Page 77 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol. 3(2) (2015). Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press.
P. 77
ia universitatis Last person mentioned in this inscription is “Titus Pistor, made it for himself while still
onomastical analysis of inscr iptions from koper and its vicint y 77 the mother of the deceased and the wife of Pu- alive, and to (wife) Flaminia, and to Maesia,
blius Aelius Quartus. She is Sal Nicostrata, dau- this monument does not follow the heir”
ghter of Lucius. Although her nomen gentile (per- This severely damaged funerary monument
haps it was Salvia, as suggested in the database mentions three persons in total. The relationship
entry)55 can only be guessed, her cognomen is cle- between them cannot be known with certainty.
arly of oriental, Greek origin.56 The male person is mentioned first, Titus
Pistor. While his nomen gentile is not fully pre-
Since nomen gentile, cognomen and filiation served, its presence indicates that he was a Ro-
are part of her name, she was certainly a Roman man citizen.
citizen. However, her cognomen reveals that she Praenomen Titus is a very frequent Roman
was probably a freed slave or a daughter of a fre- name.
ed slave as marriage could not have been legal if In contrast, cognomen Pistor is mentioned
she was not a citizen. only on this monument in the western provinces
and Italy. It comes from Latin and likely derives
Like in the previous inscription, nomen gen- from a word for an artisan.57 Giving nicknames
tile Aelius, which was granted to the parents of the based on occupation or profession was very com-
deceased or their ancestors during or sometime af- mon in Roman nomenclature and can be a sign
ter the rule of emperor Hadrian, helps to date this of a former slave status .58
monument. Combined with the use of the abbre- The second person mentioned in the in-
viation DM, the datation can be from 2nd centu- scription a female whose name is Flaminia. It is
ry AD onwards. probably a nomen gentile originating from gens
Funerary monument of Titus Pistor, Flaminia, a Roman plebeian family.59
Flaminia and Maesia Cognomen, which would tell more about
This monument is a cippus (Inscr. It. X. 3. 13), Italic or perhaps slave origin of Flaminia is not
made in Aurisina limestone (height: 0,50 m, preserved, so nothing more can be told except
width 0,24 m, thickness: 0,20 m). The upper, that in the reconstruction of the inscription it is
lower and right side is diminished. Lines of the presumed that she is the wife of Titus Pistor.
letters are small and worn out. The place of fin- Last person mentioned in the inscription
ding is not known. The monument stood in the is a female named Maesia. This name was very
atrium of praetorial palace, then in the atrium common in Italy. Its origin is Latin and it was
of curia and gymnasium. Finally, in 1911, it was very popular.60
stored in the Museum of Koper. The inscripti- Due to the lack of use of DM abbreviation
on reads: the monument can be dated in first half of the 1st
century AD.
T. (vel P.) Ag[---]
Pisto[r] v(ivus) f(ecit) [s(ibi) 57 From Latin pistor, -oris, m. miller, bread-maker, baker
et] Flamini[iae --- uxori?) 58 Kajanto, The Latin Cognomina, 322.
e]t Maes[iae --- et---] 59 Smith, A Dictionary Of Greek And Roman Antiquities, 161.
ni[---] 60 This is true for the form Maesius, since feminine form is rare, with
hoc mon(umentum) [heredem non seque-
tur] only 7 inscriptions mentioning it; Alföldy, Die Personennamen in
der Römischen Provinz Dalmatia, 337; Mócsy, Nomenclator pro-
55 EDR007638; EDCS-04200580 reconstructs the second parents vinciarum Europae Latinarum et Galliae Cisalpinae, 173; Barna-
name as Sal(vius) Nicostrat(us) which would make both parents bas Lőrincz, Onomasticon provinciarum Europae Latinarum, vol.
males and this is almost certainly a wrong assumption. III: LABAREVS-PYTHEA (Wien: Forschunsgesellschaft Wiener
Stadtarchäologie, 2000), 45.
