Erecura

Erecura, also spelled Aerecura or Herecura, was a goddess of the ancient Roman Empire, primarily venerated in Celtic and Germanic provinces from the 2nd to 4th centuries CE, embodying aspects of the underworld, death, fertility, and prosperity.^[1] Her cult likely originated north of the Adriatic Sea, possibly in Illyrian territories, and spread through Roman military and civilian networks to regions including Germania Superior, Raetia, Pannonia, and northern Italy.^[2] Often interpreted as a local epichoric deity assimilated with Roman chthonic figures like Proserpina, Erecura's name appears in numerous variant forms across inscriptions, such as Aerecurae and Heraecurae, reflecting phonetic adaptations in non-Latin languages.^[3] Erecura is most commonly attested in epigraphic evidence, including dedicatory altars, curse tablets (defixiones), and funerary monuments, where she is invoked for protection, prosperity, or infernal judgment.^[2] Key sites include Aquileia, with an altar reading "[Diti patr]i / et Aerecurae" dedicated by a veteran, and Carnuntum in Pannonia, where she features in magical texts alongside Dis Pater.^[2] In iconography, she is portrayed as a seated figure holding a basket of apples or fruit, symbolizing abundance and the earth's bounty, as seen in reliefs from the Rhine region and the 4th-century Tomb of Vibia in Rome, where she appears as an infernal judge beside Dis Pater in a tribunal scene.^[4][1] Her associations underscore a dual role: as consort to underworld gods like Dis Pater (in at least seven paired dedications) or Sucellus, linking her to themes of death and renewal, akin to Persephone's cycle.^[3] Scholarly debate centers on her ethnic origins—primarily considered of Celtic origin, though potentially Germanic or Illyrian—the etymology of her name is uncertain and subject to scholarly debate.^[1] Worship practices involved offerings at sanctuaries and personal vows, evidenced by artifacts spanning from modern-day Germany and the Netherlands to North Africa, highlighting her widespread appeal in Romano-provincial religion.^[2]

Name and Etymology

Name Variants

The name Erecura appears in ancient inscriptions under several variant spellings, primarily due to regional phonetic adaptations and inconsistencies in Roman epigraphy. The most common forms include Erecura, Aerecura, Hercura, Aeracura, Eracura, and Herecura, with the initial 'H' often added or omitted; for example, in a corpus of 14 Pannonian inscriptions, it appears as an editorial conjecture in about 4 cases, reflecting potential script ambiguities between aspirated and non-aspirated sounds.^[2] These variants show distinct regional patterns. For instance, Aerecura is attested in Danubian contexts, such as dedications from Aquileia (CIL V 1820) and Carnuntum in Pannonia, where it is paired with Dis Pater on curse tablets and altars.^[2] Similarly, Aeracura appears in inscriptions from Noricum and Aquileia, while Eracura is common in Pannonian curse tablets from sites like Carnuntum.^[2] In Germanic regions of Germania Superior, Hercura and Herecura predominate, as seen in reliefs and inscriptions from Stockstadt am Rhein (CIL XIII 11788a) and Bad Cannstatt near Stuttgart.^[2][5] A singular male counterpart, Arecurius, is documented in a single British inscription on an altar from Corbridge (RIB 1123), dedicated by a soldier in the 2nd or 3rd century CE; scholars suggest this may represent a scribal error for Mercurius rather than a distinct deity.^[6]

Linguistic Origins

The etymology of Erecura's name remains obscure and debated among scholars, with proposals drawing on both Indo-European and regional linguistic frameworks. One prominent theory interprets it as a compound from Latin aes (meaning "copper," "bronze," or "wealth") and era ("mistress" or "lady"), yielding a sense of "mistress of wealth," reflecting her chthonic associations with prosperity and the underworld.^[3][7] Alternative derivations suggest influence from the Greek goddess Hera, though these are considered less likely due to the name's epichoric character.^[7] In Celtic linguistic studies, Xavier Delamarre argues for a Gaulish origin, reconstructing the name as eri-cura, where eri- relates to the west or evening, combining with cura ("care" or "protection"), implying "west wind" or "wind from the west," aligning with her role as a protective underworld deity.^[8] This Indo-European-based analysis posits roots in Proto-Celtic forms. Peter Schrijver, in his examinations of ancient Celtic phonology and substrate influences, supports exploring Celtic substrates but notes potential non-Indo-European adstrata in the name's formation, complicating pure Gaulish attributions. Scholarly debates center on the name's cultural origins, with evidence from inscriptions suggesting Celtic (particularly Gaulish) roots predominant in western Europe, but Germanic influences evident in southern Germany and the Rhine region, where forms like Herecura appear. Some researchers propose Illyrian or eastern Balkan elements due to attestations in Pannonia, potentially blending local non-Indo-European substrates with Celtic overlays, though this remains speculative without consensus. These discussions highlight the syncretic nature of Roman provincial religion, where linguistic boundaries blurred.^[9][2]

