The paper describes the funerary altar erected by Quintus Aeronius Adiutor and his freedwoman and... more The paper describes the funerary altar erected by Quintus Aeronius Adiutor and his freedwoman and wife Aeronia Delicia during their lifetime. The monument originates from Salona, and very soon after its discovery it was taken to Venice where it was in the famous antique collection of the Nani brothers. During the 19th or 20th century, it was moved to Rome, where it was built into the wall of the internal staircase of the Primoli Palace. The altar is very well made, and according to the way it is decorated, it can be connected with several other Salonitan monuments dating back to the mid-2nd century. The article analyzes the linguistic qualities of the inscription, the characteristics of the carving of the letters, and also, there are established similarities of the final formula of this and another Salonitan monument that was created in the same stonemason’s workshop.
Vjesnik za arheologiju i historiju dalmatinsku 113, 2021
This paper deals with nine epigraphic monuments from the lapidarium of the Archaeological Museum ... more This paper deals with nine epigraphic monuments from the lapidarium of the Archaeological Museum in Split which most likely came to the Museum in the period from the 1920s through the 1940s.1 There are specific data on the location and time of discovery for some of the monuments covered herein, but for most there is no precise data on location and time in the inventory logs. The monuments are mainly from the area of Solin and Kaštela, and they are in large part gravestones.
The inscriptions in their restored form and as photographs have already been accessible for some time in the digital database Ubi erat Lupa and, consequently, in the Epigraphic Database Clauss-Slaby, but they are incorporated here as inscriptions found in Split. Nonetheless, since they have not been comprehensively published thus far, they are interpreted in this paper. There are mostly complete inscriptions which contain several new names not previously known in the Roman onomastics in Dalmatia. All of the inscriptions can be dated from the 1st to 3rd centuries. Two monuments in particular may be highlighted, as from the typological standpoint they have a lesser presence in Dalmatia, and these are large built-in funerary plaques. Based on comparisons to several similar monuments, it appears that the production of such plaques may be dated from the mid-1st to the beginning of the 2nd century. It may be assumed that several monuments were in secondary use, but since there are no data on the discovery context for most, nothing can be confirmed with any certainty.
The paper analyzes a secondary used Roman epigraphic monument incorporated into the church of St ... more The paper analyzes a secondary used Roman epigraphic monument incorporated into the church of St George (Sv. Đurađ) in Cavtat. The fragment has already been noticed, but not read or interpreted. Only name in the tria nomina form has been preserved in the inscription, and information that the deceased was a freedman. Paleographic characteristics of the monument indicate dating to the middle or second half of the 1st century BC. The paper suggests earlier dating on the basis of contextualizing information about the mentioned person’s name. The inscription mentions Quintus Fabius Sanga, a freedman of Quintus. The authors find a connection between this name and a member of the Roman Senate from a prominent Roman family Fabia in the Late Republican period and events on the eastern Adriatic coast during the Civil war between Pompey and Caesar. After the comparison with the remaining epigraphic material from the region of ancient Epidaurum, a conclusion is made that this inscription might be the monument with the earliest dating from the mentioned site.
The article brings eight unpublished epigraphic monuments found in the area of Trogir, which ar... more The article brings eight unpublished epigraphic monuments found in the area of Trogir, which are exhibited in the permanent exhibition in the Trogir City Museum. Although these inscriptions are fragmented, for most of them the analysis of the text showed that they belonged to monuments of a sepulchral character. Unfortunately, for seven of the eight monuments there is no exact information when and where they were found, but it is known that this was in the period between the two World wars until the 80s of the 20th century. According to the appearance of most of the monuments, it seems that they were deliberately reworked and used as spolia, which is an almost regular context of the discovery of epigraphic monuments in Trogir. The monuments described here can be dated between the 1st and 6th centuries, and there are 10 names preserved on them, but it is known that at least eight other persons had been mentioned whose names have not been preserved. Two monuments whose inscriptions most likely showed the most important data were, unfortunately, very damaged. The first (Nr. 4) mentioned a person who was a decurion (most likely a military one) and a sum of money that was probably collected for some public purpose.The second (Nr. 5) inscription mentions a priest of Jupiter and a cohort whose name has not been fully preserved. Due to their fragmentary nature, neither monument reveals enough elements by which the meaning of the text of these inscriptions could be reconstructed, ie the mutual relations of the information that can be recognized on them. Although mostly fragments, the inscriptions mentioned here nevertheless contributed to the addition of the epigraphic profile of ancient Tragurium. However, when talking about Tragurian inscriptions, one should always keep in mind the fact that they can be monuments that have been brought from other places as building material throughout history. So far, it has been established that the epigraphic material was brought to Trogir from Salona and Skradin. Trogir is a city that has an uninterrupted continuity of settlement from the Hellenistic period until today and the stone material is constantly recycled, which is best seen in the use of stone material whose primary role was not construction. In many places of today’s Trogir, spolia can be seen whose construction can be dated long before the buildings in which they are located now, and such practice in this city has been confirmed since late antiquity. Particular care should be taken when describing monuments whose archaeological context is unknown, as is the case with most of the monuments described here.
The article describes eighteen epigraphic spolia that were found in 1992 in the town of Solin (Sa... more The article describes eighteen epigraphic spolia that were found in 1992 in the town of Solin (Salona) during rescue archaeological excavations. These are funerary inscriptions and one votive inscription that were built into the eastern part of the Salonitan ramparts during the ancient period. According to the textual, linguistic, stylistic, onomastic and social analyses of the monuments, most of the inscriptions can be dated to the period after AD 170, i.e. the period when the city walls had been erected. The inscriptions mention nineteen persons who, belonged to the category of ordinary citizens and slaves, but there was indirectly concluded that there were several freedmen among the mentioned persons. Despite the relatively high number of inscriptions found so far in Dalmatia, and consequently a large number of known names, the Dalmatian onomastic corpus is supplemented every year with new names, therefore five new ones can be added from this group: two gentilicia (Aberius, Ammia) and three cognomina (Aiate, Callistianus, Thisbe), not including the cognomen Censorina which occurs for the first time in the female form. As for the tombstones, the relationship between the deceased and the commemorator is as follows: three monuments were erected for the children by their parents, two monuments were erected for the spouses, one or two monuments were erected by the slaves, one monument was erected by the son to the father, one monument perhaps the master raises for a slave, and on one monument the relationship between the deceased and the commemorator cannot be established due to damage.
The inscription dedicated to the god Priapus (cat. nr. 1) would be the most important inscription from this group, since we are informed from it about the existence and expansion of the sanctuary dedicated to this god. On one inscription (cat. nr. 7) the word vitricus (stepfather) was recorded for the first time in Dalmatia, which enriches the epigraphic lexicon of this province. Other monuments complement not only the population and onomastic picture but also the grade of literacy in Salona. Also, speaking of the context in which these monuments were found, the embedded tombstones confirm the practice of spoliation, carried out on several occasions during the ancient and late antique periods, which is best recorded in Salona in the survey of the city walls. Considering the current condition of the collected Salonitan monuments, it can be said that the city walls are also the largest epigraphic resource of Salona, because for their construction and restoration
over the centuries it was necessary to use all available stone material. In this material were found monuments of various characters, from decorative and architectonic pieces, parts of sculptures to various types of inscriptions that were built not only from the outer faces of the ramparts, but also in their filling. New research into the city walls, which can be counted on for many more years to come, will no doubt yield a greater number of monuments that will continue the reconstruction of life and the population picture in the Roman Salona and Dalmatia.
Prilozi povijesti umjetnosti u Dalmaciji 44/1 (Cambijev zbornik), 2020
This paper discusses fragments of two inscriptions that have already been published, but which, b... more This paper discusses fragments of two inscriptions that have already been published, but which, because of their fragmentariness, were not subjected to any very deep study. Parts of both inscriptions were found in the space of Diocletian’s Palace. The spolia of the first of them are built into the western façade of the house in Dioklecijanova street no. 2; there are four parts of a once monumental sepulchral altar that, according to the information given by Frane Bulić, were found in 1889 in Salona. The second inscription is on a fragment of a sarcophagus found among the ruins of the old bishop’s palace in the 1920s, probably secondarily used as a doorsill. The inscriptions are linked by their both mentioning persons of equestrian rank. In the first epigraph it is concluded that it is about an equestrian on the basis of a reconstructed military position, while on the second monument the status is clearly stated by expressions characteristic for the equestrian rank – eq(ues) R(omanus) v(ir) e(gregius).
The paper deals with two unpublished Roman stelae which have been discovered as chance finds outs... more The paper deals with two unpublished Roman stelae which have been discovered as chance finds outside the archaeological context in the town of Solin. Today they are embedded in a private property on the Split section Pazdigrad, one into a house wall and the other in the courtyard. These two tombstones can be dated from the second half of the 2nd to the end of the 3rd century. Texts of the inscriptions are complete and mention members of the local population: a girl deceased at the age of 8 and a man who lived approximately 50 years. In the first case commemorator is mother of the deceased, while in the second case commemorator is wife of the deceased. The first inscription brings a new attestation of the rare nomen Murcidius/a which has been confirmed so far on the Salonitan area only. The second one revealed a female cognomen Perpetua which hasn't been known on the inscriptions from Dalmatia. These inscriptions only slightly enrich the epigraphic corpus of the Salonitan inscriptions, but the article also thematises a fact that the process from the discovery of these inscriptions to their new purpose speaks of two different approaches of the awareness for the cultural and written heritage of the Roman Empire in this area.
