Sanctuary of Anzotica

Many Illyrian deities appear on monuments erected during the Roman era, which means the Romans considered their gods and goddesses to be aspects of those within their own pantheon; the same god under a different guise. This is certainly true of Anzotica, who often appears in the traditional image of the goddess Venus. As the goddess of love, aspects of Venus were worshipped from Rome itself to the furthest reaches of the empire, by many different cultures. Many great military leaders claimed that the personal favour of the Goddess of Love was responsible for their successes. For instance, friends and adversaries Pompey and Julius Caesar both attributed their victories to Venus Victrix; Pompey dedicated the Theatre of Pompey and his triumph of 54BC to her, while Caesar took things one step further, by claiming common divine ancestry. This became a family tradition among the Julii and as such was carried on by his adopted heir, Augustus.