Description and Attributes

Mythological Role

Erecura functioned primarily as a chthonic goddess in Romano-Celtic and Romano-Germanic provincial beliefs, ruling over the underworld alongside Dis Pater as a divine pair governing the realm of the dead.^[2] Her role extended to fertility and prosperity, embodying the earth's capacity for renewal and abundance, which linked the cycles of death and rebirth.^[3] This dual nature positioned her as a mediator between the mortal world and the afterlife, where the soil both conceals the deceased and nurtures life.^[10] No native Celtic myths detailing Erecura's exploits or origins have survived, leaving her character to be reconstructed from Roman syncretism and epigraphic dedications that portray her as a guide for souls transitioning to the underworld.^[3] In these contexts, she is inferred to bestow earthly wealth and ensure the continuation of life through seasonal regeneration, reflecting broader Indo-European motifs of earth deities.^[2] Erecura's funerary aspects are evident in her invocation within curses and protective dedications, where she was called upon to safeguard the deceased or enforce oaths in the afterlife, underscoring themes of judgment and eternal renewal.^[2] Such practices highlight her as a benevolent yet formidable figure, often symbolized by attributes like the cornucopia to emphasize prosperity amid death's finality.^[3]

Symbols and Associations

Erecura's primary symbols reflect her chthonic and fertile domains, prominently featuring the cornucopia as a emblem of abundance and prosperity, seen in statues such as those from Oberseebach, Switzerland.^[11] Baskets overflowing with fruits, particularly apples, appear in iconography from sites like Cannstatt, Germany, underscoring her ties to earth's bounty and agricultural cycles.^[11] Keys, held in depictions such as a statue from Varhély, Dacia, symbolize her authority over underworld gates and the passage of souls.^[12] Cerberus occasionally accompanies her in Pannonian curse tablets, reinforcing her role as guardian of the infernal realm.^[2] As consort to Dis Pater or Sucellus, Erecura is frequently paired with him in epigraphic evidence, including altars from Sulzbach and inscriptions invoking both deities together, highlighting their joint dominion over death and regeneration.^[3] She exhibits parallels to the Matronae, triadic mother goddesses venerated in prosperity cults, sharing attributes like fruit-bearing symbols that evoke familial protection and fertility.^[12] Ties to mining communities link her to subterranean wealth, as evidenced by a dedication from the gold-mining site of Alburnus Maior (AE 1990, 841), where she is honored for yielding earth's hidden riches.^[13] These symbols carry interpretive layers: fruits like apples signify seasonal renewal and the cyclical journey between life and death, akin to her Proserpina-like aspects, while keys denote her function in guiding or judging souls in the afterlife.^[11] Such emblems collectively illustrate Erecura's mediation between the fertile surface world and the shadowy depths below.^[12]

Roman and Celtic Interpretations

Equivalents in Roman Mythology

In the framework of interpretatio Romana, the process by which Romans equated local deities with their own pantheon, Erecura was primarily syncretized with Proserpina, the Roman counterpart to the Greek Persephone, due to shared attributes of fertility, the underworld, and the cyclical nature of life and death. This equivalence emphasized Erecura's dual role as a goddess of abundance on earth and a chthonic figure associated with the afterlife, mirroring Proserpina's mythological journey from the upper world to the underworld following her abduction by Pluto. Unlike the explicit Greek myth of abduction and seasonal return, Erecura's Roman adaptation focused more on her prosperity-bringing aspects alongside infernal ones, reflecting localized interpretations in Gallo-Roman contexts.^[3] Erecura was frequently paired with Dis Pater, the Roman god of the underworld and subterranean wealth, forming a divine couple analogous to Pluto and Proserpina.^[3] This partnership is evident in Romano-Celtic religious practices, where Erecura appears as Dis Pater's consort, symbolizing the union of death and regeneration much like the Roman infernal pair.^[3] For instance, on a second-century altar from Sulzbach in Germany, Erecura is depicted seated beside Dis Pater, both holding cornucopias to signify abundance from the earth and below. Such iconography adapted the Celtic goddess into the Roman chthonic hierarchy, portraying her as a benevolent yet powerful figure overseeing transitions between worlds.^[3] Occasionally, Erecura was linked to Hecate in Roman interpretations, particularly through associations with magic, crossroads, and protective rituals in the underworld. This connection highlighted her role in liminal spaces and esoteric practices, akin to Hecate's Roman aspects as a goddess of witchcraft and nocturnal rites, though it was less dominant than the Proserpina syncretism. Inscriptions across the western provinces often invoked "Dis Pater et Aerecurae" together, demonstrating how this Celtic figure was fully integrated into the Roman pantheon as a adapted underworld deity.^[3]