Vjesnik za arheologiju i historiju dalmatinsku, 2018
This paper presents three thus far unpublished epigraphic monuments used as spolia. All three wer... more This paper presents three thus far unpublished epigraphic monuments used as spolia. All three were registered in the narrower urban core of Split, i.e., in the area of Diocletian’s Palace.1 Two are on the façades of buildings, and one is built into a courtyard wall. All of these fragments were originally parts of grave monuments: a funerary altar, a stele or titulus, and a sarcophagus or stele. The origin of these spolia cannot be established with any certainty, since they were all built into structures that considerably post-date Diocletian’s Palace. It is assumed that the two fragments built into façades had not been published until now because they had previously been covered with stucco which had been removed in the meantime. These two monuments may be dated to the 1st to 3rd centuries, i.e., prior to Diocletian’s Palace, while the remaining fragment may have possibly belonged to a later period. The texts of the inscriptions reveal several names that are rather rare in the inscriptions of Dalmatia.
Članak opisuje natpis na poklopcu sarkofaga pronađenog u Vranjicu. Uklesan je za bračni par Satur... more Članak opisuje natpis na poklopcu sarkofaga pronađenog u Vranjicu. Uklesan je za bračni par Saturnina i Justinu, koji su umrli u ljeto 541. godine. Saturnin je bio vaginarij (vaginarius), odnosno izrađivač korica mačeva i noževa, što je iznimno rijetko epigrafski potvrđeno zanimanje. Spomenik je apsolutno datiran konzulom, indikcijskom godinom, datumom i danom u tjednu, što ga čini dosad najpreciznije datiranim antičkim natpisom u Dalmaciji. Uklapa se u epigrafsku praksu Salone 6. stoljeća u kojoj se zamjetno češće nego u drugim periodima na spomenicima navodi zanimanje pokojnika. Autori smatraju da podatak o izrađivaču korica ukazuje na nastavak djelovanja salonitanske radionice oružja tijekom 6. stoljeća (fabrica Salonitana armorum) za koju je, prema Notitia dignitatum i još jednom natpisu, potvrđeno da je postojala u 4. i 5. stoljeću. Svojim je stilskim obilježjima ovaj natpis pomogao usko datirati jedan vojnički natpis na sarkofagu koji bi se mogao povezati s periodom bizantsko-gotskih sukoba na salonitanskom području oko 535. godine. Kako su oboje pokojnika pokopani u isto vrijeme, pomišlja se da su mogli biti žrtve nasilne smrti ili neke akutne bolesti. Upravo je u razdoblju od 541. do 543. godine na Mediteranu zabilježena epidemija tzv. Justinijanske kuge, od koje je umrla otprilike četvrtina stanovnika tadašnje populacije. Salona je bila lučki grad i do nje je kuga, koja se Sredozemljem proširila iz Egipta, mogla lako doći brodovima već u ljeto 541. godine.
The article describes the inscription on the lid of the sarcophagus discovered in Vranjic (Croati... more The article describes the inscription on the lid of the sarcophagus discovered in Vranjic (Croatia) during the development-led archaeological excavations carried out in 2007. The inscription mentions the married couple Saturninus and Justina who died in the summer of 541. Saturninus was a vaginarius, i.e. a maker of scabbards, which is an occupation rarely mentioned in epigraphic sources. Sixth century Salona saw the practice of producing inscriptions which mention the occupation of the deceased more often than in other periods, and this inscription fits the pattern. The inscription was dated absolutely by consular year, indictional year, date and day of the week, which makes it thus far the most precisely dated antique inscription in Dalmatia. The authors believe that the reference to a scabbard maker points to the continuing operation of the military factory in Salona (fabrica Salonitana armorum) during the 6th century, the existence of which was confirmed in the 4th and 5th centuries by Notitia Dignitatum and one other inscription. The stylistic features of this inscription were used to narrowly date another military inscription on the sarcophagus which could be linked to the Byzantine-Gothic War waged in the Salona area around 535. Since both occupants of the sarcophagus died around the same time, it is believed they could have been victims of violent death or some acute illness. During that time, between 541-543, the so-called Plague of Justinian was recorded on the Mediterranean, which killed around a quarter of the population. Salona was a port city and the plague, which had already spread across the Mediterranean from Egypt, could have reached it by ship, already by the summer of 541.
The century of the brave. Roman conquest and indigenous resistance in Illyricum during the time of Augustus and his heirs, (M. Milićević Bradač and D. Demicheli eds.), 2018
The paper discusses left part of the military stele which was found during the archaeological exc... more The paper discusses left part of the military stele which was found during the archaeological excavations at the site Kapitul. The inscription commemorated a soldier from the legion XI Claudia pia fidelis. His name is unknown, but from the inscription we know that he was from Forum Iulii and that he has served in the centuria of certain Caecilius. The monument was set up by Quintinus, for who is believed to be an optio in the same legion. Along with this inscription, in the same excavations was found an upper right fragment of a military stele, which might have belonged to the same monument.
Tiberius in Illyricum - Contributions to the history of the Danubian provinces under Tiberius’ reign (14–37 AD) (P. Kovács ed.) , 2017
The paper discusses 26 inscriptions from the territory of the province of Dalmatia which mention ... more The paper discusses 26 inscriptions from the territory of the province of Dalmatia which mention the emperor Tiberius and the members of his
family. Although all of the members of the Julio-Claudian family were
related to Tiberius, this article includes only those members who were
mentioned on the inscriptions which were set up during the reign of
Tiberius. The first mentions of Tiberius on the epigraphic monuments
from Dalmatia started to appear at the end of Augustus’ period and lasted until the first years of Caligula’s reign.
These 26 monuments were found on 12 sites and belong to diverse
categories. They can be divided into three groups: 1) official inscriptions
pertaining to Tiberius set by the governors of Dalmatia, city councils or
individual groups (cat. nos. 1–18); 2) inscriptions pertaining to the members of Tiberius’ family (Livia, Drusus the Younger, Drusus Caesar and Nero Caesar) set up during his reign (cat. nos. 19–23); 3) the inscriptions commemorating soldiers decorated with the dona militaria by the emperor Tiberius (cat. nos. 24–26).
Danish architect Ejnar Dyggve in 1931 conducted the archaeological excavations at the site Šuplja... more Danish architect Ejnar Dyggve in 1931 conducted the archaeological excavations at the site Šuplja crkva (the so-called Hollow church), in which, apart from the significant finds of the architecture of the early Croatian and early Christian period, fifteen epigraphic monuments were found. The site itself was not inside of the Roman city of Salona, but belonged to its eastern periphery. In this article the presented inscriptions were found used as spolia of early Christian and medieval sacral and graveyard architecture. Most of these inscriptions are known only through Dyggve’s photographs and sketches that represent valuable documentation without which these monuments would have been completely unknown. There are 13 inscriptions dated to the period from 2nd to 6th century and they are mostly fragmented. The Roman-era inscriptions were undoubtedly transferred from a nearby Salonitan necropolis that was developed north and westward from the site. Out of 13 inscriptions, 12 are carved in Latin, while one inscription is in Greek alphabet. Since not all of the monuments are documented with a photograph, the restitution of the several inscriptions is made entirely on the basis on Dyggve’s sketches. Ten monuments are the tombstones, while for 3 can be assumed the same purpose. Most of the texts of the inscriptions are incomplete and some of them could not read a complete word. Nine inscriptions revealed 11 certain and 2 possible names which can be added to the rich onomastic repertoire of Salona. Two inscriptions can be singled out, since they bring not so usual epigraphic information. The first inscription (no. 1) mentions Pinnius Dalmatius, who placed a sarcophagus for himself and his family in the 4th century. The inscription predicted the penalty in case someone tried to violate the sarcophagus. The fine was 100,000 denarii, but the denarii are listed only as a calculation unit, since at the time of the placement of the inscription the denarii were no longer a monetary denomination. The second interesting inscription (no. 13) mentions C. Valerius Telesphorus, a procurator of vicesima, but due to the partial damage of the monument, there is no information whether he was a procurator for collecting a 5% inheritance tax (vicesima hereditatium) on or manumission tax (vicesima libertatis). The epigraphic evidence confirmed so far goes in favor of inheritance tax, but there is also space for a different interpretation. However, this information confirmed the existence of the financial procurator’s office in Salona. The Šuplja crkva site is considered one of the most important sites of the medieval Croatian state, but there are more and more archaeological indications that it is also a valuable early Christian site which has to be seen in the ambiance of a nearby pagan necropolis. It is little known about the large early Christian basilica, which is still mostly unexplored. It would be very important to excavate at least part of the pagan necropolis on the western side of the site of whose existence do not speak only spolia, but also the other archeological indications.
