Usil is the Etruscan god of the sun, shown to be identified with Apulu ( Apollo). His iconic depiction features Usil rising out of the sea, with a fireball in either outstretched hand, on an engraved Etruscan bronze mirror in late Archaic style, formerly on the Roman antiquities market. [1] On Etruscan mirrors in the Classical style, Usil appears with an aureole.
He was identified with Apulu; appearing on an Etruscan mirror from the Vatican dating from the 4th century BC, on which Usil is seen holding the bow of Apulu. [2]
Usil was identified with the Roman Sol and Greek Helios. However, while Usil is depicted as male in some artwork, there are also feminine depictions. [3] [4] There is also a connection with the indigenous Etruscan goddess Catha, who has been interpreted as having a solar character, however she has also been identified with a Lunar character. [5] In artwork, Usil is shown in close association with the dawn goddess Thesan, something almost never seen with Helios and Eos. [6]
Catha has been identified as "Solis Filia" meaning "Sun's Daughter", making Usil her father. [7]
Since his name appears on the bronze liver of Piacenza, next to Tiur, meaning both "moon" and "month", [8] since then Tiur has been identified as the name of the personification of the moon, but it was most likely a date. The inscriptions on the Pyrgi Tablets confirm that "tiur" was meant as "month" for datations, [9].
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Usil is the Etruscan god of the sun, shown to be identified with Apulu ( Apollo). His iconic depiction features Usil rising out of the sea, with a fireball in either outstretched hand, on an engraved Etruscan bronze mirror in late Archaic style, formerly on the Roman antiquities market. [1] On Etruscan mirrors in the Classical style, Usil appears with an aureole.
He was identified with Apulu; appearing on an Etruscan mirror from the Vatican dating from the 4th century BC, on which Usil is seen holding the bow of Apulu. [2]
Usil was identified with the Roman Sol and Greek Helios. However, while Usil is depicted as male in some artwork, there are also feminine depictions. [3] [4] There is also a connection with the indigenous Etruscan goddess Catha, who has been interpreted as having a solar character, however she has also been identified with a Lunar character. [5] In artwork, Usil is shown in close association with the dawn goddess Thesan, something almost never seen with Helios and Eos. [6]
Catha has been identified as "Solis Filia" meaning "Sun's Daughter", making Usil her father. [7]
Since his name appears on the bronze liver of Piacenza, next to Tiur, meaning both "moon" and "month", [8] since then Tiur has been identified as the name of the personification of the moon, but it was most likely a date. The inscriptions on the Pyrgi Tablets confirm that "tiur" was meant as "month" for datations, [9].
{{
cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
link)