09-21-2005, 03:46 AM
I am putting together a list of shield bosses that are inscribed with the owner’s unit. I am most interested in those that give the name of the unit rather than simply stating that the owner belonged to ‘the century of X’ or ‘the turma of Y’. So far I have compiled the following list:
1. An ornately decorated umbo recovered from the river Tyne in 1867 and dated to the early to mid-2nd century A.D. inscribed: LEG VIII AVG and on left border: century of Julius Magnus, Junius Dubitatus (CIL VII.495; E.Hübner, " Römische Schildbuckel", Archäologisch-epigraphische Mitteilungen aus Österreich-Ungarn, II (1878) 108-110; E.B.Thomas, Helme, Schilde, Dolche. Studien über römisch-pannonische Waffenkunde, Budapest (1971) 36; M.C.Bishop and J.C.N.Coulston, Roman Military Equipment from the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome, London, (1993) plate 3 b; Romans in Britain no.2426.1)
2. A fragmentary ornately decorated and inscribed umbo from Windisch, Switzerland (Vindonissa). The boss shows distinct similarities to the umbo recovered from the Tyne and is believed to date to the same period (early to mid-2nd century A.D.). Like the Tyne boss it includes the inscription AVG in a panel on the top right. It is thought the inscription originally identified the legion in the lost portion on the top left – reading: [LEG VIII] AVG like the Tyne example (C.Simonett, 'Eine verzierte Schildbuckelplatte aus Vindonissa', Anzeiger für Schweizerische Altertumskunde 37 (1935) 176-81; H.Klumbach, 'Drei römische Schildbuckel aus Mainz', Jahrbuch des Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums Mainz 13 (1966) 175f; E.B.Thomas, Helme, Schilde, Dolche. Studien über römisch-pannonische Waffenkunde, Budapest (1971) 36f; C.Unz, Katalog der Militaria aus Vindonissa: militärische Funde, Pferdegeschirr und Jochteile bis 1976, Brugg, Gesellschaft Pro Vindonissa, (1997) no.565 p.27 and Tafel 26 with further references)
3. A decorated and inscribed umbo from Halmágy in Romania (Dacia) dated to the 1st century A.D.. The inscription scratched onto the highly decorated boss is thought to identify the owner of the shield and his unit. It is thought that the first three letters of the inscription, L XV, may refer to the legio XV Apollinaris (see E.Hübner, Archäologisch-epigraphische Mitteilungen aus Österreich-Ungarn, II (1878) 114-7; Mommsen, CIL III.1640, 2; MacMullen; H.Klumbach, 'Drei römische Schildbuckel aus Mainz', Jahrbuch des Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums Mainz 13 (1966) 179f; E.B.Thomas, Helme, Schilde, Dolche. Studien über römisch-pannonische Waffenkunde, Budapest (1971) 35f).
4. A damaged umbo from Mainz (Moguntiacum) dating to the second half of the 2nd century A.D. inscribed: VERI CAPSARI LEGIONIS followed by a curious monogram (see L.Lindenschmit, Die Atlerthümer unserer heidnischen Vorzeit, Mainz, (1858) vol.I fascic. 5 tab. 5; Hübner; H.Klumbach, 'Drei römische Schildbuckel aus Mainz', Jahrbuch des Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums Mainz 13 (1966) 165f; E.B.Thomas, Helme, Schilde, Dolche. Studien über römisch-pannonische Waffenkunde, Budapest (1971) 37-8; S.Perea Yébenes, Hispania Antiqua 25 (2001) 207). Klumbach, p.174 and Thomas, p.38 thought it was unnecessary to specify the number of the legion because only one legion was stationed at Moguntiacum from the end of the 1st century A.D., the legio XXII Primigenia Pia Fidelis, and that the legion was only mentioned to distinguish the owner of the shield from his comrades in the auxiliary formations. However, Perea Yébenes, p.207 has suggested that the monogram was intended to identify the legion as the legio I Minervia.
5. An umbo of the 2nd century A.D. disovered in Butzbach in 1842 with the punched inscription: IM. CO. AV. AL. MOE. / T. PLACID[I.] FIRMI - that is: Imp Commodo Augusto ala Moesica / turma Placidi (sc. scutum) Firmi (see CIL XIII.7433; H.G.Simon and D.Braatz, 'Spuren der Ala Moesica Felix Torquata aus Obergermanien', Saalburg Jahrbuch 25 (1968) 193-9; S.Perea Yébenes, Hispania Antiqua 25 (2001) 207).
6. A bronze circular shield boss in the form of female head in high relief wearing an elephant skin cap dated to the late 1st century A.D.. The punched inscription reads: COH I GAE FRVNTONI CVMVNI (Cohors Prima Gaetulorum). See J.Eisenberg, The Age of Cleopatra, 1988, no. 83; C.Vermeule and J.Eisenberg, Catalogue of the Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Bronzes in the Collection of John Kluge, New York and Boston, 1995, no. 88-50.
