which was reconfigured as a monumental complex for the imperial cult in the late first century B.C.E. Looking at its archaeological record and architectural design, I argue that we can see this complex not as an isolated, peculiar local cult, but as part of a larger network of water sanctuaries that continued to facilitate the expression of local identities after the Roman conquest. In particular, my analysis brings to the fore the role of moving waters as essential shapers of ritual space and sensorial experiences within the sanctuary and in the urban environment of Nemausus. By focusing on how the Romans appropriated the generative force of sacred waters at this site, I also highlight the persistent survival of indigenous beliefs and identities in ancient colonial Gaul.