Links to Celtic Deities

Erecura demonstrates clear parallels with other Gaulish deities, particularly in her dual role as an earth and underworld goddess. She is frequently equated with Herecura or Haricura, variants attested in inscriptions from Germania Superior, reflecting a regional adaptation within Gaulish religious practices where such figures governed fertility and the chthonic realm.^[2] Her associations extend to the Matres, a collective of Celtic mother goddesses embodying maternal fertility and prosperity. This link is evidenced by epigraphic material, such as an inscription from Numidia invoking Terrae Matri Aerecurae Matri Deum Magnae Idaeae, which positions Erecura within the framework of mother cults emphasizing land bounty and protective nurturing.^[2] Scholars like Noémie Beck characterize Erecura as a land-goddess blending underworld and fertility aspects, underscoring her affinity with Celtic earth deities across Gaulish and Insular contexts.^[9]

Worship and Evidence

Geographic Spread

The cult of Erecura, a Romano-Celtic chthonic and fertility goddess often paired with Dis Pater, exhibited a widespread distribution across the western and central Roman provinces, reflecting the syncretic religious dynamics of the empire's frontiers and resource-rich zones. Core concentrations of her worship are attested in Gaul, particularly along the Rhine valley in Lugdunensis (e.g., Vitry-le-François), and in Germania Superior, including sites near modern Stuttgart such as Rottenburg am Neckar and Bad Cannstatt, as well as Mogontiacum (Mainz).^[2] Further east, her presence was prominent in Noricum and Pannonia along the Danube frontier, with evidence from locations like Carnuntum and Aquincum.^[2][3] Extensions of the cult reached Italia, notably in Aquileia (Venetia et Histria) and Perusia, as well as Raetia and Germania Inferior, indicating dissemination through military and trade networks originating possibly from Illyrian-influenced areas north of the Adriatic.^[1] In the eastern provinces, inscriptions appear in Dacia at the mining center of Alburnus Maior (modern Roșia Montană), while outliers occur in North Africa in Numidia (e.g., El Announa, near modern Algeria).^[2][1] This distribution pattern aligns with Roman expansion into Celtic and Germanic territories, where local deities were integrated into imperial cults.^[1] The peak of Erecura's worship occurred between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD, coinciding with intensified Roman colonization and provincial administration following the conquests of Gaul, Germania, and the Danube regions under Augustus and Trajan.^[3] Epigraphic evidence, including dedications and curse tablets, dates primarily to the 2nd and 3rd centuries, with some late extensions into the 4th century in funerary contexts.^[2][3] Her cult thrived particularly in mining districts and military frontier zones, such as the gold-rich Apuseni Mountains of Dacia and the Rhine-Danube limes, where her chthonic attributes resonated with underground extraction and protective rituals for laborers and soldiers.^[2][1] This association underscores the adaptation of indigenous prosperity deities to Roman economic and defensive needs in peripheral provinces.^[3]

