1) Differences

The inscriptions to the Matres and Matronae fall into two main groups. On the one hand, about 150 inscriptions are dedicated to the ‘Mothers’ without specific epithets, around sixty of which mention the forms Matres or Matrae and eighty of which refer to the term Matronae, prevalent in Cisalpine Gaul (51) and Germany (25).¹²⁷ Here are two instances coming from the Meseta region, in Northern Spain: Arria Nothis Matribus pro secundo v(otum) s(olvit) l(ibens) m(erito), ‘To the Matres, Arria Nothis for the second time paid her vow willingly and deservedly’, and Matrib(us) T(itus) Racilius Valerianus ex vot(o), ‘To the Matres Titus Racilius Valerianus offered this’.¹²⁸ On the other hand, another hundred or so inscriptions associate their name with peculiar attributive bynames*. Indeed, about forty different epithets are known for the Matres and Matrae,¹²⁹ such as, among others, the Matres Nemetiales in Grenoble (Isère),¹³⁰ the Matres Britannae in Winchester (GB),¹³¹ the Matres Masanae in Cologne (Germany),¹³² the Matres Arsacae in Xanten (Germany),¹³³ the Matres Brittiae in Fürstenberg and Xanten (Germany),¹³⁴ or the Matres Remae in Gereonsweiler (Germany).¹³⁵ As for the Matronae, around sixty different epithets have been recorded,¹³⁶ such as the Matronae Ambiamarcae in Floisdorf (Germany),¹³⁷ the Matronae Valabneiae in Cologne,¹³⁸ the Matronae Caimine[h]ae in Euskirchen¹³⁹ or the Matronae Tummaestiae in Sinzenich.¹⁴⁰

In Gaul, the terms Matres and Matrae are particularly represented in Narbonese Gaul (around 37 inscriptions), particularly in the territories of the Allobroges (10) and of the Vocontii (10), and in the north-east of Gaul, notably in the territories of the Lingones, the Aedui, the Senones and the Mediomatrici.¹⁴¹ Their cult is also evidenced in the territories of the Helveti and of the Sequani, even though the inscriptions are far less numerous.¹⁴² The term Matres is found in Britain, notably in the north, along Antonine’s and Hadrian’s Wall, in the east, in Chester (Cheshire), in the south-east and south, in Cirencester (Gloucestershire), Bath (Somerset) and London. It is also mentioned in various inscriptions from Germany, particularly along the Rhine, in Northern Spain, especially in the north of Meseta, and in Rome (Italy) (fig. 5).¹⁴³ If the form Matres is used outside Gaul, the form Matrae seems to be confined to Gaul. As a general rule, it seems that the term Matres/Matrae is generally associated with epithets of Celtic origin. Nonetheless, it happens to be sometimes combined with a Germanic epithet, such as for the Matres Annaneptae in Xanten,¹⁴⁴ the Matres Kannanef(ates)in Cologne,¹⁴⁵ the Matres Suebae in Cologne and Deutz,¹⁴⁶ theMatres Vapthiae, whose inscription was found in the Rhine,¹⁴⁷ and the Matres Frisavae in Wissen (see below).¹⁴⁸

Fig. 5: Map of the votive inscriptions dedicated to the Matres. Rüger, 1987, p. 7, fig. 3.

As for the termMatronae, it could be viewed as the Germanic ‘counterpart’ or ‘equivalent’ of the Celtic Matres, insomuch as it ismainly confined to the Rhineland, i.e. in the regions of Jülicher, Zülpicher and the Voreifel - the area between Neuss, Bonn and Aachen -, which corresponds to the territory of the Ubii tribe.¹⁴⁹While the Matronae are generally honoured with attributive bynames* in the Rhineland, they are venerated without specific epithets in various dedications from Cisalpine Gaul, especially in the area from Verona to the Maritime Alps and the Ligurian Riviera (fig. 6).¹⁵⁰ As we will see, the term Matronae is generally associated with divine bynames* of Germanic origin in the Rhineland, but there are some examples of it coupled with Celtic epithets, for instance the Matronae Lubicaein Cologne¹⁵¹ or the Matronae Dervonnae in Milano and Brescia (Italy).¹⁵² Finally, the dedicators honouring the Matronae are sometimes of Germanic origin, such as Chamarus and Allo from Zülpich-Enzen: Matronis M(arcus) Chamari f(ilius) et Allo, ‘To the Mother Goddesses, Marcus, son of Chamarus, and Allo’.¹⁵³

Fig. 6: Map showing the distribution of the dedications to the Matronae with and without epithets. ). A. Matronae with epithets. B. Matronae without epithets. Derks, 1998, p. 129, fig. 3.19 (after Rüger, 1987, fig. 1 and fig. 2).