The article describes an honorary base with an inscription for the statue of Emperor Caracalla (2... more The article describes an honorary base with an inscription for the statue of Emperor Caracalla (211-217), once embedded in third floor of the Romanesque bell tower of St. Duje (Domnio) cathedral in Split. In the 13th century, this base was sawn and transformed into architectonic-decorative elements of the bell tower, a console and a cornice-beam (both with inscription). For the building of the Romanesque bell tower many spolia from the Roman period were used whose provenance was the Diocletian’s palace and the ruins of Salona. The most important epigraphic monuments found as spolia in this bell tower are the so-called tabulae Dolabellae, four inscribed panels containing the information on road building activity under the provincial governor Publius Cornelius Dolabella at the time of emperor Tiberius (fig. 1). During the restoration of the bell tower at the end of the 19th century, parts of the Caracalla’s base were extracted along with other stone material. Their appearance differ from each other so much (fig. 3a-d, 4a-d), that these parts were perceived as parts of two different inscriptions (fig. 2). These parts are kept today in two locations in Split (the left part is in the Garden of Archbishopric and the right part is in the Archaeological Museum). In the scholar literature they were published in 1897 and 1899 respectively, and then in 1902, in the third volume of Corpus inscriptionum Latinarum under the nos. 142437 and 14684. During the reusing process of the Caracalla’s base, some of the letters were chiseled off, but the restored text of both pieces reads (fig. 7, 8): [Imp(eratori) Cae]sari / [M(arco) Aurel]io / Ant[onino P]io Aug(usto) / Felic[i Part(hico)] maxi(mo) / Brit{t}[an(nico) m]aximo / pont[if(ici) ma]ximo / patr[i patr]iae / co[(n)s(uli) I]II / Res pu[bli]ca / Saloni[tan]orum Caracalla is mentioned as an emperor, so the lower limit for the date of this inscription is February 4th 211, when he entered the throne. Of the official titles that help in narrower determination of the time frame are the third consulate, which he held from the beginning of 208 to the beginning of 209, and two cognomina ex virtute (Britannicus and Parthicus). Inscribed title consul III means that the inscription should be dated no later than the end of 212, when Caracalla was appointed consul for the fourth time. Thus, the inscription can be dated from February 211 to December 212, but with the presumption that it was an honorary base for the statue set for the occasion of his entry into the throne, we could date this inscription in year 211. This opinion is supported by the information that the citizens of Salona (res publica Salonitanorum) set up this monument. According to the authors’ opinion, Caracalla's name on this inscription in the antiquity suffered a damnatio memoriae, which might be a result of the endeavors of emperor Maximinus Thrax (235-238) who tried to erase the memory on Severi upon all the inscriptions pertaining to the members of that dynasty. There are circa thirty inscriptions in Dalmatia related to the imperial Severan family, which lasted from 193 to 235. Of these, there are six inscriptions directly related to Caracalla. Only two inscriptions from Salona are dedicated to Caracalla, but this one is the only thus far confirmed Salonitan epigraphic monument of the Severan dynasty which was exposed in a public space.
Illyrica Antiqua II - In honorem Duje Rendić-Miočević, Proceedings of the International conference, Šibenik 12th - 15th September 2013., 2017
In the depot of the Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments in Split are being kept two fragm... more In the depot of the Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments in Split are being kept two fragments of the sarcophagus which were found 85 years ago, during the archaeological excavations in Solin on a site called Šuplja crkva. The fragments bear two inscriptions from which reads that in the sarcophagus were buried two persons. The inscription on the central field belonged to an unknown person who was buried the first in the sarcophagus. From the other inscription, which commemorated the person later deceased, we know that his name was Anastasius. Both men were the ostiarii, i. e. the ostiaries (porters) in the Salonitan early Christian church. These men were probably buried in a span of a year or two, which is concluded by partially preserved mention of the indictions. The sarcophagus shows several interesting features which include the Vulgar Latin text, some special characters, but also the fact that the sarcophagus itself was originally made in 3rd (or perhaps late 2nd) century and remodelled in 5th century. The aim of this work is, along with the publication of these fragments, to make a comparison with the other epigraphic monuments and to expand our current knowledge about the service of ostiarius in the early Christian church.
The inscription on the Roman funerary altar found in the Veli Varoš section of Split in 2004 is a... more The inscription on the Roman funerary altar found in the Veli Varoš section of Split in 2004 is analysed in this work. The inscription mentions the deceased Numeria Victorina and her grandson Gnaeus Sulpicius Proculus, who was probably related to Lucius Sulpicius Proculus, the actarius of cohors VIII Voluntariorum and the dedicant of an altar to Minerva in Tilurium. The Split monument may be dated to approximately the mid-2nd cenutry, while the Tilurium altar originated sometime in the latter half of the 2nd century, although not much later than the one from Split. Besides the assumption that the people mentioned on them were residents of the Salona ager, the inscription is intriguing due to the confirmation of two gentilicia that were not common on the territory of Dalmatia. Veli Varoš itself is located on the way to the Ad Dianam site, which is recorded on the Tabula Peutingeriana, and all previous finds in this area suggest that it was inhabited in Antiquity prior to the construction of Diocletian’s Palace. Even though the inscription was not found in an archaeological context, it is assumed that it belonged to a necropolis that had emerged along the road that ran westward from Roman-era Spalatum, i.e., toward Ad Dianam. All previously found inscriptions in Veli Varoš, like those from nearby Šperun and Dobri, are sepulchral in character, and in the Corpus inscriptionum Latinarum they are listed as being from Salona. This author assumes that at least a portion of the Veli Varoš inscriptions were from a settlement with a necropolis that existed prior to the construction of Diocletian’s Palace, to which the section of a necropolis in Teutina street would testify.
Rad obrađuje antički nadgrobni natpis, pronađen 2006. god. na lokalitetu Klapavice, koji je ukles... more Rad obrađuje antički nadgrobni natpis, pronađen 2006. god. na lokalitetu Klapavice, koji je uklesan na steli iskorištenoj u sred-njem vijeku za poklopnicu groba. Sačuvani dio natpisa donosi spomen centuriona VIII. dobrovoljačke kohorte rimskih građana (cohors VIII Voluntariorum civium Romanorum) Gaja Alazinija Va-lentina (C. Alasinius Valentinus) za kojeg autor smatra da je ovdje bio naveden kao komemorator, odnosno da je postavio natpis svojim roditeljima. Kohorta čiji je bio centurion epigrafski je naj-bolje potvrđena kohorta u Dalmaciji, što ne iznenađuje, budući da je VIII. kohorta vojna jedinica koja je u ovoj provinciji i najduže boravila, od 1. do barem sredine 3. st. Gentilicij Alasinius vrlo je rijetko potvrđen na epigrafskim spomenicima, a osim na ovome, javlja se na samo dva natpisa s istog područja pa se pretpostavlja da je lokalnog podrijetla. Jedan od njih je pronađen početkom 20. st. na istom lokalitetu, a spominje još jednog pripadnika VIII. kohorte, te se zaključuje da se radi o pripadnicima iste obitelji koji su služili u istoj jedinici. U članku se na temelju epigrafskih potvrda u Dalmaciji i ostatku Carstva donose i zapažanja o ustroj-stvu VIII. kohorte.
The paper analyzes the Roman sepulchral inscription found at Klapavice site in 2006. The inscription is carved on a stela used in Middle Ages as a grave slab. The preserved part commemorates Gaius Alasinius Valentinus, a centurion of the VIII Cohort of Roman Citizen Volunteers (cohors VIII Voluntariorum civium Ro-manorum). In the author's opinion, he is mentioned here as the commemorator who has erected the inscribed memorial to his parents. The cohort he was a centurion in is the best epigraphi-cally confirmed cohort in Dalmatia. This is no surprise, given the fact that, of all Roman units, the VIII Cohort stayed in the province for the longest period of time – from the 1 st century AD to not earlier than mid-3 rd century AD. The gentilicium Alasinius is very rarely confirmed on epigraphic monuments: in addition to this one, it is only found in two inscriptions from the same area. It is therefore assumed that it is of local origin. As one of them, found in the early 20 th century, mentions another soldier of the VIII Co-hort, they were probably members of the same family serving in the same unit. Based on the epigraphic confirmations in Dalma-tia and in other provinces of the Empire, this article also makes observations on the internal structure of the VIII Cohort.
The paper discusses 13 inscriptions mentioning the Salonitans of higher class in a military servi... more The paper discusses 13 inscriptions mentioning the Salonitans of higher class in a military service. The inscriptions were set highlighting different stages of their successful military careers. (Summary in English at the end of paper)
The Roman army between the Alps and the Adriatic (Jana Horvat ed.), Sep 2016
The paper deals with two funerary inscriptions found in Carnuntum that belonged to the legionarie... more The paper deals with two funerary inscriptions found in Carnuntum that belonged to the legionaries of legio XV Apollinaris. There is no unanimous opinion about their origin, since the name of the town is given in abbreviated form Aeq, which can be related either to Aequum in Dalmatia, or to Aequiculi in Italia. The voting tribe is noted as Cl(audia), and the town of origin of the legionaries was explained as Aequiculi in the relevant literature, since the tribus Claudia was the voting tribe of this town, while the voting tribe of Aequum was Tromentina. With no mention of tribus there would be no doubt that the soldiers originated from Aequum, since soldiers from the colony of Aequum are much better epigraphically attested than soldiers from Aequiculi. We think that in the first case the tribus Claudia could be explained with the deduction of the veterans in Savaria (whose tribus was Claudia), while in the second case we presume that Claudia was a pseudo-tribus. The thesis that these soldiers were likely to have been from Aequum is strengthened by the epigraphic evidence from Pannonia and Upper Germania.