Inscriptions and Votive Offerings

Epigraphic evidence for Erecura primarily consists of votive altars, funerary dedications, mining-related offerings, and defixiones (curse tablets), with numerous known inscriptions distributed across the Roman provinces, particularly in Germania Superior, Noricum, and Pannonia. These texts frequently invoke her alongside Dis Pater or Sucellus, underscoring a shared chthonic cult linking the underworld, fertility, and prosperity. The inscriptions, dating mostly from the 2nd to 3rd centuries CE, reveal ritual practices involving personal vows (v.s.l.m. formulas) and appeals for protection or retribution, often in contexts of death, legal disputes, or resource extraction.^[2][1] A key example is the Sulzbach altar from Germania Superior (CIL XIII 6322), dedicated by a couple to Dis Pater et Erecurae and discovered in 1813 within a cave near Karlsruhe, Germany. This 2nd-century CE votive monument depicts Erecura seated beside Dis Pater, holding symbols of abundance, and reflects mining dedications common among Illyrian workers who equated her with earth fertility. Similar paired altars appear in funerary settings, such as those from Stockstadt am Rhein (CIL XIII 6332), where invocations to sancta Aericura and Dis Pater emphasize their role as infernal guardians.^[14] Curse tablets from Pannonia provide insight into her magical and punitive aspects, often invoking her with Dis Pater and chthonic entities like Cerberus. A notable defixio from Aquincum (Budapest, Hungary), dated to the 2nd-3rd centuries CE, calls upon Dis Ito Pater and Aeracura to deliver adversaries to "dire dogs" (diris canibus, alluding to Cerberus) and the Tartarean Manes, aiming to silence opponents in a legal context through binding spells. Another from Carnuntum similarly pairs her with underworld powers, highlighting syncretic Celtic-Roman magical practices. These lead tablets, typically rolled and deposited in graves or wells, include several known examples from Pannonia and demonstrate Erecura's role in facilitating curses via her dominion over the dead.^[15] Votive offerings from other sites further illustrate her cult's breadth. In Mainz (Mogontiacum), an inscription to Aerecura (AE 1984, 678) records a personal dedication, likely funerary, while a similar votive from Xanten (Colonia Ulpia Traiana) invokes her for prosperity. At Cannstatt near Stuttgart (CIL XIII 6438), a 2nd-century CE altar to Herecurae v.s.l.m. suggests a vow fulfilled in a ritual context, possibly linked to local Celtic traditions of abundance. These examples, often simple stone dedications by civilians or soldiers, reinforce the joint cult motif, with Erecura positioned as Dis Pater's consort in at least seven paired dedications or paired with Sucellus in regional contexts.^[2][3]

Iconography and Archaeology

Artistic Depictions

Artistic depictions of Erecura primarily appear in Roman provincial contexts from the 2nd to 3rd centuries CE, often in stone reliefs and altars that blend Celtic and Roman stylistic elements.^[16] She is frequently portrayed as a seated, robed female figure in long tunics, embodying fertility through attributes like fruit baskets, which symbolize abundance and her chthonic associations.^[16] One prominent example is a pair of stone reliefs from Bad Cannstatt near Stuttgart, Germany, now housed in the Württembergisches Landesmuseum, showing Erecura (inscribed as Herecura) seated with a chignon hairstyle and holding a basket of fruit, dedicated by individuals such as Valerius and Cottus Gallus.^[16] In paired representations, Erecura often appears alongside Dis Pater, emphasizing her role in the underworld duo. A notable stone altar from Sulzbach near Karlsruhe, Germany, discovered in 1812 and also in the Württembergisches Landesmuseum, features headless sculptures of the pair; Dis Pater holds a parchment scroll, while Erecura is depicted in a complementary pose, inscribed to both deities by Veterius Paternus.^[16] These works, carved in local sandstone typical of the Danubian region, reflect a provincial Roman style with simplified drapery and symbolic rather than naturalistic details.^[16] Variations in iconography distinguish solitary fertility-focused images from chthonic couples. The Cannstatt reliefs exemplify the former, portraying Erecura alone as a benevolent earth goddess with prosperity symbols like fruit.^[16] In contrast, paired depictions, such as the Sulzbach altar, highlight her infernal aspect through association with Dis Pater.^[16] A later fresco in the Hypogeum of Vibia, a late antique Roman tomb in Rome dating to the 4th century CE, shows Erecura (as Heracura) and Dis Pater in a judgment scene amid underworld motifs, rendered in vibrant pigments on plastered walls to evoke a banquet of the afterlife.^[3]

