Etymology:

Alator may mean ‘the hunter’ and ‘the nourisher’ [1]. Additionally, Alator could mean something akin to ‘the wild king’ or ‘the savage king’, coming from Gaulish *allatus, *allato, *alattos meaning savage or wild, and *rix meaning king, which is common in theonyms [2]. This etymology can be interpreted in the spelling of Alators name in the inscriptions ‘Alatori’ (RIB 218, 1055).   

Inscriptions:

There are two inscriptions to Alator, one in Barkway (RIB 218) and the other in South Shields (RIB 1055), therefore being found in the territories of the Catuvellauni and the Brigantes. Another inscription (RIB 219), found at the same site as RIB 218, may be given to Alator.

“To the god Mars Alator Dum(…) Censorinus, son of Gemellus, willingly and deservedly fulfilled his vow.” (RIB 218)

“To Mars Alator, Gaius Vinicius Celsus for himself and … willingly and deservedly fulfilled his vow.” (RIB 1055)

“To Mars Toutatis, Tiberius Claudius Primus, freedman of Attius, willingly and deservedly fulfilled his vow.” (RIB 219)

Interpretatio:

The interpretation of Alator with Mars does not necessarily denote warrior-like qualities, especially in Southern Britain, which post-conquest was largely peaceful [3]. Often, interpretations with Mars may denote fertility, healing and agricultural ties, which can be seen in the possible meaning of ‘the nourisher’ [4]. A single inscription at Barkway is dedicated to Mars Toutatis (RIB 219), if this refers to Alator as ‘God of the tribe/people’, the inscription from South Shield (1055) which gives the formula ‘pro se et suis’ meaning ‘on behalf of myself and them’, suggests a connection as a God of the people [1].

Iconography:

There is associated iconography with the altars. For example, on the left side of RIB 1055, there was a patera and a jug. In addition, both RIB 218, 219 have extensive vegetative/leaf designs on the votive offerings.

Alator, similar to the Salian priests in Rome, may have been associated with spring through the iconography which depicts Him as ‘leaping’, connecting Alator to growing crops [5]. This comparison connects with the vegetative iconography on Alators votive offerings and to His potential etymologies.

Interpretatio Britanna:

Alator then, as Nourisher, hunter or wild king, can be seen as a protector and provider for the people who give worship to Him. He may be intimately tied with plants and the nourishment and abundance they can provide to His people.

Bibliography:

Aldhouse-Green, M.J. (2003). Symbol and image in Celtic religious art. London: Taylor & Francis E-Library. [4]

Delamarre, X. (2003). Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise : une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental. Paris: Ed. Errance. [2]

Fairless, K.J., 1989. Aspects of the archaeology of the brigantes (Doctoral dissertation, Durham University). [1]

Henig, M. (2005). Religion in Roman Britain. Routledge. [5]

Mann, M.L. and Vanderspoel, J., 2003. The End of Winter: Belatucadrus as a Spring Deity. Mouseion: Journal of the Classical Association of Canada, 3(3), pp.399-414. [3]

RIB 1055, Altar dedicated to Mars Alator, Roman Inscriptions in Britain, https://romaninscriptionsofbritain.org/inscriptions/1055 

RIB 218, Dedicated to Mars Alator, Roman Inscriptions in Britain, https://romaninscriptionsofbritain.org/inscriptions/218 

RIB 219, Dedicated to Mars Toutatis, Roman Inscriptions in Britain, https://romaninscriptionsofbritain.org/inscriptions/219