Iuppiter Optumus Maxumus in Western Hispania: Ritual Specialisation and Materiality

This paper analyses the apophonic phenomenon i>u, which is commonly used in the non-abbreviated dedications to Jupiter Optimus Maximus in the western part of Hispania. The high frequency of u-spellings, such as Maxumus and its derivatives in both religious and non-religious contexts, indicates the presence of a regional grammatical phenomenon that was possibly reinforced by Classical literature, thus contributing to the fossilisation of a unique regional ritual formula: Iuppiter Optumus Maxumus. We propose that the use of apophony in u in the cult of Jupiter, particularly in Lusitania, corresponds to a grammatical peculiarity that served to enhance the materiality of dedications to the divine, likely standardised as part of a sociolectal phenomenon influenced by the peculiarities of the Lusitanian region.