Funerary and Ritual Contexts

Erecura's association with funerary practices is evidenced by the placement of her monuments and inscriptions within cemeteries and tombs, indicating her role as a protective chthonic deity guiding or safeguarding the deceased. In the Cannstatt necropolis near Stuttgart, Germany, statues and reliefs dedicated to Erecura (or variants like Hercura) were discovered, often paired with Dis Pater, suggesting invocations for the safe passage of souls to the underworld. Similarly, in Aquileia, an inscription from a tomb reads "[Diti patr]i / et Aerecurae / M(arcus) Aurelius / Gaurus / vet(eranus)", linking her directly to funerary rites alongside the god of the dead.^[2] These placements underscore her function in death rituals, where she was invoked to ensure protection and favorable judgment in the afterlife. A notable example of Erecura's funerary role appears in the Hypogeum of Vibia in Rome, a late antique underground tomb featuring frescoes depicting the goddess (as Heracura) alongside Dis Pater judging the soul of Vibia for its afterlife journey. This imagery portrays Erecura as a mediator in the underworld, facilitating the transition of the deceased through symbolic scenes of ascent and descent.^[3] Such depictions in burial contexts highlight her dual chthonic and benevolent attributes, often with fertility symbols like cornucopias implying renewal beyond death. Beyond tombs, Erecura featured in ritual practices involving curse tablets (defixiones), where she was invoked for underworld justice, particularly in Pannonia. Tablets from sites like Aquincum (Budapest) and Carnuntum name her alongside Dis Pater and Cerberus, requesting the binding of rivals or enemies to the Manes, the spirits of the dead.^[2] These lead artifacts, folded and deposited in ritual deposits, reflect her authority over subterranean forces in magical ceremonies aimed at retribution or protection. Votive offerings to Erecura also appear in mining contexts, linking her to prosperity and the earth's depths. At Alburnus Maior, a Roman gold mining settlement in Dacia (modern Roșia Montană, Romania), an inscription dedicates to Aercura, likely seeking her favor for successful extraction and safety in hazardous underground work (AE 1990, 841). This evidence points to her ritual invocation in industrial ceremonies, where offerings ensured abundance from the chthonic realm.

Scholarly Analysis

Historical Debates

Early scholarship on Erecura, beginning in the 19th century, centered on disputes over her cultural origins, with epigraphers cataloging her inscriptions in volumes like CIL XIII for Gaul and CIL III for the Danubian regions.^[2] By the early 20th century, debates intensified over whether Erecura represented a Celtic, Germanic, or indigenous Danubian deity, reflecting broader discussions on the ethnic boundaries of pre-Roman religions in Europe. Jan de Vries argued for Celtic roots in his 1963 analysis, linking her chthonic attributes to Gaulish underworld figures through comparative mythology and inscriptional parallels.^[3] In contrast, Helmut Arntz and Hans Gaheis (1942) suggested Germanic influences, drawing on runic and onomastic evidence to propose connections to northern European earth-mother cults, while Rudolf Egger (1943) emphasized Danubian indigenous origins, citing regional votive practices in Noricum and Pannonia as evidence of a local, non-Indo-European substrate.^[3] Syncretism with Roman deities formed another core controversy, particularly the extent of Roman overlay on Erecura's native cult and whether she functioned as an independent goddess or a derivative of Proserpina. Auguste Audollent's 1904 edition of curse tablets (Defixionum Tabellae) highlighted frequent pairings of Erecura with Dis Pater, interpreting these as Roman adaptations where local chthonic elements merged with the Pluto-Proserpina dyad, yet leaving open the question of her autonomy.^[3] Some scholars debated in the early 20th century whether such equations diminished Erecura's originality, with views ranging from her as a fully Romanized figure to a persistent native entity only superficially aligned with Proserpina's attributes of fertility and the underworld.^[17] In the mid-20th century, Miranda J. Green contributed to these discussions in her 1986 monograph The Gods of the Celts, characterizing Erecura as a Gaulish Hecuba and emphasizing her role in funerary and regenerative rites while acknowledging syncretic influences without resolving her precise ethnic provenance.^[18] This analysis built on earlier epigraphic work but underscored ongoing uncertainties about the balance between indigenous vitality and Roman interpretatio in her cult's evolution.

