A Roman Military Funerary Inscription from the Legionary Base of the VI Ferrata at Legio, Israel

Abstract

A complete Latin funerary inscription was found during an infrastructure development excavation near the legionary base of the Legio VI Ferrata at Legio. This funerary epitaph for a miles of the VIth Legion is the only complete inscription of its kind from Legio and, therefore, is an important contribution to the history of the legion during its tenure in Syria-Palaestina. In the epigraphic study of the inscription, a specific set of metrological characteristics were identified that have previously only been documented in formal imperial inscriptions. This raises questions about the availability of high-level lapidaries to ordinary soldiers in the context of their service. A review of the existing inscriptions attesting legionaries of Legio VI Ferrata is further provided to contextualize the epitaph.

Keywords:

• Roman archaeology
• Roman army
• Epitaph
• Epigraphic metrology
• Cemetery
• Legio-Kefar ᶜOthnay

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank Jaques Neguer of the Israel Antiquities Authority for cleaning and conservation of the inscription and Anastasia Shapiro of the Israel Antiquities Authority for consultation on the geological identification of the stone.

Notes

1 The JVRP Legio excavations are conducted under the auspices of the JVRP, American Archaeology Abroad, the W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research, and the University of Hawaii. Yotam Tepper, Jonathan David and Matthew J. Adams directed the 2013–2015 excavations (permits G-59/2013; G-61/2015), Yotam Tepper and Matthew J. Adams directed the 2017 season with Melissa Cradic as assistant director (permit G-57/2017), and Yotam Tepper, Matthew J. Adams and Susan Cohen directed the 2019 season (permit G-62/2019).

2 For the Greek mosaic inscriptions from the early Christian prayer hall at nearby Kefar ᶜOthnay, including one donated by a centurion, and two bread stamps bearing Latin inscriptions, see Tepper and Di Signi 2006.

3 See e.gr. AE 1974, 664 (Syene): T(itus) Aurelius Restitutus, (centurio) leg(ionis) II T(raianae); or AE 1934, 114 (Apulum): T(itus) Aur(elius) Marcus vet(eranus) leg(ionis) XIII G(eminae).

4 AE 2006, 1341: Bruzeni Apis fil(io) / patri et Mantae / Apis fil(iae) matri et Mantae / et Momo et Marubryzis / filiabus Zipa et Bito / [--].

5 EDCS-53502547: Apis.

6 CIL XIII 6484: In a list of dedicators to Dea Fortuna there is mentioned also a A[ug]us[t]an[i] us Apis.

7 SEG 28, 1388: μν̣ ησθῇ ὁ ̣ Ἄπις.̣ Negev 1981: 23-24, No. 8; Negev (1991: 63) and Bricault (2005: 511 no. 403/1101) are thinking of the god, but Bingen in SEG sees here perhaps a late form of Ἄππιος.

8 Legio II Traiana was stationed at Legio for a brief period before the arrival of the VI Ferrata, see above.

9 For further discussion of military cremation burials that can be dated to the Roman period in Judaea-Palaestina, see Tepper (forthcoming b).

10 On the ethnicity of the names Autus and Gaianus, see Tepper and Di Signi 2006; Stiebel 2006.

11 For the history of the Legion VI Ferrata, see Cotton (2000).