Editing Sancus (section)

=== Sancus as {{Lang|la|Semo}} ===
The first part of the theonym defines the god as belonging to the category of the {{Lang|la|Semones}} or {{Lang|la|Semunes}}, divine entities of the ancient Romans and Italics.<ref>
[[Martianus Capella]], II 156
</ref><ref>
Fulgentius ''De Sermone Antiquorum'' 11
</ref>
In a fragment from [[Cato the Elder|Cato]], quoted in Dionysius of Halicarnassus (II 49 1–2), Sancus is referred to as {{math|δαίμων}} and not {{math|θεός}}.<ref>
[[Cato the Elder|Marcus Porcius Cato]], cited in {{cite book|author=[[Dionysius of Halicarnassus]]|title=[[Roman Antiquities]]|at=II 49 1-2}}
</ref>

In Rome this theonym is attested in the [[carmen Arvale]] (''semunis alternei advocapit conctos'' repeated thrice) and in two fragmentary inscriptions: CIL V 567 ''Semoni Sanco Deo Fidio ... decur (ia) bidentalis donum dedit'' and CIL V 568 ''Sanco Sancto Semoni Deo Fidio sacrum decuria sacerdotum bidentalium''
<ref>
{{cite book|title=[[Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum|CIL]]|volume=I|edition=2nd|id=2436|quote=Se]''monibu''[s}} The reconstruction is uncertain.
</ref>

Outside Rome in Sabine, Umbrian and Pelignan territory:<ref name=Norden-1939/>{{rp|pages=205 ff}} An inscription from [[Corfinium]] in [[Umbrian]] reads: {{Lang|la|Çerfom sacaracicer Semunes sua[d}}, 'priest of the Çerfi and the Semones', placing side by side the two entities {{Lang|la|çerfi}} and {{Lang|la|semunes}}. The {{Lang|la|çerfi}} are mentioned in the [[Iguvine Tables]] in association with Mars e.g. in expressions as {{Lang|la|Çerfer Martier}}. Their interpretation remains obscure: an etymological and semantic relation to PIE root {{lang|mis|*ker-}}<!-- Indo-European -->, meaning 'growth', is possible though problematic and debated, since that root also means "horn, head" which would suggest a horned deity.

Also in [[Umbrian]], in the [[Iguvine Tables]], the b side of tablet II begins "'''seminies tekuries'''" which is interpreted to be a "decurial [festival] to Semo..." where a pig and goat sacrifice were performed, though the opening lines of this tablet are difficult to translate with certainty.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Poultney|first=James Wilson|url=http://archive.org/details/bronzetablesofig00poul|title=Bronze tables of Iguvium|date=1959|publisher=Baltimore: American Philological Association|others=George A. Smathers Libraries University of Florida}}</ref>

According to ancient Latin sources, the meaning of the term {{Lang|la|semones}} would denote {{Lang|la|semihomines}} (also explained as {{Lang|la|se-homines}}, men separated from ordinary ones, who have left their human condition: the prefix ''{{Not a typo|se-}}'' both in Latin and Greek may denote segregation), or the {{Lang|la|dii medioxumi}}, i.e. gods of the second rank, or semigods,<ref>
Festus s.v. ''medioxumi''.
</ref>
entities that belong to the intermediate sphere between gods and men.<ref name=Scheiffele-Pauly-sv-Semones>
Scheiffele in ''Pauly Real Encyclopaedie der Altertumwissenschaften'' s.v. ''Semones'' citing Priscianus p. 683.
</ref><ref>
Fulgentius ''De Sermone Antiquorum'' 11;
Festus s.v. ''hemona'';
Varro (unreferenced) from ''semideus'';
Hartung I. 41: from ''serere'' and Sabine ''Semones'' half-self, more like ''genii'';
also Gdywend ''Mythologie bei der Romer'' par. 261: in Sabine, godly people, maybe Lares. Besides all the ''dii medioxumi'' belong to this category.
</ref>
The relationship of these entities to {{Lang|la|Semo Sancus}} is comparable to that of the {{Lang|la|genii}} to {{Lang|la|Genius Iovialis}}: as among the {{Lang|la|genii}} there is a {{Lang|la|Genius Iovialis}}, thus similarly among the {{Lang|la|semones}} there is a {{Lang|la|Semo Sancus}}.<ref name=Scheiffele-Pauly-sv-Semones/> The {{Lang|la|semones}} would then be a class of semigods, i.e. people who did not share the destiny of ordinary mortals even though they were not admitted to Heaven, such as [[Faunus]], [[Priapus]], [[Picus]], the [[Silvani]].<ref>
cf. Ovid ''Metamorphoses'' I 193-195.
</ref>
However, some scholars opine such a definition is wrong and the {{Lang|la|semones}} are spirits of nature, representing the generative power hidden in seeds (Latin ''semina'').<ref>
Dahrenberg & Saglio ''Dictionnaire des Antiquites Grecques et Romaines'' s.v. ''Semo Sancus''.
</ref>
In ancient times only offers of milk were allowed to the {{Lang|la|semones}}.{{efn|
"Rumam veteres dixerunt mammam. Varro ''Cato'' vel ''De liberis educandis'': dis Semonibus lacte fit, non vino; Cuninae propter cunis, Ruminae propter rumam, id est, prisco vocabulo, mammam{{nbs}}..."<ref>
U. Pestalozza ''Iuno Caprotina'' (1934) [in] "Studi e Materiali di Storia delle Religioni", p 64, citing
[[Nonius Marcellus]] ''De Compendiosa Doctrina'' (Müller) I, p 245
</ref>
}}

The deity [[Semonia]] bears characters that link her to the group of the {{Lang|la|Semones}}, as is shown by [[Sextus Pompeius Festus|Festus]] s.v. {{Lang|la|supplicium}}: when a citizen was put to death the custom was to sacrifice a lamb of two years ({{Lang|la|bidentis}}) to Semonia to appease her and purify the community. Only thereafter could the head and property of the culprit be vowed to the appropriate god. That Semo Sancus received the same kind of cult and sacrifice is shown in the inscription (see figure in this article) now under the statue of the god reading {{Lang|la|decuria sacerdotum bidentalium}}.

{{anchor|Trita_Apya}}
The relationship between Sancus and the {{Lang|la|semones}} of the carmen Arvale remains obscure, even though some scholars opine that Semo Sancus and {{Lang|la|Salus Semonia}} or {{Lang|la|Dia Semonia}} would represent the core significance of this archaic theology. It has also been proposed to understand this relationship in the light of that between Vedic god [[Indra]] or his companion Trita Āpya and the [[Maruts]].<ref name=Pighi-1967>
{{cite book
|first=G.B.|last=Pighi
|year=1967
|article=La preghiera romana
|editor1=AA.|editor2=VV.
|title=La Preghiera
|place=Roma
|pages=605–606
}}{{full citation needed|date=July 2021|reason=Editors' names (if that's what AA VV mean)}}
</ref><ref name=Woodard-2006>
{{cite book
|first=Roger D.|last=Woodard|author-link=Roger D. Woodard
|year=2006
|title=Roman and Vedic Sacred Space
|place=Chicago
|pages=186{{nbs}}ff, 221{{nbs}}ff
}}
</ref>{{rp|pages=221 ff}}
[[Eduard Norden|Norden]] (1939) proposed a Greek origin.<ref name=Norden-1939/>