Page 72 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol. 3(2) (2015). Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press.
P. 72
Date of this monument is difficult to assertstudia universitatis her editati, letnik 3 (2015), številk a 2 72His cognomen, Epagathus, is rather rare and
on the basis of epigraphical features. It can be co- of Greek origin.20
njectured that the monument was erected in thehereditati
2nd century AD as the term seviri Augustalis be- It appears on eighteen inscriptions, mostly
came the most frequently used.16 from Italy and the western provinces like Hispa-
nia,21 Dalmatia,22 Gallia Narbonensis and Moesia
Votive inscription dedicated to Silvanus Inferior.23
This monument is a votive inscription dedicated to
Silvanus (Inscr. It. X. 3. 2; CIL V 485). It is engra- Quintus Appuleius Epagathus was most li-
ved in a small stone slab, which supposedly stood kely a slave, whose name is of oriental, Greek ori-
inserted in the city walls. Mommsen, on the other gin. After some time he acquired freedom and ci-
hand, saw it on a public square (Loggia). Now it tizenship, likely by way of manumission. In this
cannot be found anymore. The inscription reads: way his praenomen and nomen gentile were inhe-
rited from his former master, while he retained
Silvano his single slave name, Epagathus, as a cognomen.
Aug(usto) sacr(um) While his origin might have been from the East,
Q(uintus) Appuleius a Greek name is not sufficient to make this cla-
Epagathus im, since slaves were often given Greek names re-
v(otum) s(olvit) l(ibens) m(erito) gardless of their origin, especially after the Late
“Dedicated to Silvanus the revered one, Qu- Republic and Early Empire periods.24 However,
intus Appuleius Epagathus, willingly and since the master bears a true Roman name of Ita-
deservedly fulfilled his vow” lic origin, it can be pressumed certain Quintus
This monument is a votive inscription dedi- Appuleius was a natural-born citizen, who was
cated to Silvanus, a popular deity of the woods. maybe a colonist from Italy and owned land in
The abbreviation at the end of the inscripti- Aegida.
on (VSLM) indicates that it is a monument
erected after a successful completion of some The monument is dated to 1st and 2nd cen-
kind of business venture, trip or a vow taken ear- tury AD.
lier.17 Altars of this kind are very common across
the whole Empire. Funerary monument which mentions
The name of the dedicator, Quintus Ap- an individual of the Pupinia tribe
puleius Epagathus, is written as tria nomina, This monument (Inscr. It. X. 3. 6; CIL V 487) has
which means that the individual had Roman ci- a cuboid shape and is made in Aurisina limestone
tizenship. (height: 0,29 m, width: 0,86 m, thickness: 0,12 m).
Praenomen Quintus is one of the most com- Letters are finely inscribed and deep-cut. It first
mon Roman names. stood in the wall of Episcopal palace. Mommsen
His nomen gentile, Appuleius, originates and Kandler saw it built into the floor on the en-
from gens Appulea, an old Roman plebeian fa- trance of the local school or nursery while others
mily).18 It was very popular in Italy. 19 saw it in the atrium of the gymnasium. Now it is
kept in the Museum of Koper. The first line of in-
16 Ross Taylor, “Augustales, Seviri Augustales, and Seviri: A Chronolo- scription is lost, but Tomasini and Gravisi transcri-
gical Study”, 240. bed it. The inscription reads:
17 Keppie, Understanding Roman Inscriptions, 93. 20 Alföldy, Die Personennamen in der Römischen Provinz Dalmatia,
18 William Smith, William Wayte, ed., A Dictionary Of Greek and Roman 360.
Antiquities (London: John Murray, 1890), 248. 21 Epacathus (!) - CIL II 5527
19 Alföldy, Die Personennamen in der Römischen Provinz Dalmatia, 60. 22 {A}epacathus (!) - CIL III 3175b
23 Mócsy, Nomenclator provinciarum Europae Latinarum et Galliae
Cisalpinae, 114; Lőrincz, Onomasticon provinciarum Europae Lati-
narum, vol. II, 118.
