The Temple of Antenociticus was an extramural temple outside the southeast corner of the Roman fort of Condercum (present-day Benwell, outside of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, U.K.), on the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall, located between the actual wall and the vallum (ditch) separating the wall from the general civilian zone. This ultimately liminal location, and the uncertain identity of the deity (very likely a hybrid Roman and native British/Celtic deity, possibly a form of Cocidius, who was syncretized to both Mars and Silvanus--the latter being a god of boundaries, amongst other things) make him an interesting deity to contemplate from a number of perspectives, including from the viewpoint of liminal and hybrid identities and nationalities/ethnicities, as well as appealing to those who find interest in the syncretization of Roman and British cultures and deities in the late antique period.
The Temple of Antenociticus was destroyed by fire in 197 CE, in an uprising of the Maeatae (a tribe of the Brigantes), and was never restored. Three altar inscriptions existed in it (one fragmentary), as well as a life-size statue, of which the damaged head above, plus an arm and leg fragment, survive. The foundations of the temple are still accessible today, and I was able to visit there in July of 2003. It is a wonderful place indeed!
May those who honor Antenociticus know the importance of boundaries, not only for defense, but for the self-regulation of one's own diverse and shifting sense of identity.
