Abundantia (mythology)
Abundantia was the personification of abundance in Roman mythology .
There is no evidence of a cult in the form of temples or altars; but it is often depicted on coins from the Roman Empire as a symbol of general prosperity, the abundance of goods and their free availability. She usually carries a cornucopia and visible gifts that she pours out of it. She rarely holds ears of wheat in the other hand. In very few late issues it is shown scattering coins among the people.
As Domina Abundia ( old French lady Habonde ) she appears as a medieval legendary figure. In this she is a benevolent being, who brings people prosperity and abundance when they and their entourage ( dominae nocturnae ) enjoy the food and drinks that are openly presented to them at night without diminishing them.
literature
- Emil Aust : Abundantia . In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume I, 1, Stuttgart 1893, column 125 f.
- Bechtold-Stäubli (ed.): Concise dictionary of German superstition . Berlin 1987, Vol. 1, pp. 124f
- Rafael Fontan Barreiro: Abundantia . In: Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (LIMC). Volume I, Zurich / Munich 1981, pp. 7-10.
- Georg Wissowa : Abundantia . In: Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher (Hrsg.): Detailed lexicon of Greek and Roman mythology . Volume 1,1, Leipzig 1886, column 4 ( digitized version ).
- Werther Götze: Advice from divine beings, ancient coins brought to life. Part 2 , self-published, Erfurt 1994, pp. 88-89
