Folia archeologica 15.

Sándor Soproni: Castellum Carporum

CASTELLUM CARPORUM 49 types of these three letters may be read on a milestone found at Dunaszentgyörgy, from the same time.

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2 The milestone of Intercisa is especially significant for this study and Paulovics also emphasizes the otherwise well-shaped letters. The letters of the studied tombstone also attest to the great skill of the stone carver. Considering these features the dating of the tombstone to the middle of the third century seems to be acceptable. More exact dating is possible from the words „bello Dacico desiderato ad castellum Carporum". P. Ael. Proculinus died at castellum Carporum in the Dacian wars. We feel that mention of castellum Carporum definitely concerns the war against the Carpi. According to our sources, from the first half of the third century until the end

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3 the Carpi — generally in alliance with the Goths and other peoples north of the Lower Danube — attacked and plundered Dacia, Moesia and Thracia. Regarding the expression „bello Dacico" of the inscription, those raids directed against the area of Dacia are important to us. On the other hand, if we consider the circumstance that the dead was also a member of the Imperial bodyguards, then it is possible that the Emperor took part in the war. In this instance the approximate dating of the inscription to the middle of the third century must also be considered. In the second third of the 3rd century two or three dates — when the presence of the Emperor in the wars against the Carpi can be proved from the sources — may be taken into account. In 237 Emperor Maximinus was in Sirmium where he was preparing for the war against the peoples north of the Lower Danube, but the crowning of Gordianus hindered further work and the Emperor had to return to Rome.

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4 After they destroyed Istros, the raiding Goths, Carpi and other peoples were appeased by Iulius(?)Menophilus, the legátus of Moesia Inferior, with an annual payment.

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5 Although Maximinus personally prepared for the war, the struggle for the throne called him away and he did not participate in the wars which, — not too well-known in history —, were decided more by bribing the barbarians than by actual fighting. The very next time we hear about the raids of the Carpi is under Philippus when the Emperor personally directed the campaign.

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6 As we will see below the inscription may be associated only with this campaign. Let us first examine the third date. Not much after Philippus a new Gothic-Carpian raid took place under the reign of Decius. In 250 the Goths and the Carpi, in alliance with other peoples and under the leadership of Cniva, the Gothic king, invaded Moesia.

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7 The war took place in Moesian territory

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8 and although Decius sent a part of his army 3

2 B. VágóE., Arch. Ért. 86 (1959) 73. 3

3 Summerized Patsch, С., Carpi. PWRE VI Hb (Stuttgart 1899) 1608 f; Rappaport, В., Die Einfalle der Goten in das römische Reich bis auf Constantin. (Leipzig 1899) 27 f. 3

4 Rappaport, В., 1. с. cf. summerized Ensslin, W„ САН XII. 84 f. ; Alföldi А., 1. с. 139 f. ; Calderini, A., I Severi. La crisi dell'impero nel III secolo. (Bologna 1949) 131 f. and Mócsy A., Pannónia. PWRE Suppl. IX (Stuttgart 1962) 565 f. 3

6 Stein A., Die Reichsbeamten von Moesien. DissPann I:n. (Budapest 1940) 98. The Vita Max. Balb, 1

6, 3. fixes it for 238. Cf. also Mommsen, Th., Rom. Gesch. V

3 218. and Patsch. С., op. cit. 1608. 3

6 ZosimosI 20.; Job. Ant. fr 148

. , Zonaras, Ann. 12, 19. 3

7 Jordanes, Getica i8, 101—103. 3

8 Patsch, С., op. cit, 1609.; Stein A., op. cit. 103 f.; Rappaport, В., op. cit. т,-].-, Alföldi A., op. cit. 145 f. and Schmidt, L., Geschichte der deutschen Stämme. Die Ostgermanen. (München 1941) 206 f. 4 Folia Archaeologica