The paper describes the funerary altar erected by Quintus Aeronius Adiutor and his freedwoman and... more The paper describes the funerary altar erected by Quintus Aeronius Adiutor and his freedwoman and wife Aeronia Delicia during their lifetime. The monument originates from Salona, and very soon after its discovery it was taken to Venice where it was in the famous antique collection of the Nani brothers. During the 19th or 20th century, it was moved to Rome, where it was built into the wall of the internal staircase of the Primoli Palace. The altar is very well made, and according to the way it is decorated, it can be connected with several other Salonitan monuments dating back to the mid-2nd century. The article analyzes the linguistic qualities of the inscription, the characteristics of the carving of the letters, and also, there are established similarities of the final formula of this and another Salonitan monument that was created in the same stonemason’s workshop.
Vjesnik za arheologiju i historiju dalmatinsku 113, 2021
This paper deals with nine epigraphic monuments from the lapidarium of the Archaeological Museum ... more This paper deals with nine epigraphic monuments from the lapidarium of the Archaeological Museum in Split which most likely came to the Museum in the period from the 1920s through the 1940s.1 There are specific data on the location and time of discovery for some of the monuments covered herein, but for most there is no precise data on location and time in the inventory logs. The monuments are mainly from the area of Solin and Kaštela, and they are in large part gravestones.
The inscriptions in their restored form and as photographs have already been accessible for some time in the digital database Ubi erat Lupa and, consequently, in the Epigraphic Database Clauss-Slaby, but they are incorporated here as inscriptions found in Split. Nonetheless, since they have not been comprehensively published thus far, they are interpreted in this paper. There are mostly complete inscriptions which contain several new names not previously known in the Roman onomastics in Dalmatia. All of the inscriptions can be dated from the 1st to 3rd centuries. Two monuments in particular may be highlighted, as from the typological standpoint they have a lesser presence in Dalmatia, and these are large built-in funerary plaques. Based on comparisons to several similar monuments, it appears that the production of such plaques may be dated from the mid-1st to the beginning of the 2nd century. It may be assumed that several monuments were in secondary use, but since there are no data on the discovery context for most, nothing can be confirmed with any certainty.
The paper analyzes a secondary used Roman epigraphic monument incorporated into the church of St ... more The paper analyzes a secondary used Roman epigraphic monument incorporated into the church of St George (Sv. Đurađ) in Cavtat. The fragment has already been noticed, but not read or interpreted. Only name in the tria nomina form has been preserved in the inscription, and information that the deceased was a freedman. Paleographic characteristics of the monument indicate dating to the middle or second half of the 1st century BC. The paper suggests earlier dating on the basis of contextualizing information about the mentioned person’s name. The inscription mentions Quintus Fabius Sanga, a freedman of Quintus. The authors find a connection between this name and a member of the Roman Senate from a prominent Roman family Fabia in the Late Republican period and events on the eastern Adriatic coast during the Civil war between Pompey and Caesar. After the comparison with the remaining epigraphic material from the region of ancient Epidaurum, a conclusion is made that this inscription might be the monument with the earliest dating from the mentioned site.
The article brings eight unpublished epigraphic monuments found in the area of Trogir, which ar... more The article brings eight unpublished epigraphic monuments found in the area of Trogir, which are exhibited in the permanent exhibition in the Trogir City Museum. Although these inscriptions are fragmented, for most of them the analysis of the text showed that they belonged to monuments of a sepulchral character. Unfortunately, for seven of the eight monuments there is no exact information when and where they were found, but it is known that this was in the period between the two World wars until the 80s of the 20th century. According to the appearance of most of the monuments, it seems that they were deliberately reworked and used as spolia, which is an almost regular context of the discovery of epigraphic monuments in Trogir. The monuments described here can be dated between the 1st and 6th centuries, and there are 10 names preserved on them, but it is known that at least eight other persons had been mentioned whose names have not been preserved. Two monuments whose inscriptions most likely showed the most important data were, unfortunately, very damaged. The first (Nr. 4) mentioned a person who was a decurion (most likely a military one) and a sum of money that was probably collected for some public purpose.The second (Nr. 5) inscription mentions a priest of Jupiter and a cohort whose name has not been fully preserved. Due to their fragmentary nature, neither monument reveals enough elements by which the meaning of the text of these inscriptions could be reconstructed, ie the mutual relations of the information that can be recognized on them. Although mostly fragments, the inscriptions mentioned here nevertheless contributed to the addition of the epigraphic profile of ancient Tragurium. However, when talking about Tragurian inscriptions, one should always keep in mind the fact that they can be monuments that have been brought from other places as building material throughout history. So far, it has been established that the epigraphic material was brought to Trogir from Salona and Skradin. Trogir is a city that has an uninterrupted continuity of settlement from the Hellenistic period until today and the stone material is constantly recycled, which is best seen in the use of stone material whose primary role was not construction. In many places of today’s Trogir, spolia can be seen whose construction can be dated long before the buildings in which they are located now, and such practice in this city has been confirmed since late antiquity. Particular care should be taken when describing monuments whose archaeological context is unknown, as is the case with most of the monuments described here.
The article describes eighteen epigraphic spolia that were found in 1992 in the town of Solin (Sa... more The article describes eighteen epigraphic spolia that were found in 1992 in the town of Solin (Salona) during rescue archaeological excavations. These are funerary inscriptions and one votive inscription that were built into the eastern part of the Salonitan ramparts during the ancient period. According to the textual, linguistic, stylistic, onomastic and social analyses of the monuments, most of the inscriptions can be dated to the period after AD 170, i.e. the period when the city walls had been erected. The inscriptions mention nineteen persons who, belonged to the category of ordinary citizens and slaves, but there was indirectly concluded that there were several freedmen among the mentioned persons. Despite the relatively high number of inscriptions found so far in Dalmatia, and consequently a large number of known names, the Dalmatian onomastic corpus is supplemented every year with new names, therefore five new ones can be added from this group: two gentilicia (Aberius, Ammia) and three cognomina (Aiate, Callistianus, Thisbe), not including the cognomen Censorina which occurs for the first time in the female form. As for the tombstones, the relationship between the deceased and the commemorator is as follows: three monuments were erected for the children by their parents, two monuments were erected for the spouses, one or two monuments were erected by the slaves, one monument was erected by the son to the father, one monument perhaps the master raises for a slave, and on one monument the relationship between the deceased and the commemorator cannot be established due to damage.
The inscription dedicated to the god Priapus (cat. nr. 1) would be the most important inscription from this group, since we are informed from it about the existence and expansion of the sanctuary dedicated to this god. On one inscription (cat. nr. 7) the word vitricus (stepfather) was recorded for the first time in Dalmatia, which enriches the epigraphic lexicon of this province. Other monuments complement not only the population and onomastic picture but also the grade of literacy in Salona. Also, speaking of the context in which these monuments were found, the embedded tombstones confirm the practice of spoliation, carried out on several occasions during the ancient and late antique periods, which is best recorded in Salona in the survey of the city walls. Considering the current condition of the collected Salonitan monuments, it can be said that the city walls are also the largest epigraphic resource of Salona, because for their construction and restoration
over the centuries it was necessary to use all available stone material. In this material were found monuments of various characters, from decorative and architectonic pieces, parts of sculptures to various types of inscriptions that were built not only from the outer faces of the ramparts, but also in their filling. New research into the city walls, which can be counted on for many more years to come, will no doubt yield a greater number of monuments that will continue the reconstruction of life and the population picture in the Roman Salona and Dalmatia.
Prilozi povijesti umjetnosti u Dalmaciji 44/1 (Cambijev zbornik), 2020
This paper discusses fragments of two inscriptions that have already been published, but which, b... more This paper discusses fragments of two inscriptions that have already been published, but which, because of their fragmentariness, were not subjected to any very deep study. Parts of both inscriptions were found in the space of Diocletian’s Palace. The spolia of the first of them are built into the western façade of the house in Dioklecijanova street no. 2; there are four parts of a once monumental sepulchral altar that, according to the information given by Frane Bulić, were found in 1889 in Salona. The second inscription is on a fragment of a sarcophagus found among the ruins of the old bishop’s palace in the 1920s, probably secondarily used as a doorsill. The inscriptions are linked by their both mentioning persons of equestrian rank. In the first epigraph it is concluded that it is about an equestrian on the basis of a reconstructed military position, while on the second monument the status is clearly stated by expressions characteristic for the equestrian rank – eq(ues) R(omanus) v(ir) e(gregius).
The paper deals with two unpublished Roman stelae which have been discovered as chance finds outs... more The paper deals with two unpublished Roman stelae which have been discovered as chance finds outside the archaeological context in the town of Solin. Today they are embedded in a private property on the Split section Pazdigrad, one into a house wall and the other in the courtyard. These two tombstones can be dated from the second half of the 2nd to the end of the 3rd century. Texts of the inscriptions are complete and mention members of the local population: a girl deceased at the age of 8 and a man who lived approximately 50 years. In the first case commemorator is mother of the deceased, while in the second case commemorator is wife of the deceased. The first inscription brings a new attestation of the rare nomen Murcidius/a which has been confirmed so far on the Salonitan area only. The second one revealed a female cognomen Perpetua which hasn't been known on the inscriptions from Dalmatia. These inscriptions only slightly enrich the epigraphic corpus of the Salonitan inscriptions, but the article also thematises a fact that the process from the discovery of these inscriptions to their new purpose speaks of two different approaches of the awareness for the cultural and written heritage of the Roman Empire in this area.
