Blastia

Blastia is known from a votive altar dedicated to Mithras and Silvanus discovered at Emona. The inscription, preserved only through an early transcription, records a dedication to Deus Invictus Mithras and Silvanus Augustus, an unusual combination that nevertheless finds parallels in other Mithraic contexts where Silvanus appears alongside Mithraic worship (TNMM 635; Chalupa 2023; Canciani 2022).

The identity of the dedicant has been the subject of longstanding debate. Several scholars, including Vermaseren and the Šašels, interpreted the name Blastia as feminine and regarded the inscription as possible evidence for a woman’s involvement in Mithraic worship. Others, notably Clauss, argued that the name could equally be masculine. Since the inscription provides no grammatical indicators of sex, the question remains unresolved (Clauss 1992).

Recent scholarship has tended to favour a male interpretation. Aleš Chalupa notes that male names such as Blastio and Blascio are attested elsewhere in the Danubian provinces and observes that both female participation in the cult of Mithras and female dedications to Silvanus were exceptionally rare. For this reason, he considers it more likely that Blastia was a man, although absolute certainty is impossible.