Cocideus, a local deity, by Titus Auruncus, promoted to the rank of tribune, having been an erocatus, or volunteer, continuing to serve after the usual time of military service had been completed. This stone, being dedicated to the god Cocideus,[1] rather strengthens my suggestion respecting the Maiden Way and the Tenth Iter, for this deity is supposed to have been in some way connected with the important station Coccium, which is given as one of the stations of this Iter.
An aged neighbour informs me that a stone covered with letters, was found about sixty years since on the edge of the water near the Byer Cottage, and stood for a long time at the door of the Rev. Mr. Messenger. It was afterwards carted away by this man's father, but he cannot say where it was taken. A stone with some sculpture in relief was found about thirty years since, near the same place, and is now in the wall in the Bewcastle Barn.
In the Spring of 1852, I found the upper part of a Roman altar. It appears to have been dedicated on the erection of a Temple (probably by the Roman workers in iron) a solo—from the foundation; pro salute—for the safety of some person whose name may have been inscribed on the part of the stone now broken off, as there appear to be letters in the fifth line underneath: or the concluding words may have been, pro se ac suis, for himself and his family. It has been dedicated—Jovi optimo maximo immortali Dolicheno. To Jupiter Dolichenus, the best, the greatest, the immortal. Jupiter was sometimes styled Dolichenus, from Doliche, a district in Macedonia, famous for its iron. As there have been only two altars previously found in Britain, so dedicated, this relic must be regarded as claiming especial notice. It is now placed in the stone wall between the north-west corner of the churchyard, and the Manor
- ↑ This appears to have been the local name of Mars, since an altar found at Lancaster bears the inscription—"Deo Sancto Marti Cocidio." Archæologia, vol xiii., p. 401. Seven altars dedicated to Cocidius have occurred in Cumberland, and the inscriptions are given by Lysons, "History of Cumberland," pp. cliii, cxlviii.
