Bronze of Somnus

This piece is a Roman bronze with the face of the god Somnus. This little head was part of the funeral trousseau of a mother and her baby. It was found in the Casetes cemetery of Vilajoiosa.

When the grave was excavated, other objects were found: braided chains saucers and even a bronze lock. At the beginning it was thought that it could be a baby rattle. Now it is under investigation whether it was rather a beautiful wooden box decorated with appliques and suspended from bronze chains. 

The face of the god Somnus appears disheveled, with a smiling mouth, puffed cheeks, prominent ears and wide-open eyes. It is one of the few bronzes that remain from the Roman Empire. That is why this piece is one of the most unique Roman archaeological objects in the Valencian Community. In a national context, a bronze Somnus appeared in Almedinilla (Córdoba).

The Greeks call it Hypnós. He lives in a dark cave where there is no sunlight or sound. Poppies and opium poppies grow at the entrance. Inside this cave the river of oblivion flows. Her thousand children put in our heads the experiences that happen to us every night in dreams. The most important son is Morpheus, who adopts the human figures that we see in them. His brother Fobétor ("the one who gets scared") is in charge of adding animals and monsters, and his other brother, Fantaso, is in charge of putting fantasy plants and figures in our dreams. 

For the Romans, Somnus is a calm and kind god, who helps humans who need him. He accompanies souls to death, as in a dream. But, in ancient civilizations, to get to the Afterlife you have to get to heaven, you need to fly. Therefore, our Somnus has wings on its head, to reach all people faster.

Tomb 214 of the Necropolis of Les Casetes, sector Creueta.
Nº inv. Vilamuseu 003671