Modern Interpretations

In 21st-century scholarship, Erecura is increasingly interpreted as a multifaceted land-goddess embodying both fertility and chthonic elements, reflecting a synthesis of indigenous Celtic earth veneration with Roman underworld deities. Noémie Beck's comparative analysis positions her as a Celtic-derived figure who shares attributes of abundance and the subterranean realm with Dis Pater, her frequent divine consort, thereby serving as a cultural bridge in Gallo-Roman religious practices.^[12] This view underscores her role in provincial cults where local earth-focused traditions merged with Roman infernal pairs like Pluto and Proserpina, facilitating the adaptation of pre-Roman beliefs into the imperial framework.^[3] Scholars have also explored potential connections between Erecura's cult and mining communities, given her pairing with Dis Pater, whom ancient sources associate with mineral wealth and subterranean resources. Such chthonic deities were invoked in resource-extraction contexts across the provinces, though direct evidence for Erecura remains inferential and tied to her broader earth-mother associations. Recent studies in regions like Pannonia, a key mining area, further emphasize her chthonic traits through epigraphic evidence, suggesting interdisciplinary links between archaeology and religious history to unpack these economic dimensions.^[2] Despite these advances, significant gaps persist in understanding Erecura, particularly the absence of native Celtic myths that could illuminate her narrative role beyond fragmentary inscriptions. This scarcity limits definitive conclusions on her origins—debated as Celtic, Germanic, or even Illyrian—and her precise functions in ritual life. While earlier historical debates on her equivalences inform current methodologies, 21st-century approaches prioritize comparative and material culture analyses to address these unresolved questions, with no major new developments reported as of 2025. Potential revivals in neopagan contexts note her as a symbol of earth stewardship, but such interpretations receive limited scholarly attention.^[3]

Bibliography

Primary Sources

The primary evidence for the cult of Erecura derives from Roman-era inscriptions, primarily documented in the Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum (CIL) volume XIII, which covers the regions of Gaul and Germania, including the Rhine frontier where her worship was concentrated. These inscriptions, often votive altars or dedications, frequently pair Erecura (in variants such as Aericura, Herecura, or Eracura) with the underworld god Dis Pater, reflecting syncretic Gallo-Roman practices from the 2nd to 3rd centuries AD. A notable example is the sandstone votive relief from Malsch-Sulzbach (near Karlsruhe, Germania Superior), inscribed I(n) h(onorem) d(omus) d(ivinae) d(eae) s(anctae) Aericur(ae) et Diti Pat(ri) / Veter(ius) Paternus et Adie(cta?) Pater(na) (CIL XIII 6322 = HD036867), dated 171–250 AD. The 79 cm high piece depicts a seated Erecura holding a tray of fruit alongside Dis Pater, emphasizing her chthonic and fertility aspects; the artifact was discovered in 1813 and is housed in the Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe.^[19] In the Cannstatt area near Stuttgart (Germania Superior), bronze figurines from the 2nd–3rd century AD depict a seated goddess identified as Aericura in accompanying inscriptions (e.g., CIL XIII 6439; RG Germ. 562), often shown with baskets of apples symbolizing abundance; these were recovered from funerary contexts in the local cemetery and are held in the Württembergische Landesmuseum Stuttgart. Erecura also appears in curse tablets (defixiones) from Pannonia, where she is invoked in lead scrolls for magical purposes, such as binding spells, typically from the 2nd–4th centuries AD; examples include fragments from sites like Aquincum (Budapest) mentioning Eracura alongside other chthonic deities, as cataloged in regional epigraphic collections.^[2]

Secondary Sources

Miranda Green’s The Gods of the Celts (1986) offers a comprehensive examination of Celtic deities across Europe, including Erecura as a Gaulish underworld and fertility goddess often paired with Dispater, interpreting her role through archaeological and literary evidence.^[20] Noémie Beck’s Goddesses in Celtic Religion: Cult and Mythology—A Comparative Study of Ancient Ireland, Britain, and Gaul (2009), a doctoral thesis, analyzes female deities in Celtic contexts, portraying Erecura as a land-goddess embodying both chthonic and prosperous attributes, drawing on epigraphic and mythological parallels.^[21] Xavier Delamarre’s Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: Une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental (2003, 2nd edition) serves as a key lexicographical resource, providing etymological insights into Gaulish terms, including derivations related to Erecura from roots suggesting abundance or protection.^[8] The Oxford Handbook of Roman Epigraphy (2015), edited by Christer Bruun and Jonathan Edmondson, includes chapters on provincial inscriptions, referencing dedications to Erecura in Gaul and the Danube region as examples of syncretic Roman-Celtic cult practices.^[22] The Electronic Database of Roman Inscriptions (EDR), maintained by the Sapienza University of Rome, compiles and digitizes Latin epigraphy from Italy and provinces, cataloging multiple votive and funerary texts invoking Erecura, facilitating analysis of her cult’s geographic distribution.^[23]