The tombstone of Rufus Lucilius, a #Roman soldier in the Legio XV Apollinaris, who died at the age of just 21 after 4 years service in the #RomanArmy. The stone was dedicated by his brother Marcus, & features a small relief figure of lost deceased Rufus (📷 Ortolf Harl) AncientBlueSky #Archaeology - ThreadSky

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drjeball.bsky.social • 11 days ago

The tombstone of Rufus Lucilius, a #Roman soldier in the Legio XV Apollinaris, who died at the age of just 21 after 4 years service in the #RomanArmy. The stone was dedicated by his brother Marcus, & features a small relief figure of lost deceased Rufus (📷 Ortolf Harl) AncientBlueSky #Archaeology

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drjeball.bsky.social•11 days ago

The tombstone was found at Carnuntum (Austria) where Rufus Lucilius died; he was originally from Augusta Bagiennorum in Italy. It dates to the C1st AD, probably to the period AD 40-44 (for more information see http://lupa.at/12)

drjeball.bsky.social•11 days ago

Translation:

"Rufus Lucilius, son of Marcus, from Augusta Bagienorum of the voting-tribe Camilia, soldier of the 15th Legion Apollinaris, 21 years old, with 4 years of service, is buried here. His brother Marcus Lucilius made this [tombstone]"

robishungry.bsky.social•11 days ago

How do we know his name was Marcus, only stating M, surely there were other M names🙈😅

drjeball.bsky.social•10 days ago

There are a few, although not as many as you'd think as first names; by the Imperial period you're really looking at either Marcus or Manius, which is far less common, & shorted on stone to M' rather than just M. So it is a pretty safe bet that the M means Marcus.

robishungry.bsky.social•9 days ago

I try and learn something new every day!

peccamus.bsky.social•11 days ago

Clearly, stonemasons charge by the letter.
Is there a handy glossary somewhere that expands all those funerary abbreviations?

drjeball.bsky.social•10 days ago

They did charge by the letter, or by time (the same thing in practice). I don't know of a glossary that contains all the abbreviations used (I've just learned them as I went, & there are some I still don't know!), but searching 'Roman tombstone abbreviations' yields some limited-range docs.

peccamus.bsky.social•10 days ago

Well, there's a project looking for a candidate.

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