Page 83 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol. 3(2) (2015). Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press.
P. 83
ia universitatishical term was often used in Roman nomenclatu- D(is) M(anibus)
onomastical analysis of inscr iptions from koper and its vicint y 83 re, especially among former slaves.101 Lucid
ae Dig
From these observations it can be concluded nitas
that Gaius Lorentius Tesifon was a Roman citizen sorori
who obtained citizenship probably by way of ma- b(ene) m(erenti)
numission. His cognomen was likely his single slave “To the spirits of the dead, to Lucida Digni-
name, which is of oriental origin. tas, well deserved sister”
Here it is possible to make an assumption on This is a funerary monument erected for Lu-
the manner in which this individual may have ernd- cida Dignitas. Judging by the two names which
ded up in the area around Aegida during the 3 were a common onomastic practice for women,
century AD. His arrival perhaps can be related to she was a Roman citizen.
the conquest of Parthia and the sack of its capital,
Ctesiphon, by emperor Septimius Severus in 197 Both her nomen gentile and cognomen are
AD. It is reported that the large number (around very rare. Lucida is only attested as a cognomen in
ten thousand, according to Cassius Dio) of slaves twenty inscriptions in the western provinces and
were captured and distributed across the Empire Italy. Even in other publications, Lucida from
after this expedition102. Although this corellation this inscription is recorded as cognomen.104
cannot be proved with utmost certainty, it is not
impossible that a slave was manumitted after years The real cognomen, Dignitas is also quite rare.
of service and as a cognomen took the name of his There is only one other instance where the name
hometown, which was destroyed and from which is recorded in this form.105 Its origin is from the
he was taken as a prisoner. practice of giving names related to moral qualiti-
es of the person, in this instance the meaning be-
The datation of this monument can be as- ing “worthy”.106
serted only on the basis of one epigraphic feature,
which is the use of the formula vibus posuit. This While being very rare, both names are al-
formula was common in the Late Principate.103 most certainly of Latin origin. It is likely that
The date can be therefore set to 3rd century AD. Lucida Dignitas was a Roman citizen, maybe of
Italic origin.
Funerary monument of Lucida Dignitas
This monument is a stella made of limestone (Istri- The use od DM abbreviation can date this
an, but it is not determined which exactly), with an monument in the 1st century AD onwards.
inscription written in finely engraved letters and in
continua (Inscr. It. X. 3. 21). The inscription field is Funerary monument to Tullia Septimina
framed by a triple moulded belt. The pediment of A side of a stone box, made in Aurisina limesto-
the stella is decorated with a rose and leaves. The ne (height: 0,55 m, lenght: 0,55 m, width: 0,36 m).
stella was found in the gardens of Capuchin mon- The inscription (Inscr. It. X. 3. 23; CIL V 504) is
ks, while excavating the well. It stood in the cu- in the front and the box is decorated on both si-
ria, after it came to the atrium of the gymnasium. des with two handles. It was used to store oil in the
From 1911, it is inserted in the wall of the Museum Koper drugstore. Later it changed places from cu-
of Koper. The inscription reads: ria to the atrium of the gymnasium, and in 1911 it
was placed in the Koper Museum. The inscripti-
on reads:
101 Kajanto, The Latin Cognomina, 45. 104 Lőrincz, Onomasticon provinciarum Europae Latinarum, vol. III, 35.
102 D.C. LXXVI. 9. 4. 105 Mócsy, Nomenclator provinciarum Europae Latinarum et Galliae
103 Miroslav Glavičić, “Tri rimskodobna natpisa iz Senja”, Senjski zbor-
Cisalpinae, 103; Lőrincz, Onomasticon provinciarum Europae Lati-
nik 23 (1996), 26. narum, vol. II, 100.
106 From Latin dignitas, -atis, f. worth, merit, desert, character; Kajanto,
The Latin Cognomina, 95.
onomastical analysis of inscr iptions from koper and its vicint y 83 re, especially among former slaves.101 Lucid
ae Dig
From these observations it can be concluded nitas
that Gaius Lorentius Tesifon was a Roman citizen sorori
who obtained citizenship probably by way of ma- b(ene) m(erenti)
numission. His cognomen was likely his single slave “To the spirits of the dead, to Lucida Digni-
name, which is of oriental origin. tas, well deserved sister”
Here it is possible to make an assumption on This is a funerary monument erected for Lu-
the manner in which this individual may have ernd- cida Dignitas. Judging by the two names which
ded up in the area around Aegida during the 3 were a common onomastic practice for women,
century AD. His arrival perhaps can be related to she was a Roman citizen.
the conquest of Parthia and the sack of its capital,
Ctesiphon, by emperor Septimius Severus in 197 Both her nomen gentile and cognomen are
AD. It is reported that the large number (around very rare. Lucida is only attested as a cognomen in
ten thousand, according to Cassius Dio) of slaves twenty inscriptions in the western provinces and
were captured and distributed across the Empire Italy. Even in other publications, Lucida from
after this expedition102. Although this corellation this inscription is recorded as cognomen.104
cannot be proved with utmost certainty, it is not
impossible that a slave was manumitted after years The real cognomen, Dignitas is also quite rare.
of service and as a cognomen took the name of his There is only one other instance where the name
hometown, which was destroyed and from which is recorded in this form.105 Its origin is from the
he was taken as a prisoner. practice of giving names related to moral qualiti-
es of the person, in this instance the meaning be-
The datation of this monument can be as- ing “worthy”.106
serted only on the basis of one epigraphic feature,
which is the use of the formula vibus posuit. This While being very rare, both names are al-
formula was common in the Late Principate.103 most certainly of Latin origin. It is likely that
The date can be therefore set to 3rd century AD. Lucida Dignitas was a Roman citizen, maybe of
Italic origin.
Funerary monument of Lucida Dignitas
This monument is a stella made of limestone (Istri- The use od DM abbreviation can date this
an, but it is not determined which exactly), with an monument in the 1st century AD onwards.
inscription written in finely engraved letters and in
continua (Inscr. It. X. 3. 21). The inscription field is Funerary monument to Tullia Septimina
framed by a triple moulded belt. The pediment of A side of a stone box, made in Aurisina limesto-
the stella is decorated with a rose and leaves. The ne (height: 0,55 m, lenght: 0,55 m, width: 0,36 m).
stella was found in the gardens of Capuchin mon- The inscription (Inscr. It. X. 3. 23; CIL V 504) is
ks, while excavating the well. It stood in the cu- in the front and the box is decorated on both si-
ria, after it came to the atrium of the gymnasium. des with two handles. It was used to store oil in the
From 1911, it is inserted in the wall of the Museum Koper drugstore. Later it changed places from cu-
of Koper. The inscription reads: ria to the atrium of the gymnasium, and in 1911 it
was placed in the Koper Museum. The inscripti-
on reads:
101 Kajanto, The Latin Cognomina, 45. 104 Lőrincz, Onomasticon provinciarum Europae Latinarum, vol. III, 35.
102 D.C. LXXVI. 9. 4. 105 Mócsy, Nomenclator provinciarum Europae Latinarum et Galliae
103 Miroslav Glavičić, “Tri rimskodobna natpisa iz Senja”, Senjski zbor-
Cisalpinae, 103; Lőrincz, Onomasticon provinciarum Europae Lati-
nik 23 (1996), 26. narum, vol. II, 100.
106 From Latin dignitas, -atis, f. worth, merit, desert, character; Kajanto,
The Latin Cognomina, 95.
