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Lot Essay
This military diploma is a certified copy of an Imperial constitution published at Rome in 160 that granted citizenship and marriage rights to veterans honorably discharged from the three auxiliary units which garrisoned the province of Thrace. It is the latest of six surviving diplomas issued to veterans of the Thracian garrison by Antoninus Pius, the others dating to the 150s. Four more survive from the succeeding joint-reign of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus (161-9). The same list of witnesses for 160 occurs on two other diplomas of that year, issued to a fleet veteran and a veteran of the garrison of Raetia.
The names of the recipient, Rescuporis, and of his father, Bithus, are well-attested Thracian personal names. Marcianopolis (modern Rek Dvnja in north-east Bulgaria) was an important city in Thrace, that became the capital of the lower Danube province of Moesia Inferior.
Gargilius Antiquus is already known from coins to have been governor of Thrace in 161, and became consul shortly afterwards, when he was honored in the proconsular province of Africa [Tunisia] as the patron of Thugga [Dougga], which may well be his place of origin.
The suffect consulship of Gaius Prastina Pacatus and Marcus Censorius Paullus was previously unknown, but we can now see that they were named in the Fasti from Ostia, where the text for 160 is defective and preserves only the tip of A, followed by ESORIVS PAVLVS, indicating that 'Censorius' was mis-spelled as '[Ca]esorius'. He is already known from his wife's tombstone to have been governor of Aquitania, and about to become consul. Scholars have disputed whether this stone is 2nd or 3rd century, but it can now be dated exactly (to 159 presumably), which makes it possible to infer a close connection between him and the influential equestrian Gaius Censorius Niger, sometime governor of Noricum, who died in the reign of Antoninus Pius. Quite likely they were father and son. The consulship of Gaius Prastina Pacatus is still more interesting, as it bears on the vexed question of whether Gaius Prastina Messalinus (ordinary consul, 147) is the same as the senator Gaius Prastina Pacatus for whom there is other evidence, and whether they should both be identified with the consular governor of Lower Moesia whose name has been restored as Gaius Ulpius [Pacatus P]rastina Mess[alinus]. This identification has been generally accepted, but this diploma, by proving that there was a second (suffect) consul also with an appropriate name, now makes it unlikely.
Special thanks to Roger Tomlin for his translation and expertise.
The names of the recipient, Rescuporis, and of his father, Bithus, are well-attested Thracian personal names. Marcianopolis (modern Rek Dvnja in north-east Bulgaria) was an important city in Thrace, that became the capital of the lower Danube province of Moesia Inferior.
Gargilius Antiquus is already known from coins to have been governor of Thrace in 161, and became consul shortly afterwards, when he was honored in the proconsular province of Africa [Tunisia] as the patron of Thugga [Dougga], which may well be his place of origin.
The suffect consulship of Gaius Prastina Pacatus and Marcus Censorius Paullus was previously unknown, but we can now see that they were named in the Fasti from Ostia, where the text for 160 is defective and preserves only the tip of A, followed by ESORIVS PAVLVS, indicating that 'Censorius' was mis-spelled as '[Ca]esorius'. He is already known from his wife's tombstone to have been governor of Aquitania, and about to become consul. Scholars have disputed whether this stone is 2nd or 3rd century, but it can now be dated exactly (to 159 presumably), which makes it possible to infer a close connection between him and the influential equestrian Gaius Censorius Niger, sometime governor of Noricum, who died in the reign of Antoninus Pius. Quite likely they were father and son. The consulship of Gaius Prastina Pacatus is still more interesting, as it bears on the vexed question of whether Gaius Prastina Messalinus (ordinary consul, 147) is the same as the senator Gaius Prastina Pacatus for whom there is other evidence, and whether they should both be identified with the consular governor of Lower Moesia whose name has been restored as Gaius Ulpius [Pacatus P]rastina Mess[alinus]. This identification has been generally accepted, but this diploma, by proving that there was a second (suffect) consul also with an appropriate name, now makes it unlikely.
Special thanks to Roger Tomlin for his translation and expertise.