56 Alföldy, Die Personennamen in der Römischen Provinz Dalmatia,
361.
onomastical analysis of inscr iptions from koper and its vicint y 77 the mother of the deceased and the wife of Pu- alive, and to (wife) Flaminia, and to Maesia,
blius Aelius Quartus. She is Sal Nicostrata, dau- this monument does not follow the heir”
ghter of Lucius. Although her nomen gentile (per- This severely damaged funerary monument
haps it was Salvia, as suggested in the database mentions three persons in total. The relationship
entry)55 can only be guessed, her cognomen is cle- between them cannot be known with certainty.
arly of oriental, Greek origin.56 The male person is mentioned first, Titus
Pistor. While his nomen gentile is not fully pre-
Since nomen gentile, cognomen and filiation served, its presence indicates that he was a Ro-
are part of her name, she was certainly a Roman man citizen.
citizen. However, her cognomen reveals that she Praenomen Titus is a very frequent Roman
was probably a freed slave or a daughter of a fre- name.
ed slave as marriage could not have been legal if In contrast, cognomen Pistor is mentioned
she was not a citizen. only on this monument in the western provinces
and Italy. It comes from Latin and likely derives
Like in the previous inscription, nomen gen- from a word for an artisan.57 Giving nicknames
tile Aelius, which was granted to the parents of the based on occupation or profession was very com-
deceased or their ancestors during or sometime af- mon in Roman nomenclature and can be a sign
ter the rule of emperor Hadrian, helps to date this of a former slave status .58
monument. Combined with the use of the abbre- The second person mentioned in the in-
viation DM, the datation can be from 2nd centu- scription a female whose name is Flaminia. It is
ry AD onwards. probably a nomen gentile originating from gens
Funerary monument of Titus Pistor, Flaminia, a Roman plebeian family.59
Flaminia and Maesia Cognomen, which would tell more about
This monument is a cippus (Inscr. It. X. 3. 13), Italic or perhaps slave origin of Flaminia is not
made in Aurisina limestone (height: 0,50 m, preserved, so nothing more can be told except
width 0,24 m, thickness: 0,20 m). The upper, that in the reconstruction of the inscription it is
lower and right side is diminished. Lines of the presumed that she is the wife of Titus Pistor.
letters are small and worn out. The place of fin- Last person mentioned in the inscription
ding is not known. The monument stood in the is a female named Maesia. This name was very
atrium of praetorial palace, then in the atrium common in Italy. Its origin is Latin and it was
of curia and gymnasium. Finally, in 1911, it was very popular.60
stored in the Museum of Koper. The inscripti- Due to the lack of use of DM abbreviation
on reads: the monument can be dated in first half of the 1st
century AD.
T. (vel P.) Ag[---]
Pisto[r] v(ivus) f(ecit) [s(ibi) 57 From Latin pistor, -oris, m. miller, bread-maker, baker
et] Flamini[iae --- uxori?) 58 Kajanto, The Latin Cognomina, 322.
e]t Maes[iae --- et---] 59 Smith, A Dictionary Of Greek And Roman Antiquities, 161.
ni[---] 60 This is true for the form Maesius, since feminine form is rare, with
hoc mon(umentum) [heredem non seque-
tur] only 7 inscriptions mentioning it; Alföldy, Die Personennamen in
der Römischen Provinz Dalmatia, 337; Mócsy, Nomenclator pro-
55 EDR007638; EDCS-04200580 reconstructs the second parents vinciarum Europae Latinarum et Galliae Cisalpinae, 173; Barna-
name as Sal(vius) Nicostrat(us) which would make both parents bas Lőrincz, Onomasticon provinciarum Europae Latinarum, vol.
males and this is almost certainly a wrong assumption. III: LABAREVS-PYTHEA (Wien: Forschunsgesellschaft Wiener
Stadtarchäologie, 2000), 45.
56 Alföldy, Die Personennamen in der Römischen Provinz Dalmatia,
361.
