THE “ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA’’ UNIVERSITY, IASI THE FACULTY OF HISTORY
PhD THESIS
SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR, PROF. UNIV. DR. LUCREŢIU MIHĂILESCU-BÎRLIBA
PhD CANDIDATE, ANGHEL (marr.) ANDRĂŞOAE MARIANA
2012
THE POPULATION OF THE ROMAN CENTRES ON THE SCYTHIAN LIMES (1ST – 3RD CENTURIES A.D) SUMMARY
Key words: onomastic, Romans, Thracians, cognomina, nomina, limes, Roman citizens, veterans, pilgrims, liberti.
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ...... 6
CHAPTER I ...... 9
THE ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANISATION ...... 9
I.1. Rural structures (canabae, vici, vicicanabarum) .... 9
I.2. Urban structures ...... 10
CHAPTER II ...... 11
CIVILIANS AND SOLDIERS IN THE ROMAN SETTLEMENTS ON THE SCYTHIAN LIMES ...... 11
II.1. General considerations ...... 11
II.2. Halmyris ...... 12
II.3. Salsovia ...... 12
II.4. Aegyssus ...... 13
II.5. Noviodunum ...... 13
II.6. Arrubium ...... 14
II.7. Troesmis ...... 14
II.8.Cius ...... 15
II.9.Carsium ...... 16
II.10.Capidava ...... 16
II.11. Axiopolis ...... 17
II.12 Sacidava ...... 17
II.13 Durostorum ...... 17
CHAPTER III ...... 19
THE ONOMASTIC OF THE ROMAN SETTLEMENTS ON THE SCYTHIAN LIMES ...... 19
III.1. General considerations ...... 19
III.2. Roman names attested on the Scythian limes .... 19
III.2.1. The structure of the names ...... 19
III.2.2. Nomina ...... 20
III.2.3. Cognomina ...... 21
III.2.4. Peculiarities in transmitting the names ...... 22
III.3. Greek names ...... 22
III.4. Thracian names ...... 22
III.2.5. Names of various origins ...... 23
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS ...... 23
BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 25
INTRODUCTION
Our thesis entitled “The Population of the Roman Centres on the Scythian Limes (1st – 3rd centuries A.D.)” comes as an addition to the already existing onomastic studies regarding the territory of Moesia Inferior and joins the similar preoccupations with other areas of the Empire. Over the last years, the increase in the documentary sources has enhanced the research regarding Moesia Inferior. With reference to this, we mention the contributions of V. Cojocaru1, Al. Barnea2, Roxana Curcă și Nelu Zugravu3, L. Mihăilescu-Bîrliba4 which contain important data about the onomastics, the structure and the demographic dynamics of the province. Despite all the progress that has been made, the research on the population is still limited whereas a complete onomasticon is absent. Our endeavor starts from these facts which determine its objectives and available means. I have found it necessary to limit the research on time (1st – 3rd centuries
1 Cojocaru 1995. 2 Barnea 1998, 2002. 3 Curcă, Zugravu 2005. 4 Mihăilescu-Bîrliba, Piftor 2005; Mihăilescu-Bîrliba 2009, 2011. 6
A.D) and space (the Roman settlements on the limes , from Halmyris to Durostorum), resting entirely upon the analysis of the epigraphic sources to better illustrate the prosopographic situation and the demographic facts in the area. The analysis of the population in the Roman settlements on the Scythian limes made it necessary for us to divide the thesis into three chapters. The first chapter is dedicated to the administrative organization of the rural and urban structures on the limes taking into account the geographic layout, the establishment and the role of the pre – Roman habitation that status of each settlement and the mention of the military units stationed in/near them as well as a general delimitation of the territorial boundaries. Then comes the presentation of the municipal institutions and the local notables for the 3 urban settlements (Noviodunum, Troesmis, Durostorum). The second chapter is dedicated to the structure of the population, trying to identify the judicial and/or social status of the people attested in inscriptions (Roman citizens, veterans, active military people, pilgrims, liberti, slaves)
7 starting from the premise that the name5 and function of a person reflect elements about their status. The veterans are presented as being part of the category of Roman citizens but we have categorized them differently because they have a special status. Similarly, the active military men represent an interfering category6. For each centre we have established the share of the different judicial categories as it is evident from the inscriptions that are available to us. In the third chapter I have analysed the onomastic of the population of the Roman settlements on the Scythian limes, the names present in inscriptions being classified into 4 main categories: Roman names, Greek names (individual names, family names), Thraco – Dacian names (individual names, family names), names of various origin. Focusing our study on the epigraphic sources, we have drawn an anthroponomical catalogue of the people attested in the settlements on the limes of our concern. In doing that, we have taken into account the following
5The Roman citizens are easily identified in inscriptions by the tria nomina and the duo nomina in the 2nd century A.D. (nomen and cognomen) whereas the pilgrims have a single name followed by the father’s name in the genitive. 6The soldiers in the legions have the status of citizens and those in the auxiliary troops that of pilgrims.