Vjesnik za arheologiju i historiju dalmatinsku, 2018
This paper presents three thus far unpublished epigraphic monuments used as spolia. All three wer... more This paper presents three thus far unpublished epigraphic monuments used as spolia. All three were registered in the narrower urban core of Split, i.e., in the area of Diocletian’s Palace.1 Two are on the façades of buildings, and one is built into a courtyard wall. All of these fragments were originally parts of grave monuments: a funerary altar, a stele or titulus, and a sarcophagus or stele. The origin of these spolia cannot be established with any certainty, since they were all built into structures that considerably post-date Diocletian’s Palace. It is assumed that the two fragments built into façades had not been published until now because they had previously been covered with stucco which had been removed in the meantime. These two monuments may be dated to the 1st to 3rd centuries, i.e., prior to Diocletian’s Palace, while the remaining fragment may have possibly belonged to a later period. The texts of the inscriptions reveal several names that are rather rare in the inscriptions of Dalmatia.
Članak opisuje natpis na poklopcu sarkofaga pronađenog u Vranjicu. Uklesan je za bračni par Satur... more Članak opisuje natpis na poklopcu sarkofaga pronađenog u Vranjicu. Uklesan je za bračni par Saturnina i Justinu, koji su umrli u ljeto 541. godine. Saturnin je bio vaginarij (vaginarius), odnosno izrađivač korica mačeva i noževa, što je iznimno rijetko epigrafski potvrđeno zanimanje. Spomenik je apsolutno datiran konzulom, indikcijskom godinom, datumom i danom u tjednu, što ga čini dosad najpreciznije datiranim antičkim natpisom u Dalmaciji. Uklapa se u epigrafsku praksu Salone 6. stoljeća u kojoj se zamjetno češće nego u drugim periodima na spomenicima navodi zanimanje pokojnika. Autori smatraju da podatak o izrađivaču korica ukazuje na nastavak djelovanja salonitanske radionice oružja tijekom 6. stoljeća (fabrica Salonitana armorum) za koju je, prema Notitia dignitatum i još jednom natpisu, potvrđeno da je postojala u 4. i 5. stoljeću. Svojim je stilskim obilježjima ovaj natpis pomogao usko datirati jedan vojnički natpis na sarkofagu koji bi se mogao povezati s periodom bizantsko-gotskih sukoba na salonitanskom području oko 535. godine. Kako su oboje pokojnika pokopani u isto vrijeme, pomišlja se da su mogli biti žrtve nasilne smrti ili neke akutne bolesti. Upravo je u razdoblju od 541. do 543. godine na Mediteranu zabilježena epidemija tzv. Justinijanske kuge, od koje je umrla otprilike četvrtina stanovnika tadašnje populacije. Salona je bila lučki grad i do nje je kuga, koja se Sredozemljem proširila iz Egipta, mogla lako doći brodovima već u ljeto 541. godine.
The article describes the inscription on the lid of the sarcophagus discovered in Vranjic (Croati... more The article describes the inscription on the lid of the sarcophagus discovered in Vranjic (Croatia) during the development-led archaeological excavations carried out in 2007. The inscription mentions the married couple Saturninus and Justina who died in the summer of 541. Saturninus was a vaginarius, i.e. a maker of scabbards, which is an occupation rarely mentioned in epigraphic sources. Sixth century Salona saw the practice of producing inscriptions which mention the occupation of the deceased more often than in other periods, and this inscription fits the pattern. The inscription was dated absolutely by consular year, indictional year, date and day of the week, which makes it thus far the most precisely dated antique inscription in Dalmatia. The authors believe that the reference to a scabbard maker points to the continuing operation of the military factory in Salona (fabrica Salonitana armorum) during the 6th century, the existence of which was confirmed in the 4th and 5th centuries by Notitia Dignitatum and one other inscription. The stylistic features of this inscription were used to narrowly date another military inscription on the sarcophagus which could be linked to the Byzantine-Gothic War waged in the Salona area around 535. Since both occupants of the sarcophagus died around the same time, it is believed they could have been victims of violent death or some acute illness. During that time, between 541-543, the so-called Plague of Justinian was recorded on the Mediterranean, which killed around a quarter of the population. Salona was a port city and the plague, which had already spread across the Mediterranean from Egypt, could have reached it by ship, already by the summer of 541.
The century of the brave. Roman conquest and indigenous resistance in Illyricum during the time of Augustus and his heirs, (M. Milićević Bradač and D. Demicheli eds.), 2018
The paper discusses left part of the military stele which was found during the archaeological exc... more The paper discusses left part of the military stele which was found during the archaeological excavations at the site Kapitul. The inscription commemorated a soldier from the legion XI Claudia pia fidelis. His name is unknown, but from the inscription we know that he was from Forum Iulii and that he has served in the centuria of certain Caecilius. The monument was set up by Quintinus, for who is believed to be an optio in the same legion. Along with this inscription, in the same excavations was found an upper right fragment of a military stele, which might have belonged to the same monument.
Tiberius in Illyricum - Contributions to the history of the Danubian provinces under Tiberius’ reign (14–37 AD) (P. Kovács ed.) , 2017
The paper discusses 26 inscriptions from the territory of the province of Dalmatia which mention ... more The paper discusses 26 inscriptions from the territory of the province of Dalmatia which mention the emperor Tiberius and the members of his
family. Although all of the members of the Julio-Claudian family were
related to Tiberius, this article includes only those members who were
mentioned on the inscriptions which were set up during the reign of
Tiberius. The first mentions of Tiberius on the epigraphic monuments
from Dalmatia started to appear at the end of Augustus’ period and lasted until the first years of Caligula’s reign.
These 26 monuments were found on 12 sites and belong to diverse
categories. They can be divided into three groups: 1) official inscriptions
pertaining to Tiberius set by the governors of Dalmatia, city councils or
individual groups (cat. nos. 1–18); 2) inscriptions pertaining to the members of Tiberius’ family (Livia, Drusus the Younger, Drusus Caesar and Nero Caesar) set up during his reign (cat. nos. 19–23); 3) the inscriptions commemorating soldiers decorated with the dona militaria by the emperor Tiberius (cat. nos. 24–26).
Danish architect Ejnar Dyggve in 1931 conducted the archaeological excavations at the site Šuplja... more Danish architect Ejnar Dyggve in 1931 conducted the archaeological excavations at the site Šuplja crkva (the so-called Hollow church), in which, apart from the significant finds of the architecture of the early Croatian and early Christian period, fifteen epigraphic monuments were found. The site itself was not inside of the Roman city of Salona, but belonged to its eastern periphery. In this article the presented inscriptions were found used as spolia of early Christian and medieval sacral and graveyard architecture. Most of these inscriptions are known only through Dyggve’s photographs and sketches that represent valuable documentation without which these monuments would have been completely unknown. There are 13 inscriptions dated to the period from 2nd to 6th century and they are mostly fragmented. The Roman-era inscriptions were undoubtedly transferred from a nearby Salonitan necropolis that was developed north and westward from the site. Out of 13 inscriptions, 12 are carved in Latin, while one inscription is in Greek alphabet. Since not all of the monuments are documented with a photograph, the restitution of the several inscriptions is made entirely on the basis on Dyggve’s sketches. Ten monuments are the tombstones, while for 3 can be assumed the same purpose. Most of the texts of the inscriptions are incomplete and some of them could not read a complete word. Nine inscriptions revealed 11 certain and 2 possible names which can be added to the rich onomastic repertoire of Salona. Two inscriptions can be singled out, since they bring not so usual epigraphic information. The first inscription (no. 1) mentions Pinnius Dalmatius, who placed a sarcophagus for himself and his family in the 4th century. The inscription predicted the penalty in case someone tried to violate the sarcophagus. The fine was 100,000 denarii, but the denarii are listed only as a calculation unit, since at the time of the placement of the inscription the denarii were no longer a monetary denomination. The second interesting inscription (no. 13) mentions C. Valerius Telesphorus, a procurator of vicesima, but due to the partial damage of the monument, there is no information whether he was a procurator for collecting a 5% inheritance tax (vicesima hereditatium) on or manumission tax (vicesima libertatis). The epigraphic evidence confirmed so far goes in favor of inheritance tax, but there is also space for a different interpretation. However, this information confirmed the existence of the financial procurator’s office in Salona. The Šuplja crkva site is considered one of the most important sites of the medieval Croatian state, but there are more and more archaeological indications that it is also a valuable early Christian site which has to be seen in the ambiance of a nearby pagan necropolis. It is little known about the large early Christian basilica, which is still mostly unexplored. It would be very important to excavate at least part of the pagan necropolis on the western side of the site of whose existence do not speak only spolia, but also the other archeological indications.
