01-11-2018, 10:03 AM
Good morning everybody,
some time ago, looking at the Roman “stele” with a Celtic onomatology in the Gallia Cisalpina, I came across the tombstone of a militis cohortis III Britannorum named Catavignus son of Ivomagus, found in the province of Cuneo (Piedmont, Italy).
The particularity of this tombstone is the contrast between the quality of the letters and the simple representation of the soldier (in the superior part). Is not well preserved, but the soldier seems to wear a paenula, a gladius is held on his right side, and in the right hand he holds an object that seems a club (or vitis ??).
In 2009, the stele also appears in the “D’Amato – Sumner” at pag. 167:
“(the soldier) is represented with a club, typical weapon of the troops from Britannia, clad in a sagum and a military tunic. He wears a light armor, probably of leather, with pteryges on the shoulders and a small collar protecting the neck. […] the hair are following the typical Celtic hairstyle of the British warriors”
The tombstone is dated at 69 AC, when some auxiliares of the cohors III Brittannorum they were sent to Cisalpina (ref. Tacitus, Hist., 1 70).
The club seems uncommon, the only comparison that I have found in a tombstone is a late II cent. AC from Sparta (tombstone of M. Aurelios Alexys ). Initially I thought of a reuse of a more ancient image, but the text and the letters seem contemporary and no marks of reuse…
What do you think about the representation?
Any advice or bibliographical reference are greatly appreciated !
Best
SM
some time ago, looking at the Roman “stele” with a Celtic onomatology in the Gallia Cisalpina, I came across the tombstone of a militis cohortis III Britannorum named Catavignus son of Ivomagus, found in the province of Cuneo (Piedmont, Italy).
The particularity of this tombstone is the contrast between the quality of the letters and the simple representation of the soldier (in the superior part). Is not well preserved, but the soldier seems to wear a paenula, a gladius is held on his right side, and in the right hand he holds an object that seems a club (or vitis ??).
In 2009, the stele also appears in the “D’Amato – Sumner” at pag. 167:
“(the soldier) is represented with a club, typical weapon of the troops from Britannia, clad in a sagum and a military tunic. He wears a light armor, probably of leather, with pteryges on the shoulders and a small collar protecting the neck. […] the hair are following the typical Celtic hairstyle of the British warriors”
The tombstone is dated at 69 AC, when some auxiliares of the cohors III Brittannorum they were sent to Cisalpina (ref. Tacitus, Hist., 1 70).
The club seems uncommon, the only comparison that I have found in a tombstone is a late II cent. AC from Sparta (tombstone of M. Aurelios Alexys ). Initially I thought of a reuse of a more ancient image, but the text and the letters seem contemporary and no marks of reuse…
What do you think about the representation?
Any advice or bibliographical reference are greatly appreciated !
Best
SM
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SM.
ὁπλῖται δὲ ἀγαθοὶ καὶ ἀκροβολισταί (Strabo,IV, 6, 2)
SM.
ὁπλῖται δὲ ἀγαθοὶ καὶ ἀκροβολισταί (Strabo,IV, 6, 2)