09-28-2007, 12:14 AM
Dear All
As some of you will know, the 13 International Congress of Greek and Latin Epigraphy was held in Oxford on 2-7 September. There were a number of interesting new papers presented. Here's a summary.
I promised Jasper, and Michael Ng (Praefectus Urbi), that I'd do this. Work pressures have meant that I've only now got time. My apologies for the delay.
I should also add that there was a panel session on British Military Epigraphy that I did not attend. Anyone who was there and cares to add their thoughts is very welcome indeed. To keep the length down, I'll do this session by session.
Session 1. Roman Military Epigraphy I
Rankov, B. (Royal Holloway, London) "Trajan and the peregrini: the career of Q. Geminus Sabinus"
Rankov presented a paper on a late 1st century individual, Q. Geminus Sabinus (ILTun 778 = AE 1923, 28; ILTun 779), who rose from the centurionate to become princeps peregrinus and, later, the praefectus of Legio X Fretensis. Rankov's paper argued, convincingly, that Geminus was probably the first princeps peregrinus; but was also notable for his discussion of one part of the inscription, where he argued that the text "Leg. I. Adiut. P.P." was mistranscribed. This part of his paper was an object lesson in demonstrating that an error has probably been made on the stone itself. In doing so, he demonstrated exactly how difficult it is to argue this, and the sort of problems which caution against a casual assertion that an error has been made.
Ng, M. (Royal Holloway, London) "Birth of the Urban Cohorts"
RAT's own praefectus urbi presented a paper in which he argued that the urban cohorts should be dated ot no earlier than AD13. In doing so, he argued, convincingly, that the 3 urban cohorts were originally intended to parallel the three praetorian cohorts in Rome at the time. He also discussed an inscription from the Early Tiberian era (Letta (1978) 3-4), arguing that this individual, a "tribuno militum in praetorio divi Augusti et Tiberii Caesaris Augusti cohortium XI et III praetorianum" [very unusual phraseology there, especially for a tribunus cohortis, but I digress...] was in charge of a praetorian cohort that was later redesignated as one of the cohortes urbani.
Saddington, D. "Career grade variations and nomenclature patterns used in the inscriptions of fleet personnel in the early Roman Empire".
Saddington, one of the foremost authorities on auxilliary forces, presented a paper on the descriptions given in military diplomas, tombstones, as well as literary sources, of fleet personnel. Most notably, he discussed the use of terms used to describe legionnaries in the diplomas of fleet personnel; demonstrating, for example, that the term "miles" did not mean "marine", but was a term used to describe ordinary sailors.
As some of you will know, the 13 International Congress of Greek and Latin Epigraphy was held in Oxford on 2-7 September. There were a number of interesting new papers presented. Here's a summary.
I promised Jasper, and Michael Ng (Praefectus Urbi), that I'd do this. Work pressures have meant that I've only now got time. My apologies for the delay.
I should also add that there was a panel session on British Military Epigraphy that I did not attend. Anyone who was there and cares to add their thoughts is very welcome indeed. To keep the length down, I'll do this session by session.
Session 1. Roman Military Epigraphy I
Rankov, B. (Royal Holloway, London) "Trajan and the peregrini: the career of Q. Geminus Sabinus"
Rankov presented a paper on a late 1st century individual, Q. Geminus Sabinus (ILTun 778 = AE 1923, 28; ILTun 779), who rose from the centurionate to become princeps peregrinus and, later, the praefectus of Legio X Fretensis. Rankov's paper argued, convincingly, that Geminus was probably the first princeps peregrinus; but was also notable for his discussion of one part of the inscription, where he argued that the text "Leg. I. Adiut. P.P." was mistranscribed. This part of his paper was an object lesson in demonstrating that an error has probably been made on the stone itself. In doing so, he demonstrated exactly how difficult it is to argue this, and the sort of problems which caution against a casual assertion that an error has been made.
Ng, M. (Royal Holloway, London) "Birth of the Urban Cohorts"
RAT's own praefectus urbi presented a paper in which he argued that the urban cohorts should be dated ot no earlier than AD13. In doing so, he argued, convincingly, that the 3 urban cohorts were originally intended to parallel the three praetorian cohorts in Rome at the time. He also discussed an inscription from the Early Tiberian era (Letta (1978) 3-4), arguing that this individual, a "tribuno militum in praetorio divi Augusti et Tiberii Caesaris Augusti cohortium XI et III praetorianum" [very unusual phraseology there, especially for a tribunus cohortis, but I digress...] was in charge of a praetorian cohort that was later redesignated as one of the cohortes urbani.
Saddington, D. "Career grade variations and nomenclature patterns used in the inscriptions of fleet personnel in the early Roman Empire".
Saddington, one of the foremost authorities on auxilliary forces, presented a paper on the descriptions given in military diplomas, tombstones, as well as literary sources, of fleet personnel. Most notably, he discussed the use of terms used to describe legionnaries in the diplomas of fleet personnel; demonstrating, for example, that the term "miles" did not mean "marine", but was a term used to describe ordinary sailors.
Tom Wrobel
email = [email protected]
email = [email protected]
