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Ethnicity and Iconography on Roman Cavalrymen Tombstones Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 2014-12-01 The Roman Riders: Ethnicity and Iconography on Roman Cavalrymen Tombstones Jessica Colleen Kramer Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the Anthropology Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Kramer, Jessica Colleen, "The Roman Riders: Ethnicity and Iconography on Roman Cavalrymen Tombstones" (2014). Theses and Dissertations. 4343. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/4343 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. The Roman Riders: Ethnicity and Iconography on Roman Cavalrymen Tombstones Jessica Colleen Kramer A thesis submitted to the faculty of Brigham Young University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Cynthia Finlayson, Chair John E. Clark David Johnson Department of Anthropology Brigham Young University December 2014 Copyright © 2014 Jessica Colleen Kramer All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT The Roman Riders: Ethnicity and Iconography on Roman Cavalryman Tombstones Jessica Colleen Kramer Department of Anthropology, BYU Master of Arts The funerary grave stelae of the Roman cavalrymen are large, impressive monuments set apart from their military counterparts by the ornate relief carvings which they exhibit. The two most common motifs featured on these tombstones are the rider relief motifs and the totenmahl motifs. Aspects of both the reliefs and the inscribed epitaphs are distinctly characteristic of the Roman military. Throughout the history of the Roman Empire, men in the auxiliary cavalry units were recruited from non-Roman allied tribes. These recruits brought with them foreign languages, customs, and beliefs. Through a comparative study of Roman cavalry tombstones found in Great Britain, Germany, and Syria, I have attempted to identify iconographic and epigraphic elements that are evidence of the ethnic origins of the cavalrymen who are commemorated on these funerary monuments. Keywords: Romans, Roman army, cavalry, tombstones, ethnicity, identity TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. v List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. vii List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................................... viii 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1 2 A History of the Organization of the Roman Army .............................................................. 7 The Late Roman Army .............................................................................................................. 15 Military Funerary Clubs ........................................................................................................... 17 Military Grave Monuments ....................................................................................................... 19 Wealth and Social Status .......................................................................................................... 20 Tombstone Types ....................................................................................................................... 22 Tombstone Shapes ..................................................................................................................... 23 Tombstone Inscriptions ............................................................................................................. 28 3 Identity and Ethnicity ............................................................................................................. 31 What is ‘Identity’ vs. ‘Ethnicity’? ............................................................................................. 31 What is Ethnicity? ..................................................................................................................... 34 What Made a Roman a Roman? ............................................................................................... 38 4 Roman Cavalrymen Tombstones .......................................................................................... 42 Britain ....................................................................................................................................... 43 Bath ....................................................................................................................................... 44 Cirencester ............................................................................................................................ 48 Chester .................................................................................................................................. 53 Colchester ............................................................................................................................. 61 Cumbria................................................................................................................................. 64 Gloucester ............................................................................................................................. 66 Hexham Abbey ..................................................................................................................... 68 Lancaster ............................................................................................................................... 72 Ox Close................................................................................................................................ 73 Wroxeter ............................................................................................................................... 75 Germany .................................................................................................................................... 77 Bonn ...................................................................................................................................... 78 iii Cologne ................................................................................................................................. 89 Kalkar .................................................................................................................................. 105 Mainz .................................................................................................................................. 108 Worms ................................................................................................................................. 120 Syria ........................................................................................................................................ 131 5 A Semiotic Approach ............................................................................................................ 144 6 Analysis and Conclusions ..................................................................................................... 152 Geographical Comparison...................................................................................................... 157 Chronological Comparison .................................................................................................... 171 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................. 177 Bibliography .............................................................................................................................. 183 Appendix I ................................................................................................................................. 187 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Full consular army positioned for battle.. ....................................................................... 7 Figure 2. Fragments of a bronze Roman military diploma .......................................................... 14 Figure 3. Altar erected by a soldier to the deity of his emperor.. ................................................ 24 Figure 4. Flat tombstone belonging to a Roman soldier .............................................................. 25 Figure 5. Stele monument. ........................................................................................................... 27 Figure 6. Altar monument. ........................................................................................................... 27 Figure 7. Cippi monument. .......................................................................................................... 27 Figure 8. Tombstone of Lucius Vitellius Tacinus. ...................................................................... 45 Figure 9. Inscription on tombstone of Lucius Vitellius Tacinus.. ............................................... 46 Figure 10. Remains of an unknown rider’s tombstone at the Roman Baths Museum................. 47 Figure 11. Tombstone of Dannicus .............................................................................................
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