8 elements: anthroponim, the origin of the name, the social and/or judicial status, the person’s occupation, dating, the place where the inscription was discovered, bibliographic references. The catalogue includes approximately 776 people of whom 52 have fragmentary names, irrelevant for historic research. Another 14 people are anonymous. That number of names of people is owing to the hazard of discoveries and we are mentioning it merely to offer an idea about the statistic data in the actual stage of the research.
CHAPTER I THE ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANISATION I.1. Rural structures (canabae, vici, vici canabarum) The objective of this subchapter is to outline an overall image regarding the judicial – administrative status of the rural structures on the Scythian limes. We notice the development of the civilian settlements (canabae in the vicinity of the camps of the two Moesian legions stationed at Troesmis and Durostorum and vici canabarum in the vicinity of the auxiliary units), most of which being near the old indigenous settlements (civitates). The military camp - castra or castella together with the civilian settlements have sometimes overlapped with the 9 old local structures ( Halmyris, Salsovia, perhaps Aegyssus) or they co-existed forming either the canabae/civitas doublet (Troesmis, Durostorum) or the military vicus/civitas doublet (Noviodunum, Carsium, Axiopolis, Sucidava). There are cases when the old local settlement does not appear to have exceeded the vicus statum (Capidava).
I.2. Urban structures The urban development together with the gatherings strictly dependent on the army (canabae, vici canabarum) constitute a specific feature of Roman Dobrogea and a clear proof of a very important civilian colonization. Except of Tropaem Traiani, the other municipia of Roman Dobrogea develop along the Scythian limes: Noviodunum near a statio Classis Flavia Moesica; Troesmis, near legio V Macedonica; Durostorum, near legio XI Claudia. The municipal institutions resemble the general organizational system of Roman cities. The three urban settlements on the limes are important Romanization seed- plot of the local people.
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CHAPTER II CIVILIANS AND SOLDIERS IN THE ROMAN SETTLEMENTS ON THE SCYTHIAN LIMES II.1. General Considerations In this chapter we have tried, as hard as the existing epigraphic sources allowed us, to establish the judicial and/or social status of the people attested in the Roman settlements on the limes (cives Romani, pilgrims, veterans, active military men, liberti) and to indicate the possible origin of the bearers with the mention that in the 2nd – 3rd centuries A.D. , the origin of the name does not necessarily coincide with the ethnic or territorial origin of the person. The easiest to identify are the Roman citizens, bearers of tria nomina and duo nomina respectively, from the 2nd century A.D. we have encountered difficulty in identifying the pilgrims who bear individual names (Roman, Thracian, Greek) and their family name in the genitive. The epigraphic source does not offer certainty taking into consideration the possible onomastic confusion of the pilgrim with the slave. In the category of the liberti we have included those people who mention or whose status can be identified through other clues provided by the inscriptions. The material is presented and analyzed according to the settlements in geographical order, from north to south. 11
For some centres (Arrubium, Axiopolis) there are very few available sources, whereas others (Halmyris, Troesmis, Capidava, Sacidava) offer a considerable epigraphic documentation which allow for a detailed study of the matter. The data provided by the inscriptions is found in the anthroponomical catalogue which includes approximately 776 people.
