IRCyr   Inscriptions of Roman Cyrenaica

T.365. Military funerary inscription

Description: Rock-cut tomb.
Text: Inscribed on the façade above the door within an approximately rectangular area (w: 0.85 x h: 0.42) whose surface is in poor condition; the cutter has avoided holes in the stone.
Letters: Second-third century: lines 1-4, 0.035-0.04;l.5, 0.05;superscript bars above the abbreviation in line 1, the praenomen and possibly the nomen in line 2 and the figure in line 3.

Date: Mid second to mid third century CE

Findspot: Taucheira: Quarry East IX, West wall; first recorded in 1825.
Original location: Findspot.
Last recorded location: Findspot.

Interpretive

( vac. 2) D(is) M(anibus) ( vac. 2)
M(arcus) Aur(elius) Apol( vac. 2)lo( vac. 1)nius
uet(eranus) leg(ionis) II Ad(iutricis) ex d[oc(tore)]
( vac. 1) fabrica( vac. 2)e sep(ulcrum) ui<u>us
5 ( vac. 1) sibi et s[u( vac. 2)]is ( vac. 1)
( vac. 1) ( vac. 1) fạ( vac. 1)c(iendum) ( vac. 1) [ ( vac. 2)] ((leaf)) cur(auit)

Diplomatic

    DM    
MAURAPOL    LO  NIUS
UETLEGIIADEXD[..]
  FABRICA    ESEPUIUS
5  SIBIETS[...]IS  
    F.  C  [..] ❦ CUR

Apparatus

1: D Pacho omitted by Pacho, supplied by CIL
2: M URAP OI ION Pacho, 1827; M. [A]ur Apo[ll]on[io] CIL
3: VETIEC .\\ A C · EX Pacho, 1827; vet. [l]eg. XV. Ap. ex CIL
4: ABRICA E SEP.VIVS Pacho, 1827; [f]abricae s(ib) vi[v]us CIL

English translation

Translation by: Editors

To the gods of the dead. M(arcus) Aur(elius) Apollonius, veteran of the Second Legion Adiutrix, instructor for the arms factory, had this tomb built for himself and his household in his life-time.

Commentary

Line 1. The name is very common in Cyrenaica; it perhaps suggests a man of non-Roman status recruited into the legion under Marcus or Commodus.

l.2. The name of the legion, previously misread as XV Apollinaris, is clear enough, although at first glance obscured by damage to the stone. For another Cyrenaican veteran of the same legion see C.573, where see commentary.

l.3. Apollonius had a post as trainer in the legionary arms factory; for the title in the same legion cf. CIL III.10516 (available at EDH HD068672), from Aquincum.

l.4. The size of the tomb and the quality of the inscription suggest a man of substance though not wealthy enough for real grandeur.

See further Reynolds, art. cit.

For other Latin texts in this quarry see T.363, T.366

Bibliography: Pacho, 1827 LXXXV whence CIL, 6, Rossberg, 1876, 57, on which see also Applebaum, 1951, 182; republished Reynolds, 1977-1978, 1 whence AE 1982.916, EDH 002738.
Text constituted from: Transcription (Reynolds).

Images

   Fig. 1. Transcription (1827, Pacho, plate LXXXV)

   Fig. 2. Face (Reynolds, VIII.1.34, NS.IX.34)

   Fig. 3. Face (Reynolds, Tocra IV.3.24, NS.V.24)


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