Budapest Régiségei 35/1. (2002)

Márton András: A Collegium veteranorum újabb kőemléke Aquincumból : feliratos sírkövek és faragott kőemlékek a Bécsi úti temetőből 293-302

A COLLEGIUM VETERANORUM ÚJABB KŐEMLÉKE AQUINCUMBÓL ANOTHER STONE MONUMENT OF THE COLLEGIUM VETERANORUM FROM AQUINCUM Inscribed Gravestones and Carved Stone Monuments from the Bécsi road Cemetery During the rescue excavation at 48 Bécsi road, late Roman cist grave containing carved stone monuments of an earlier age was found (Fig. 1). CAIUS MÁRCIUS POLUO'S GRAVE STELE In its secondary use, this gravestone formed the eastern sidewall of the late Roman grave. The inscription consists of nicely carved letters of equal height (Figs. 4-5). The inscription reads: „C(aio) ° Mar do ° Col\lina (tribu) ° Pollioni ° \ (domo) ° Amas tria ° \ vet(erano) ° leg(ionis) ° II ° ad(iutricis) ° \ ° ann(orum) LX ! ° collegium) ° vet(eranorum) ° pos(uit)" In my opinion, the Amastria mentioned in the inscription refers to the city of Amastris in Bithynia et Pontus province. In the year 113, legio II Adiutrix was commanded east to the campaign against the Parthians. From there it returned to its Aquincum garrison only in 118. Caius Március Pollio entered the ranks of the legio during its stay there. Based on the age data, we can suggest that the inscription dates back to the 150s, the second half of Antonius Pius' reign. The Pollio cognomen was widely popular in the Roman Empire, especially in Italia and Hispánia. We also know one occurrence of it from the city of Amasia, Asia Minor. Our stone was made in the „A" workshop of the collegium workshops discussed in detail by Alice Sz. Burger. Alice Sz. Burger ties the beginning of the workshop's functioning to the foundation of the municipium Aelium. The shutting-down of the workshops was investigated by Tibor Nagy In his opinion, workshop „A" functioned for a longer period. Workshop „B" shut down at the time of the collegium fabrum et centonariorurrís separation (the 160s). Our stele features the continuous ivy tendril frame typical of workshop „A". At the same time, the front of the stele displays characteristics of workshop „B". Therefore, it can be stated that at the time it was made both workshops were active. The execution of the wreath's cluster of grapes and triangular space-filling leaflets, carved in between the ivy tendril's leaves show relationship to the stele of C. Valerius and Luepintania and especially of L. Val Seutes. The close relationship of these three stone monuments has already been subject to research. Our stone was produced around the same time as the two previously mentioned stone monuments. Consequently the absolute chronological position of the three stones is also at this time period. Previously it was thought that a rosette was placed in the middle of the wreath for soldiers, and a cluster of grapes for civilian citizens. The stone we are discussing now helps to show that no special significance can be attributed to the space filling motif. The gravestone provides proof of the collegium's functioning in Aquincum, which had been held in doubt for a long time. The collegium's functioning and the only pertinent inscription - the heavily damaged „Dasimius stele" - had already been discussed several times. The stone was eventually published in 1965 by János Szilágyi. His resolving suggestion was that „veteranorum" stood as a qualifier, meaning „older". Géza Alf öldy and Tibor Nagy - roughly at the same time but independent of each other - both seeked to rectify Szilágyi's findings. Géza Alf öldy suggested an independent collegium veteranorum, while Tibor Nagy - utilizing János Szilágyi's results - argued for a joint organization of the collegium veteranorum centonariorum. Out of these two equally competent notions the newly found monument strenghtens Géza Alföldy's interpretation. Summarizing the Aquincum history of the collegium veteranorum, we can state that it was founded earliest between 110-120, but was surely in existence a couple of years after 124. While never being of huge significance, it continuously existed during the first half of the 2

nd century and made contributions to the burials of its members. POMPEIA QUARTINA'S GRAVE INSCRIPTION Originally built into the wall of a tomb, the inscribed plaque formed the northern sidewall of the aforementioned late Roman grave (Figs. 6-8). The inscription reads: „D(is) ° M(anibus) (hedera) | | Pompeiae ° S \ext(i) ° f(iliae) ° Qvart \inae ° matr(i) ° piis(simae) ° \ P(ublius) ° Nonius ° Firmus ° f(ecit)" The text translates as follows: „Made by Publius Nonius Firmus for the ghosts of the dead, for Sextius

1 daughter Pompeia Quartina, the very benevolent mother" Based on the dis manibus formula, the presence of the filiatio and the printing type the gravestone can be dated to the 2

nd century. Both persons' names were widely popular. The name Firmus was widely used in Italia, Hispánia, Dalmatia, Pannónia, Gallia Belgica, Gallia Lugdunensis and relatively frequent in Noricum too. The name Pompeius was a common choice in Aquitania. THE COVER SLAB OF THE GRAVE MADE OF STONE SLABS On the side of the large stone slab, there are signs of carving. On the top, we find signs of tools (Figs. 810). Date: 2

nd-4

th century. 297