7. A newly discovered shield boss with an inscription in Greek marking the owner as a member of the equites singulares. As yet unpublished.
Does anybody know of any others ?
1. An ornately decorated umbo recovered from the river Tyne in 1867 and dated to the early to mid-2nd century A.D. inscribed: LEG VIII AVG and on left border: century of Julius Magnus, Junius Dubitatus (CIL VII.495; E.Hübner, " Römische Schildbuckel", Archäologisch-epigraphische Mitteilungen aus Österreich-Ungarn, II (1878) 108-110; E.B.Thomas, Helme, Schilde, Dolche. Studien über römisch-pannonische Waffenkunde, Budapest (1971) 36; M.C.Bishop and J.C.N.Coulston, Roman Military Equipment from the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome, London, (1993) plate 3 b; Romans in Britain no.2426.1)
2. A fragmentary ornately decorated and inscribed umbo from Windisch, Switzerland (Vindonissa). The boss shows distinct similarities to the umbo recovered from the Tyne and is believed to date to the same period (early to mid-2nd century A.D.). Like the Tyne boss it includes the inscription AVG in a panel on the top right. It is thought the inscription originally identified the legion in the lost portion on the top left – reading: [LEG VIII] AVG like the Tyne example (C.Simonett, 'Eine verzierte Schildbuckelplatte aus Vindonissa', Anzeiger für Schweizerische Altertumskunde 37 (1935) 176-81; H.Klumbach, 'Drei römische Schildbuckel aus Mainz', Jahrbuch des Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums Mainz 13 (1966) 175f; E.B.Thomas, Helme, Schilde, Dolche. Studien über römisch-pannonische Waffenkunde, Budapest (1971) 36f; C.Unz, Katalog der Militaria aus Vindonissa: militärische Funde, Pferdegeschirr und Jochteile bis 1976, Brugg, Gesellschaft Pro Vindonissa, (1997) no.565 p.27 and Tafel 26 with further references)
3. A decorated and inscribed umbo from Halmágy in Romania (Dacia) dated to the 1st century A.D.. The inscription scratched onto the highly decorated boss is thought to identify the owner of the shield and his unit. It is thought that the first three letters of the inscription, L XV, may refer to the legio XV Apollinaris (see E.Hübner, Archäologisch-epigraphische Mitteilungen aus Österreich-Ungarn, II (1878) 114-7; Mommsen, CIL III.1640, 2; MacMullen; H.Klumbach, 'Drei römische Schildbuckel aus Mainz', Jahrbuch des Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums Mainz 13 (1966) 179f; E.B.Thomas, Helme, Schilde, Dolche. Studien über römisch-pannonische Waffenkunde, Budapest (1971) 35f).
4. A damaged umbo from Mainz (Moguntiacum) dating to the second half of the 2nd century A.D. inscribed: VERI CAPSARI LEGIONIS followed by a curious monogram (see L.Lindenschmit, Die Atlerthümer unserer heidnischen Vorzeit, Mainz, (1858) vol.I fascic. 5 tab. 5; Hübner; H.Klumbach, 'Drei römische Schildbuckel aus Mainz', Jahrbuch des Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums Mainz 13 (1966) 165f; E.B.Thomas, Helme, Schilde, Dolche. Studien über römisch-pannonische Waffenkunde, Budapest (1971) 37-8; S.Perea Yébenes, Hispania Antiqua 25 (2001) 207). Klumbach, p.174 and Thomas, p.38 thought it was unnecessary to specify the number of the legion because only one legion was stationed at Moguntiacum from the end of the 1st century A.D., the legio XXII Primigenia Pia Fidelis, and that the legion was only mentioned to distinguish the owner of the shield from his comrades in the auxiliary formations. However, Perea Yébenes, p.207 has suggested that the monogram was intended to identify the legion as the legio I Minervia.
5. An umbo of the 2nd century A.D. disovered in Butzbach in 1842 with the punched inscription: IM. CO. AV. AL. MOE. / T. PLACID[I.] FIRMI - that is: Imp Commodo Augusto ala Moesica / turma Placidi (sc. scutum) Firmi (see CIL XIII.7433; H.G.Simon and D.Braatz, 'Spuren der Ala Moesica Felix Torquata aus Obergermanien', Saalburg Jahrbuch 25 (1968) 193-9; S.Perea Yébenes, Hispania Antiqua 25 (2001) 207).
6. A bronze circular shield boss in the form of female head in high relief wearing an elephant skin cap dated to the late 1st century A.D.. The punched inscription reads: COH I GAE FRVNTONI CVMVNI (Cohors Prima Gaetulorum). See J.Eisenberg, The Age of Cleopatra, 1988, no. 83; C.Vermeule and J.Eisenberg, Catalogue of the Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Bronzes in the Collection of John Kluge, New York and Boston, 1995, no. 88-50.
7. A newly discovered shield boss with an inscription in Greek marking the owner as a member of the equites singulares. As yet unpublished.
Does anybody know of any others ?