The article describes an honorary base with an inscription for the statue of Emperor Caracalla (2... more The article describes an honorary base with an inscription for the statue of Emperor Caracalla (211-217), once embedded in third floor of the Romanesque bell tower of St. Duje (Domnio) cathedral in Split. In the 13th century, this base was sawn and transformed into architectonic-decorative elements of the bell tower, a console and a cornice-beam (both with inscription). For the building of the Romanesque bell tower many spolia from the Roman period were used whose provenance was the Diocletian’s palace and the ruins of Salona. The most important epigraphic monuments found as spolia in this bell tower are the so-called tabulae Dolabellae, four inscribed panels containing the information on road building activity under the provincial governor Publius Cornelius Dolabella at the time of emperor Tiberius (fig. 1). During the restoration of the bell tower at the end of the 19th century, parts of the Caracalla’s base were extracted along with other stone material. Their appearance differ from each other so much (fig. 3a-d, 4a-d), that these parts were perceived as parts of two different inscriptions (fig. 2). These parts are kept today in two locations in Split (the left part is in the Garden of Archbishopric and the right part is in the Archaeological Museum). In the scholar literature they were published in 1897 and 1899 respectively, and then in 1902, in the third volume of Corpus inscriptionum Latinarum under the nos. 142437 and 14684. During the reusing process of the Caracalla’s base, some of the letters were chiseled off, but the restored text of both pieces reads (fig. 7, 8): [Imp(eratori) Cae]sari / [M(arco) Aurel]io / Ant[onino P]io Aug(usto) / Felic[i Part(hico)] maxi(mo) / Brit{t}[an(nico) m]aximo / pont[if(ici) ma]ximo / patr[i patr]iae / co[(n)s(uli) I]II / Res pu[bli]ca / Saloni[tan]orum Caracalla is mentioned as an emperor, so the lower limit for the date of this inscription is February 4th 211, when he entered the throne. Of the official titles that help in narrower determination of the time frame are the third consulate, which he held from the beginning of 208 to the beginning of 209, and two cognomina ex virtute (Britannicus and Parthicus). Inscribed title consul III means that the inscription should be dated no later than the end of 212, when Caracalla was appointed consul for the fourth time. Thus, the inscription can be dated from February 211 to December 212, but with the presumption that it was an honorary base for the statue set for the occasion of his entry into the throne, we could date this inscription in year 211. This opinion is supported by the information that the citizens of Salona (res publica Salonitanorum) set up this monument. According to the authors’ opinion, Caracalla's name on this inscription in the antiquity suffered a damnatio memoriae, which might be a result of the endeavors of emperor Maximinus Thrax (235-238) who tried to erase the memory on Severi upon all the inscriptions pertaining to the members of that dynasty. There are circa thirty inscriptions in Dalmatia related to the imperial Severan family, which lasted from 193 to 235. Of these, there are six inscriptions directly related to Caracalla. Only two inscriptions from Salona are dedicated to Caracalla, but this one is the only thus far confirmed Salonitan epigraphic monument of the Severan dynasty which was exposed in a public space.
Illyrica Antiqua II - In honorem Duje Rendić-Miočević, Proceedings of the International conference, Šibenik 12th - 15th September 2013., 2017
In the depot of the Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments in Split are being kept two fragm... more In the depot of the Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments in Split are being kept two fragments of the sarcophagus which were found 85 years ago, during the archaeological excavations in Solin on a site called Šuplja crkva. The fragments bear two inscriptions from which reads that in the sarcophagus were buried two persons. The inscription on the central field belonged to an unknown person who was buried the first in the sarcophagus. From the other inscription, which commemorated the person later deceased, we know that his name was Anastasius. Both men were the ostiarii, i. e. the ostiaries (porters) in the Salonitan early Christian church. These men were probably buried in a span of a year or two, which is concluded by partially preserved mention of the indictions. The sarcophagus shows several interesting features which include the Vulgar Latin text, some special characters, but also the fact that the sarcophagus itself was originally made in 3rd (or perhaps late 2nd) century and remodelled in 5th century. The aim of this work is, along with the publication of these fragments, to make a comparison with the other epigraphic monuments and to expand our current knowledge about the service of ostiarius in the early Christian church.
The inscription on the Roman funerary altar found in the Veli Varoš section of Split in 2004 is a... more The inscription on the Roman funerary altar found in the Veli Varoš section of Split in 2004 is analysed in this work. The inscription mentions the deceased Numeria Victorina and her grandson Gnaeus Sulpicius Proculus, who was probably related to Lucius Sulpicius Proculus, the actarius of cohors VIII Voluntariorum and the dedicant of an altar to Minerva in Tilurium. The Split monument may be dated to approximately the mid-2nd cenutry, while the Tilurium altar originated sometime in the latter half of the 2nd century, although not much later than the one from Split. Besides the assumption that the people mentioned on them were residents of the Salona ager, the inscription is intriguing due to the confirmation of two gentilicia that were not common on the territory of Dalmatia. Veli Varoš itself is located on the way to the Ad Dianam site, which is recorded on the Tabula Peutingeriana, and all previous finds in this area suggest that it was inhabited in Antiquity prior to the construction of Diocletian’s Palace. Even though the inscription was not found in an archaeological context, it is assumed that it belonged to a necropolis that had emerged along the road that ran westward from Roman-era Spalatum, i.e., toward Ad Dianam. All previously found inscriptions in Veli Varoš, like those from nearby Šperun and Dobri, are sepulchral in character, and in the Corpus inscriptionum Latinarum they are listed as being from Salona. This author assumes that at least a portion of the Veli Varoš inscriptions were from a settlement with a necropolis that existed prior to the construction of Diocletian’s Palace, to which the section of a necropolis in Teutina street would testify.
Rad obrađuje antički nadgrobni natpis, pronađen 2006. god. na lokalitetu Klapavice, koji je ukles... more Rad obrađuje antički nadgrobni natpis, pronađen 2006. god. na lokalitetu Klapavice, koji je uklesan na steli iskorištenoj u sred-njem vijeku za poklopnicu groba. Sačuvani dio natpisa donosi spomen centuriona VIII. dobrovoljačke kohorte rimskih građana (cohors VIII Voluntariorum civium Romanorum) Gaja Alazinija Va-lentina (C. Alasinius Valentinus) za kojeg autor smatra da je ovdje bio naveden kao komemorator, odnosno da je postavio natpis svojim roditeljima. Kohorta čiji je bio centurion epigrafski je naj-bolje potvrđena kohorta u Dalmaciji, što ne iznenađuje, budući da je VIII. kohorta vojna jedinica koja je u ovoj provinciji i najduže boravila, od 1. do barem sredine 3. st. Gentilicij Alasinius vrlo je rijetko potvrđen na epigrafskim spomenicima, a osim na ovome, javlja se na samo dva natpisa s istog područja pa se pretpostavlja da je lokalnog podrijetla. Jedan od njih je pronađen početkom 20. st. na istom lokalitetu, a spominje još jednog pripadnika VIII. kohorte, te se zaključuje da se radi o pripadnicima iste obitelji koji su služili u istoj jedinici. U članku se na temelju epigrafskih potvrda u Dalmaciji i ostatku Carstva donose i zapažanja o ustroj-stvu VIII. kohorte.
The paper analyzes the Roman sepulchral inscription found at Klapavice site in 2006. The inscription is carved on a stela used in Middle Ages as a grave slab. The preserved part commemorates Gaius Alasinius Valentinus, a centurion of the VIII Cohort of Roman Citizen Volunteers (cohors VIII Voluntariorum civium Ro-manorum). In the author's opinion, he is mentioned here as the commemorator who has erected the inscribed memorial to his parents. The cohort he was a centurion in is the best epigraphi-cally confirmed cohort in Dalmatia. This is no surprise, given the fact that, of all Roman units, the VIII Cohort stayed in the province for the longest period of time – from the 1 st century AD to not earlier than mid-3 rd century AD. The gentilicium Alasinius is very rarely confirmed on epigraphic monuments: in addition to this one, it is only found in two inscriptions from the same area. It is therefore assumed that it is of local origin. As one of them, found in the early 20 th century, mentions another soldier of the VIII Co-hort, they were probably members of the same family serving in the same unit. Based on the epigraphic confirmations in Dalma-tia and in other provinces of the Empire, this article also makes observations on the internal structure of the VIII Cohort.
The paper discusses 13 inscriptions mentioning the Salonitans of higher class in a military servi... more The paper discusses 13 inscriptions mentioning the Salonitans of higher class in a military service. The inscriptions were set highlighting different stages of their successful military careers. (Summary in English at the end of paper)
The Roman army between the Alps and the Adriatic (Jana Horvat ed.), Sep 2016
The paper deals with two funerary inscriptions found in Carnuntum that belonged to the legionarie... more The paper deals with two funerary inscriptions found in Carnuntum that belonged to the legionaries of legio XV Apollinaris. There is no unanimous opinion about their origin, since the name of the town is given in abbreviated form Aeq, which can be related either to Aequum in Dalmatia, or to Aequiculi in Italia. The voting tribe is noted as Cl(audia), and the town of origin of the legionaries was explained as Aequiculi in the relevant literature, since the tribus Claudia was the voting tribe of this town, while the voting tribe of Aequum was Tromentina. With no mention of tribus there would be no doubt that the soldiers originated from Aequum, since soldiers from the colony of Aequum are much better epigraphically attested than soldiers from Aequiculi. We think that in the first case the tribus Claudia could be explained with the deduction of the veterans in Savaria (whose tribus was Claudia), while in the second case we presume that Claudia was a pseudo-tribus. The thesis that these soldiers were likely to have been from Aequum is strengthened by the epigraphic evidence from Pannonia and Upper Germania.
