02-10-2011, 07:22 PM
Quote:Is that right? I'd thought that these inscriptions tended to list equestrian military service first, and civil positions afterwards, excepting the higher procuratorships and so on - actual chronology notwithstanding. That would be later Imperial practice anyway. Then again, my latin-deciphering skills are none of the best...
The order of the posts in a cursus seems to have followed a convention for the Triumviral/Augustan period, but it's an odd one - and a bit beyond a quick post. Have a look at the Saddington article referenced above, which I think is generally right (although I don't agree with some of his specific examples). I've got more on this on request!
Generally though, the cursus is split into civilian, military, religious and honorific parts. Within these parts each post is given in chronological order, and the parts themselves are ordered by which started first (e.g. if someone was a duouir then a military tribune, the municipal career would come before the equestrian military career).
Quote:Possible - but all we can reasonably say is that the younger brother Lucius (who names his legion 'Equestris') would have to be over 25 (at least) to have served as duumvir. Beyond that, we don't really know when each Tulius served in each position, or how much later the inscription was set up! All things considered, I still wouldn't say it safely backdates the use of the 'Equestris' cognomen to the pre-40s...
Agreed, there's not enough dating criteria to be certain of anything! I don't like stylistic dating of inscriptions to within any 10 year bracket anyway (unless, possibly, there's a very clear local trend).
blue skies
Tom
Tom Wrobel
email = [email protected]
email = [email protected]