24 Matijašić, Uvod u latinsku epigrafiju, 62.
on the basis of epigraphical features. It can be co- of Greek origin.20
njectured that the monument was erected in thehereditati
2nd century AD as the term seviri Augustalis be- It appears on eighteen inscriptions, mostly
came the most frequently used.16 from Italy and the western provinces like Hispa-
nia,21 Dalmatia,22 Gallia Narbonensis and Moesia
Votive inscription dedicated to Silvanus Inferior.23
This monument is a votive inscription dedicated to
Silvanus (Inscr. It. X. 3. 2; CIL V 485). It is engra- Quintus Appuleius Epagathus was most li-
ved in a small stone slab, which supposedly stood kely a slave, whose name is of oriental, Greek ori-
inserted in the city walls. Mommsen, on the other gin. After some time he acquired freedom and ci-
hand, saw it on a public square (Loggia). Now it tizenship, likely by way of manumission. In this
cannot be found anymore. The inscription reads: way his praenomen and nomen gentile were inhe-
rited from his former master, while he retained
Silvano his single slave name, Epagathus, as a cognomen.
Aug(usto) sacr(um) While his origin might have been from the East,
Q(uintus) Appuleius a Greek name is not sufficient to make this cla-
Epagathus im, since slaves were often given Greek names re-
v(otum) s(olvit) l(ibens) m(erito) gardless of their origin, especially after the Late
“Dedicated to Silvanus the revered one, Qu- Republic and Early Empire periods.24 However,
intus Appuleius Epagathus, willingly and since the master bears a true Roman name of Ita-
deservedly fulfilled his vow” lic origin, it can be pressumed certain Quintus
This monument is a votive inscription dedi- Appuleius was a natural-born citizen, who was
cated to Silvanus, a popular deity of the woods. maybe a colonist from Italy and owned land in
The abbreviation at the end of the inscripti- Aegida.
on (VSLM) indicates that it is a monument
erected after a successful completion of some The monument is dated to 1st and 2nd cen-
kind of business venture, trip or a vow taken ear- tury AD.
lier.17 Altars of this kind are very common across
the whole Empire. Funerary monument which mentions
The name of the dedicator, Quintus Ap- an individual of the Pupinia tribe
puleius Epagathus, is written as tria nomina, This monument (Inscr. It. X. 3. 6; CIL V 487) has
which means that the individual had Roman ci- a cuboid shape and is made in Aurisina limestone
tizenship. (height: 0,29 m, width: 0,86 m, thickness: 0,12 m).
Praenomen Quintus is one of the most com- Letters are finely inscribed and deep-cut. It first
mon Roman names. stood in the wall of Episcopal palace. Mommsen
His nomen gentile, Appuleius, originates and Kandler saw it built into the floor on the en-
from gens Appulea, an old Roman plebeian fa- trance of the local school or nursery while others
mily).18 It was very popular in Italy. 19 saw it in the atrium of the gymnasium. Now it is
kept in the Museum of Koper. The first line of in-
16 Ross Taylor, “Augustales, Seviri Augustales, and Seviri: A Chronolo- scription is lost, but Tomasini and Gravisi transcri-
gical Study”, 240. bed it. The inscription reads:
17 Keppie, Understanding Roman Inscriptions, 93. 20 Alföldy, Die Personennamen in der Römischen Provinz Dalmatia,
18 William Smith, William Wayte, ed., A Dictionary Of Greek and Roman 360.
Antiquities (London: John Murray, 1890), 248. 21 Epacathus (!) - CIL II 5527
19 Alföldy, Die Personennamen in der Römischen Provinz Dalmatia, 60. 22 {A}epacathus (!) - CIL III 3175b
23 Mócsy, Nomenclator provinciarum Europae Latinarum et Galliae
Cisalpinae, 114; Lőrincz, Onomasticon provinciarum Europae Lati-
narum, vol. II, 118.
24 Matijašić, Uvod u latinsku epigrafiju, 62.
