Folia archeologica 15.
Sándor Soproni: Castellum Carporum
54 S. SOPRONI century we more and more frequently find among them individuals who came from the Danube district. 7 3 More and more soldiers from Pannonian territory are recruited for the imperial guards. 7 4 The inscriptions of Rome mention several praetorians of Pannonian origin and during the second century, a whole group of the Cotini were brought in from Pannónia who served as the praetorians in the time of Alexander Severus, 7 5 and we may even find them in Rome under Decius. 7 0 Some of the praetoriana previously served in some of the Pannonian legions and were then drafted into the guards." In the third century they generally began their service in the legions and after a certain period of time were advanced to the imperial guards. 7 8 The discussed soldier also first served in the cohors, then in the legion, probably for 8 to 10 years, and after this he was called to the praetorians. 7 9 We may even find Pannonians among the soldiers of cohors VII praetoria 8 0 and when staying in Rome he likely met quite a lot of men from his homeland. Since the inscription does not mention any other rank he also served as an exercitator equitum praetorianorum 8 1 or possibly also as an evocatus in the praetorian cohors, similarly to Aur. [Caejsius of Campona. To be a member of the Imperial guards was regarded as a great honour and this exalted position was expressed by higher pay in comparison to that of other units. 8 2 The praetorians regularly accompanied the Emperor to campaigns 8 3 and this is how our soldier reached the Dacian battlefield where he died. During the spring of 247, in the Dacian war, P. Ael. Proculinus died at the fortress of the Carpi. How did his tombstone get to Intercisa or at least to Pannonian territory? The tombstone was very likely get by his parents in memory of their child who died far from home and it served only as a cenotaph in the cemetery. Among various peoples, and even the Romans, 8 4 symbolic burial of those who died in distant lands was a custom from prehistoric times. SÁNDOR SOPRONI 7 3 Passerini, A., Le coorti pretorie. (Róma 1939) 171 f.; Durry, M., Les cohortes . . . 249 f.; id., PWRE 44 Hb 1610. 7 4 Their enumeration from the third century : Passerini, A., op. cit. 175. ; Dobó A., Inscriptiones extra fines Pannoniae. DissPann I:i (Budapest, 1940).; Mócsy A. Pannónia. 646. 7 5 CIL VI 32542 = Dobó A., op. cit 22 and 29 le also CIL VI 32544 = Dobó 23. 7 6 CIL VI 32557 = Dobó 24. 7 7 See the enumeration in Passerini , A., op. cit. 184 f. and Dobó A., op. cit. 7 8 Durry, M., PWRE 44 HB 1628. 7 9 No rule can be established for the number of years a praetorian had to serve in a legion (Passerini, A., op. cit. 188.; Durry, M. , PWRE 44 Hb 1628 and id., Les cohortes . . . 263.) 8 0 CIL VI 3336 = Dobó 42.; CIL VI 2644 = Dobó 60.; CIL VI 32657 = Dessau 2147 = Dobó 3. 8 1 Passerini, A., op. cit. 82. 8 2Domaszewsky, A., Truppensold. Neue Heid. Jahrb. 10 (1900) 218 f.; Durry M., Les cohortes . . . 264 f. 8 3Durry, M., op. cit. 277 and id., PWRE 44. Hb 1628. 8 4 Wilke,G., Kenotaphion. Reallexikon, d. Vorgesch. VI. (Berlin 1926) 326. and Kenotaphion. PWRE XI. (Stuttgart 1922) 171 f.
