Patera

 ( Ancient Roman Religion ) 

In the material culture of classical antiquity, a patera () or phiale ( )There is no meaningful distinction between the two terms: Nancy Thompson de Grummond and Erika Simon, The Religion of the Etruscans (University of Texas Press, 2006), p. 171; Gocha R. Tsetskhladze, North Pontic Archaeology: Recent Discoveries and Studies (Brill, 2001), p. 239; Rabun Taylor, The Moral Mirror of Roman Art (Cambridge University Press, 2008), p. 104, 269; Rebecca Miller Ammerma, The Sanctuary of Santa Venera at Paestum (University of Michigan Press, 2002), pp. 64, 66. is a shallow ceramic or metal libation bowl. It often has a bulbous indentation ( omphalos, "belly button") in the center underside to facilitate holding it, in which case it is sometimes called a mesomphalic phiale. It typically has no handles, and no feet.

Although the two terms may be used interchangeably, particularly in the context of Etruscan culture, phiale is more common in reference to Greek forms, and patera in Roman settings. Patera is not to be confused with the Greek (Πατέρας) Patéras or Father. The form should be distinguished from a drinking cup with handles, and often a stem, of which the most common type is called a kylix, and a circular platter with a pair of C-handles is not a patera, though a few paterae have single long straight handles (see trulla below).

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Use Libation was a central and vital aspect of ancient Greek religion, and one of the simplest and most common forms of religious practice.Louise Bruit Zaidman and Pauline Schmitt Pantel, Religion in the Ancient Greek City, translated by Paul Cartledge (Cambridge University Press, 1992, 2002, originally published 1989 in French), p. 28. It is one of the basic religious acts that define piety in ancient Greece, dating back to the Bronze Age and even prehistoric Greece.Walter Burkert, Greek Religion (Harvard University Press, 1985, originally published 1977 in German), pp. 70, 73. Libations were a part of daily life, and the pious might perform them every day in the morning and evening, as well as to begin meals.Hesiod, Works and Days 724–726; Zaidman and Pantel, Religion in the Ancient Greek City, p. 39. A libation most often consisted of mixed wine and water, but could also be unmixed wine, honey, oil, water, or milk.Zaidman and Pantel, Religion in the Ancient Greek City, p. 40; Burkert, Greek Religion, pp. 72–73.

The form of libation called spondē is typically the ritualized pouring of wine from a jug or bowl held in the hand. The most common ritual was to pour the liquid from an Oenochoe (wine jug) into a phiale.Zaidman and Pantel, Religion in the Ancient Greek City, p. 40. Libation generally accompanied prayer.Burkert, Greek Religion, pp. 70–71. The Greeks stood when they prayed, either with their arms uplifted, or in the act of libation with the right arm extended to hold the phiale.William D. Furley, "Prayers and Hymns," in A Companion to Greek Religion (Wiley-Blackwell, 2010), p. 127; Jan N. Bremmer, "Greek Normative Animal Sacrifice," p. 138 in the same volume. After the wine offering was poured from the phiale, the remainder of the contents was drunk by the celebrant.Zaidman and Pantel, Religion in the Ancient Greek City, p. 40.

In Roman art, the libation is shown performed at an altar, mensa (sacrificial meal table), or tripod. It was the simplest form of sacrifice, and could be a sufficient offering by itself.Katja Moede, "Reliefs, Public and Private," in A Companion to Roman Religion (Blackwell, 2007), pp. 165, 168. The introductory rite ( praefatio) to an animal sacrifice included an incense and wine libation onto a burning altar.Moede, "Reliefs, Public and Private," pp. 165, 168; Nicole Belayche, "Religious Actors in Daily Life: Practices and Related Beliefs," in A Companion to Roman Religion, p. 280. Both Roman emperor and divinities are frequently depicted, especially on coins, pouring libations from a patera.Jonathan Williams, "Religion and Roman Coins," in A Companion to Roman Religion, pp. 153–154. Scenes of libation and the patera itself commonly signify the quality of pietas, religious duty or reverence.John Scheid, "Sacrifices for Gods and Ancestors," in A Companion to Roman Religion, p. 265.

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Handled pans In Roman contexts patera is sometimes used for what is normally called a trulla. These are deep round pans with a single flat handle, for cooking and serving food. The Staffordshire Moorlands Pan is an example, although it has lost its handle. Portable Antiquities Scheme

File:Phiale Louvre L210.jpg|Octopus and dolphin motifs on a ceramic phiale (510–500 BC, from Eretria, Euboea) File:Apollo black bird AM Delphi 8140.jpg|Cylix of Apollo, who pours a libation (Attic white-ground kylix, c. 460 BC) File:Phiale69.1.jpg|Silver phiale with Amazonomachy (430-420 BC, Vassil Bojkov collection, Sofia, Bulgaria) File:Met, greek, gold phiale, 4-3rd cventury BC 01.JPG|Gold phiale with repoussé bees, acorns, and beechnuts and Greek and Punic language inscription (4th–3rd century BC, Met)"Gold phiale (libation bowl)," Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession no. 62.11.1 File:Etruscan - Priest - Walters 541088.jpg|Etruscan priest with phiale (2nd century BC) File:Pátera ibera de Perotito (M.A.N. 1917-39-1) 01.jpg|Silver patera from Hispania (Roman Spain), 2nd–1st century BC) File:State Museum of History of Georgia (Tbilisi Archaeological Museum) 3.jpg| Patera with Marcus Aurelius (Georgia, 2nd century AD) File:RMW - Opfernder Togatus.jpg|Roman priest, capite velato (2nd–3rd century AD) File:Ancient syro-romanian silver Patera.jpg|Silver patera from Roman Syria with figures from the founding of Rome (2nd century AD, British Museum British Museum Collection)

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Architecture In architecture, oval features on plaster on buildings may be called paterae (plural).

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See also

• Parabiago patera, which is actually a platter or plate
• Piyāla - small ceramic easily stackable bowl used by Eurasian nomads people for drinking and

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