Proceedings of the international conference held in Zagreb 22-26. 9. 2014. (M. Milićević Bradač a... more Proceedings of the international conference held in Zagreb 22-26. 9. 2014. (M. Milićević Bradač and D. Demicheli eds.), 1-422, Zagreb 2108.
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The inscriptions in their restored form and as photographs have already been accessible for some time in the digital database Ubi erat Lupa and, consequently, in the Epigraphic Database Clauss-Slaby, but they are incorporated here as inscriptions found in Split. Nonetheless, since they have not been comprehensively published thus far, they are interpreted in this paper. There are mostly complete inscriptions which contain several new names not previously known in the Roman onomastics in Dalmatia. All of the inscriptions can be dated from the 1st to 3rd centuries. Two monuments in particular may be highlighted, as from the typological standpoint they have a lesser presence in Dalmatia, and these are large built-in funerary plaques. Based on comparisons to several similar monuments, it appears that the production of such plaques may be dated from the mid-1st to the beginning of the 2nd century. It may be assumed that several monuments were in secondary use, but since there are no data on the discovery context for most, nothing can be confirmed with any certainty.
The inscription dedicated to the god Priapus (cat. nr. 1) would be the most important inscription from this group, since we are informed from it about the existence and expansion of the sanctuary dedicated to this god. On one inscription (cat. nr. 7) the word vitricus (stepfather) was recorded for the first time in Dalmatia, which enriches the epigraphic lexicon of this province. Other monuments complement not only the population and onomastic picture but also the grade of literacy in Salona. Also, speaking of the context in which these monuments were found, the embedded tombstones confirm the practice of spoliation, carried out on several occasions during the ancient and late antique periods, which is best recorded in Salona in the survey of the city walls. Considering the current condition of the collected Salonitan monuments, it can be said that the city walls are also the largest epigraphic resource of Salona, because for their construction and restoration
over the centuries it was necessary to use all available stone material. In this material were found monuments of various characters, from decorative and architectonic pieces, parts of sculptures to various types of inscriptions that were built not only from the outer faces of the ramparts, but also in their filling. New research into the city walls, which can be counted on for many more years to come, will no doubt yield a greater number of monuments that will continue the reconstruction of life and the population picture in the Roman Salona and Dalmatia.
of buildings, and one is built into a courtyard wall. All of these fragments were originally parts of grave monuments: a funerary altar, a stele or titulus, and a sarcophagus or stele. The origin of these spolia cannot be established with any certainty, since they were all built into structures that considerably post-date Diocletian’s Palace. It is assumed that the two fragments built into façades had not been published until now
because they had previously been covered with stucco which had been removed in the meantime. These two monuments may be dated to the 1st to 3rd centuries, i.e., prior to Diocletian’s Palace, while the remaining
fragment may have possibly belonged to a later period. The texts of the inscriptions reveal several names that are rather rare in the inscriptions of Dalmatia.
Spomenik je apsolutno datiran konzulom, indikcijskom godinom, datumom i danom u tjednu, što ga čini dosad najpreciznije datiranim antičkim natpisom u Dalmaciji. Uklapa se u epigrafsku praksu Salone 6. stoljeća u kojoj se zamjetno češće nego u drugim periodima na spomenicima navodi zanimanje pokojnika. Autori smatraju da podatak o izrađivaču korica ukazuje na nastavak djelovanja salonitanske radionice oružja tijekom 6. stoljeća (fabrica Salonitana armorum) za koju je, prema Notitia dignitatum i još jednom natpisu, potvrđeno da je postojala u 4. i 5. stoljeću. Svojim je stilskim obilježjima ovaj natpis pomogao usko datirati jedan vojnički natpis na sarkofagu koji bi se mogao povezati s periodom bizantsko-gotskih sukoba na salonitanskom području oko
535. godine. Kako su oboje pokojnika pokopani u isto vrijeme, pomišlja se da su mogli biti žrtve nasilne smrti ili neke akutne bolesti. Upravo je u razdoblju od 541. do 543. godine na Mediteranu zabilježena epidemija tzv. Justinijanske kuge, od koje je umrla otprilike četvrtina stanovnika
tadašnje populacije. Salona je bila lučki grad i do nje je kuga, koja se Sredozemljem proširila iz Egipta, mogla lako doći brodovima već u ljeto 541. godine.
commemorated a soldier from the legion XI Claudia pia fidelis. His name is unknown, but from the inscription we know that he was from Forum Iulii and that he has served in the centuria of certain Caecilius. The monument was set up by Quintinus, for who is believed to be an optio in the same legion. Along with this inscription, in the same excavations was found an upper right fragment of a military stele, which might have belonged to the same monument.
family. Although all of the members of the Julio-Claudian family were
related to Tiberius, this article includes only those members who were
mentioned on the inscriptions which were set up during the reign of
Tiberius. The first mentions of Tiberius on the epigraphic monuments
from Dalmatia started to appear at the end of Augustus’ period and lasted until the first years of Caligula’s reign.
These 26 monuments were found on 12 sites and belong to diverse
categories. They can be divided into three groups: 1) official inscriptions
pertaining to Tiberius set by the governors of Dalmatia, city councils or
individual groups (cat. nos. 1–18); 2) inscriptions pertaining to the members of Tiberius’ family (Livia, Drusus the Younger, Drusus Caesar and Nero Caesar) set up during his reign (cat. nos. 19–23); 3) the inscriptions commemorating soldiers decorated with the dona militaria by the emperor Tiberius (cat. nos. 24–26).
Caracalla is mentioned as an emperor, so the lower limit for the date of this inscription is February 4th 211, when he entered the throne. Of the official titles that help in narrower determination of the time frame are the third consulate, which he held from the beginning of 208 to the beginning of 209, and two cognomina ex virtute (Britannicus and Parthicus). Inscribed title consul III means that the inscription should be dated no later than the end of 212, when Caracalla was appointed consul for the fourth time. Thus, the inscription can be dated from February 211 to December 212, but with the presumption that it was an honorary base for the statue set for the occasion of his entry into the throne, we could date this inscription in year 211. This opinion is supported by the information that the citizens of Salona (res publica Salonitanorum) set up this monument. According to the authors’ opinion, Caracalla's name on this inscription in the antiquity suffered a damnatio memoriae, which might be a result of the endeavors of emperor Maximinus Thrax (235-238) who tried to erase the memory on Severi upon all the inscriptions pertaining to the members of that dynasty. There are circa thirty inscriptions in Dalmatia related to the imperial Severan family, which lasted from 193 to 235. Of these, there are six inscriptions directly related to Caracalla. Only two inscriptions from Salona are dedicated to Caracalla, but this one is the only thus far confirmed Salonitan epigraphic monument of the Severan dynasty which was exposed in a public space.
which were found 85 years ago, during the archaeological excavations in Solin on a site called Šuplja crkva. The fragments
bear two inscriptions from which reads that in the sarcophagus were buried two persons. The inscription on the central field
belonged to an unknown person who was buried the first in the sarcophagus. From the other inscription, which commemorated
the person later deceased, we know that his name was Anastasius. Both men were the ostiarii, i. e. the ostiaries (porters)
in the Salonitan early Christian church. These men were probably buried in a span of a year or two, which is concluded by
partially preserved mention of the indictions. The sarcophagus shows several interesting features which include the Vulgar
Latin text, some special characters, but also the fact that the sarcophagus itself was originally made in 3rd (or perhaps late
2nd) century and remodelled in 5th century. The aim of this work is, along with the publication of these fragments, to make a
comparison with the other epigraphic monuments and to expand our current knowledge about the service of ostiarius in the
early Christian church.
way to the Ad Dianam site, which is recorded on the Tabula Peutingeriana, and all previous finds in this area suggest that it was inhabited in Antiquity prior to the construction of Diocletian’s Palace. Even though the inscription was not found in an archaeological context, it is assumed that it belonged to a necropolis that had emerged along the road that ran westward from Roman-era Spalatum, i.e., toward Ad Dianam. All previously found inscriptions in Veli Varoš, like those from nearby Šperun and Dobri, are sepulchral in character, and in the Corpus inscriptionum Latinarum they are listed as being from Salona. This author assumes that at least a portion of the Veli Varoš inscriptions were from a settlement with a necropolis that existed prior to the construction of Diocletian’s Palace, to which the section of a necropolis in Teutina street would testify.
The paper analyzes the Roman sepulchral inscription found at Klapavice site in 2006. The inscription is carved on a stela used in Middle Ages as a grave slab. The preserved part commemorates Gaius Alasinius Valentinus, a centurion of the VIII Cohort of Roman Citizen Volunteers (cohors VIII Voluntariorum civium Ro-manorum). In the author's opinion, he is mentioned here as the commemorator who has erected the inscribed memorial to his parents. The cohort he was a centurion in is the best epigraphi-cally confirmed cohort in Dalmatia. This is no surprise, given the fact that, of all Roman units, the VIII Cohort stayed in the province for the longest period of time – from the 1 st century AD to not earlier than mid-3 rd century AD. The gentilicium Alasinius is very rarely confirmed on epigraphic monuments: in addition to this one, it is only found in two inscriptions from the same area. It is therefore assumed that it is of local origin. As one of them, found in the early 20 th century, mentions another soldier of the VIII Co-hort, they were probably members of the same family serving in the same unit. Based on the epigraphic confirmations in Dalma-tia and in other provinces of the Empire, this article also makes observations on the internal structure of the VIII Cohort.
