Marcus Favonius Facilis

[Pointer]

Marcus Favonius Facilis... Does anyone know the year of his death? Or the dates that he served? I know there is a museum with his tombstone but I am unclear on those dates.

[D B Campbell]

Does anyone know the year of his death?

The inscription has convincingly been dated to pre-AD 49, ... and obviously post-AD 43. :wink:

[Renatus]

The inscription has convincingly been dated to pre-AD 49

Could you summarise the argument?

[D B Campbell]

Could you summarise the argument?

A combination of things:
The slab is made of the same Lothringian Freestone that is used for first century sculptures in the Rhineland (and at Waldgirmes). That's the ball-park.
The man died as a serving centurion at Colchester, which gives us a terminus post quem of AD 43.
Facilis' face is, on stylistic grounds, "Claudian", placing it within the period AD 41-54.
The slab shows little weathering, suggesting that it had toppled over soon(-ish) after its erection. The date of toppling may plausibly be set during the Boudican revolt of AD 60, giving a broad terminus ante quem.
As a serving centurion buried at Colchester, he is likely to have died while Colchester was still a military base (ca. AD 43-48) and had not yet been converted to a veteran colony (AD 49), which gives a tighter terminus ante quem of AD 49.
(No one would seriously consider a later (post-Boudican) date, when a D M formula would be expected and Valeria Victrix legionary cognomina would be expected.)

[Renatus]

That (apart from the type of stone which I did not know about) ties in with my initial thoughts. (As a digression, RIB gives the stone as Bath oolite. Is this of significance?) However, a glance at RIB seems raise another possibility. It states that near the stone was found a canister containing burnt bones (presumably those of Facilis) with which was a pottery cup of about AD50-60. I would still want to date the stone pre-Boudica but could Facilis have retired to the colonia after AD49 and still be known by his previous rank of centurion? The inscription is a bit short on detail.

[Pointer]

What type of breastplate would you say he is wearing on the tombstone? Cuirass Musclata? Hamata Chainmail? or Lorica Segmentata?

[D B Campbell]

What type of breastplate would you say he is wearing on the tombstone?

Graham Sumner has an entire article about this in Ancient Warfare magazine, Special 2010, where he shows an alternative version in quilted linen alongside the standard mail cuirass. (I'm sure I've seen another reconstruction of Facilis by Graham somewhere, haven't I?)

[D B Campbell]

(As a digression, RIB gives the stone as Bath oolite. Is this of significance?)

It was recently analyzed (within the last five years, I think) and found not to be "Bath oolite". Probably, in the early years of the conquest, the legionary craftsmen preferred to work with the familiar continental stone, which they would arrange to ship over whenever required. The alternative -- that centurions normally travelled with ready-made tombstones -- seems unlikely (but not impossible).

[Renatus]

Thank you for that.

What did you think of my suggestion that he might have retired to the colonia after AD49? I accept that it is probably the less likely alternative.

[D B Campbell]

What did you think of my suggestion that he might have retired to the colonia after AD49?

Yes, it's possible. Julius Paternus (CIL III 2035, Salona) probably retired to the colony at Salona rather than going home, and his tombstone describes him as centurio (rather than ex centurione, or whatever). However, there is always the possibility that he died while serving in some capacity at Salona. In cases like these, there will always be an element of doubt.

[Pointer]

Thanks... I just purchased it.

[Graham Sumner]

Duncan Campbell wrote:

Graham Sumner has an entire article about this in Ancient Warfare magazine, Special 2010, where he shows an alternative version in quilted linen alongside the standard mail cuirass. (I'm sure I've seen another reconstruction of Facilis by Graham somewhere, haven't I?)


Indeed you have Duncan but the Ancient Warfare version is the most up to date, although Paul McDonnal-Staff thought my interpretation utter nonsense! Mike Bishop made no comment when I asked him, which I usually interpret as meaning he thought it utter nonsense too! :roll:

Like Michael I also thought the stone was Bath oolite. Do you know where the recent view was published?

Graham.

[mcbishop]

Mike Bishop made no comment when I asked him, which I usually interpret as meaning he thought it utter nonsense too!

You might think that. I couldn't possibly comment... ;-)

Here's the reference for the petrological and geochemical analysis of Facilis' stone.

Mike Bishop

[Renatus]

In June 2004, a press release by Colchester Museum reported that the cremated bones found near the tombstone and believed to be those of Facilis had been examined by the Museum of London Specialist Services, Archaeology Section. They were found to be of Romano-British date and to be those of a man aged "probably in his early thirties". If they are indeed the bones of Facilis, it would appear most likely that he had died while still in service. The press release was noted in RAT by Robert Vermaat at the time and the results of the tests are referred to by Graham in his article. The text of the release can be found here:
https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webad...2a1f9.0406.

I would be interested to know if the tests have been formally published.

If the pottery cup mentioned in RIB as having been found with the bones is correctly dated, it would provide a terminus post quem for the burial of about AD50. If Facilis died while legio XX was still based at Colchester, as seems to be the case, this would suggest that he did so not long before the departure of the legion and the establishment of the colonia in AD49-50.

[mcbishop]

Oxygen isotope analysis might have nailed his origin too (but no suggestion it was done), since it is theoretically possible with cremated remains.

Mike Bishop