The inscriptions in their restored form and as photographs have already been accessible for some time in the digital database Ubi erat Lupa and, consequently, in the Epigraphic Database Clauss-Slaby, but they are incorporated here as inscriptions found in Split. Nonetheless, since they have not been comprehensively published thus far, they are interpreted in this paper. There are mostly complete inscriptions which contain several new names not previously known in the Roman onomastics in Dalmatia. All of the inscriptions can be dated from the 1st to 3rd centuries. Two monuments in particular may be highlighted, as from the typological standpoint they have a lesser presence in Dalmatia, and these are large built-in funerary plaques. Based on comparisons to several similar monuments, it appears that the production of such plaques may be dated from the mid-1st to the beginning of the 2nd century. It may be assumed that several monuments were in secondary use, but since there are no data on the discovery context for most, nothing can be confirmed with any certainty.
The inscription dedicated to the god Priapus (cat. nr. 1) would be the most important inscription from this group, since we are informed from it about the existence and expansion of the sanctuary dedicated to this god. On one inscription (cat. nr. 7) the word vitricus (stepfather) was recorded for the first time in Dalmatia, which enriches the epigraphic lexicon of this province. Other monuments complement not only the population and onomastic picture but also the grade of literacy in Salona. Also, speaking of the context in which these monuments were found, the embedded tombstones confirm the practice of spoliation, carried out on several occasions during the ancient and late antique periods, which is best recorded in Salona in the survey of the city walls. Considering the current condition of the collected Salonitan monuments, it can be said that the city walls are also the largest epigraphic resource of Salona, because for their construction and restoration
over the centuries it was necessary to use all available stone material. In this material were found monuments of various characters, from decorative and architectonic pieces, parts of sculptures to various types of inscriptions that were built not only from the outer faces of the ramparts, but also in their filling. New research into the city walls, which can be counted on for many more years to come, will no doubt yield a greater number of monuments that will continue the reconstruction of life and the population picture in the Roman Salona and Dalmatia.
of buildings, and one is built into a courtyard wall. All of these fragments were originally parts of grave monuments: a funerary altar, a stele or titulus, and a sarcophagus or stele. The origin of these spolia cannot be established with any certainty, since they were all built into structures that considerably post-date Diocletian’s Palace. It is assumed that the two fragments built into façades had not been published until now
because they had previously been covered with stucco which had been removed in the meantime. These two monuments may be dated to the 1st to 3rd centuries, i.e., prior to Diocletian’s Palace, while the remaining
fragment may have possibly belonged to a later period. The texts of the inscriptions reveal several names that are rather rare in the inscriptions of Dalmatia.
Spomenik je apsolutno datiran konzulom, indikcijskom godinom, datumom i danom u tjednu, što ga čini dosad najpreciznije datiranim antičkim natpisom u Dalmaciji. Uklapa se u epigrafsku praksu Salone 6. stoljeća u kojoj se zamjetno češće nego u drugim periodima na spomenicima navodi zanimanje pokojnika. Autori smatraju da podatak o izrađivaču korica ukazuje na nastavak djelovanja salonitanske radionice oružja tijekom 6. stoljeća (fabrica Salonitana armorum) za koju je, prema Notitia dignitatum i još jednom natpisu, potvrđeno da je postojala u 4. i 5. stoljeću. Svojim je stilskim obilježjima ovaj natpis pomogao usko datirati jedan vojnički natpis na sarkofagu koji bi se mogao povezati s periodom bizantsko-gotskih sukoba na salonitanskom području oko
535. godine. Kako su oboje pokojnika pokopani u isto vrijeme, pomišlja se da su mogli biti žrtve nasilne smrti ili neke akutne bolesti. Upravo je u razdoblju od 541. do 543. godine na Mediteranu zabilježena epidemija tzv. Justinijanske kuge, od koje je umrla otprilike četvrtina stanovnika
tadašnje populacije. Salona je bila lučki grad i do nje je kuga, koja se Sredozemljem proširila iz Egipta, mogla lako doći brodovima već u ljeto 541. godine.
commemorated a soldier from the legion XI Claudia pia fidelis. His name is unknown, but from the inscription we know that he was from Forum Iulii and that he has served in the centuria of certain Caecilius. The monument was set up by Quintinus, for who is believed to be an optio in the same legion. Along with this inscription, in the same excavations was found an upper right fragment of a military stele, which might have belonged to the same monument.
family. Although all of the members of the Julio-Claudian family were
related to Tiberius, this article includes only those members who were
mentioned on the inscriptions which were set up during the reign of
Tiberius. The first mentions of Tiberius on the epigraphic monuments
from Dalmatia started to appear at the end of Augustus’ period and lasted until the first years of Caligula’s reign.
These 26 monuments were found on 12 sites and belong to diverse
categories. They can be divided into three groups: 1) official inscriptions
pertaining to Tiberius set by the governors of Dalmatia, city councils or
individual groups (cat. nos. 1–18); 2) inscriptions pertaining to the members of Tiberius’ family (Livia, Drusus the Younger, Drusus Caesar and Nero Caesar) set up during his reign (cat. nos. 19–23); 3) the inscriptions commemorating soldiers decorated with the dona militaria by the emperor Tiberius (cat. nos. 24–26).
Caracalla is mentioned as an emperor, so the lower limit for the date of this inscription is February 4th 211, when he entered the throne. Of the official titles that help in narrower determination of the time frame are the third consulate, which he held from the beginning of 208 to the beginning of 209, and two cognomina ex virtute (Britannicus and Parthicus). Inscribed title consul III means that the inscription should be dated no later than the end of 212, when Caracalla was appointed consul for the fourth time. Thus, the inscription can be dated from February 211 to December 212, but with the presumption that it was an honorary base for the statue set for the occasion of his entry into the throne, we could date this inscription in year 211. This opinion is supported by the information that the citizens of Salona (res publica Salonitanorum) set up this monument. According to the authors’ opinion, Caracalla's name on this inscription in the antiquity suffered a damnatio memoriae, which might be a result of the endeavors of emperor Maximinus Thrax (235-238) who tried to erase the memory on Severi upon all the inscriptions pertaining to the members of that dynasty. There are circa thirty inscriptions in Dalmatia related to the imperial Severan family, which lasted from 193 to 235. Of these, there are six inscriptions directly related to Caracalla. Only two inscriptions from Salona are dedicated to Caracalla, but this one is the only thus far confirmed Salonitan epigraphic monument of the Severan dynasty which was exposed in a public space.
which were found 85 years ago, during the archaeological excavations in Solin on a site called Šuplja crkva. The fragments
bear two inscriptions from which reads that in the sarcophagus were buried two persons. The inscription on the central field
belonged to an unknown person who was buried the first in the sarcophagus. From the other inscription, which commemorated
the person later deceased, we know that his name was Anastasius. Both men were the ostiarii, i. e. the ostiaries (porters)
in the Salonitan early Christian church. These men were probably buried in a span of a year or two, which is concluded by
partially preserved mention of the indictions. The sarcophagus shows several interesting features which include the Vulgar
Latin text, some special characters, but also the fact that the sarcophagus itself was originally made in 3rd (or perhaps late
2nd) century and remodelled in 5th century. The aim of this work is, along with the publication of these fragments, to make a
comparison with the other epigraphic monuments and to expand our current knowledge about the service of ostiarius in the
early Christian church.
way to the Ad Dianam site, which is recorded on the Tabula Peutingeriana, and all previous finds in this area suggest that it was inhabited in Antiquity prior to the construction of Diocletian’s Palace. Even though the inscription was not found in an archaeological context, it is assumed that it belonged to a necropolis that had emerged along the road that ran westward from Roman-era Spalatum, i.e., toward Ad Dianam. All previously found inscriptions in Veli Varoš, like those from nearby Šperun and Dobri, are sepulchral in character, and in the Corpus inscriptionum Latinarum they are listed as being from Salona. This author assumes that at least a portion of the Veli Varoš inscriptions were from a settlement with a necropolis that existed prior to the construction of Diocletian’s Palace, to which the section of a necropolis in Teutina street would testify.
The paper analyzes the Roman sepulchral inscription found at Klapavice site in 2006. The inscription is carved on a stela used in Middle Ages as a grave slab. The preserved part commemorates Gaius Alasinius Valentinus, a centurion of the VIII Cohort of Roman Citizen Volunteers (cohors VIII Voluntariorum civium Ro-manorum). In the author's opinion, he is mentioned here as the commemorator who has erected the inscribed memorial to his parents. The cohort he was a centurion in is the best epigraphi-cally confirmed cohort in Dalmatia. This is no surprise, given the fact that, of all Roman units, the VIII Cohort stayed in the province for the longest period of time – from the 1 st century AD to not earlier than mid-3 rd century AD. The gentilicium Alasinius is very rarely confirmed on epigraphic monuments: in addition to this one, it is only found in two inscriptions from the same area. It is therefore assumed that it is of local origin. As one of them, found in the early 20 th century, mentions another soldier of the VIII Co-hort, they were probably members of the same family serving in the same unit. Based on the epigraphic confirmations in Dalma-tia and in other provinces of the Empire, this article also makes observations on the internal structure of the VIII Cohort.