II.2. Halmyris The population of this vicus is made up of resident Roman citizens (cives Romani consistentes), veterans (to be understood between cives Romani or mentioned randomly) and pilgrims (either Greeks or Romanised indigenes). The community was ruled by a magister. Out of the 28 attested persons, for 20 we can certify or assume their Roman citizenship (bearers of tria nomina or, more frequently, of two Roman names), 2 are veterans, one is an active military, 2 are pilgrims, and for 3 anonymous persons we were notable to establish their judicial status.
II.3. Salsovia The information on the population of Salsovia from the 1st – 3rd centuries A.D. is scarce. In the 2nd – 3rd centuries A.D. in Salsovia are found Roman citizens and
12 military men as we are informed by a centurion’s burial inscription, probably from Legio I Italica, unit which, after the departure of legion V Macedonica in Dacia, took over the task of supervising the north of Dobrogea.
II.4. Aegyssus In this centre, as in the others, the local elements were overlapped by Roman or Romanised elements, process which intensified with the settlement of an auxiliary unit, probably cohors II Flavia Brittonum. Regarding the 17 people attested at Aegyssus and in the afferent territory, we can speak of the following situation: for 7 people we can certify or assume the Roman citizenship, 3 are active military, 5 are pilgrims and the status of 2 people is uncertain.
II.5. Noviodunum The epigraphic information allows for a series of observations regarding the civilian population of the settlement in the 2nd – 3rd centuries A.D. However, there is no clue to indicate to which civilian unit belonged the members of the respective community – civitas or vicus canabarum. Similarly, the epigraphic material does not
13 allow for a differentiated analysis between the population in the pre – municipal period and the municipal period. As for the judicial status of the people attested at Noviodunum in the 2nd – 3rd centuries A.D., we notice the following situation: for 33 people we can assume or certify the status of Roman citizens, 5 are veterans, 5 are active military men, 5 are assumed to have had the status of peregrinus, 2 are alumni and the status of a single person is uncertain.
II.6. Arrubium With regard to the population of Arrubium, little can be said. The inscriptions certify the names of 4 people: one prefect of ala I Dardanorum, one duumvir, one decurio of ala II Aravacorum and a beneficiary of the province’s procurator.
II.7. Troesmis The attested people are mainly veterans and active military men which makes it possible for the appearance of the population, in the pre – municipal period of the settlement, to be confused with legio V Macedonica. Out of the 438 people attested at Troesmis and in its territory, we can certify or assume the Roman citizenship for
14 about 79, the status of veterans for approximately 321 people7, 22 are active military men, 8 are liberti and the status of 8 people is uncertain. Out of the veterans and the military men attested at Troesmis, some indicate their birthplace which allows for some observations about the usual recruitment areas. We notice the relatively large number of Oriental people, from Ancyra (Galatia), Amastris and Nicaea (Bithynia), Hemesa (Syria). We can point out the local recruitment of the legion around the colony from Oescus which indicates the fact that the veterans who settled there guided their children to enroll in the legions.
II.8. Cius With regard to the judicial status of the 11 people attested in the civilian settlement of Cius and its surroundings, we can certify the existence of 5 Roman citizens, 4 veterans, one pilgrim woman and one anonymous character whose status could not be determined. The
7Out of the veterans, approximately 300 are included in the list of retired soldiers in the year 134 A.D. (ISM, V, 137) and to these numbers are added the ones attested individually (21 mentions) who mention or whose status can be determined by means of other clues.
15 veterans came either from the troop stationed in the nearby military camp– cohors I Lusitanorum Cyrenaica -, or from the units nearby.
II.9. Carsium From Carsium we know 22 people, out of whom one anonymous mentioned on a burial inscription from the 2nd – 3rd centuries A.D. Out of the 22 people, we can certify or assume the Roman citizenship for 11 people, 6 are active military men, 3 have the status of pilgrim whereas for 2 people we were unable to determine the status. The sample is too small to allow for other interpretations but it can provide some clues regarding the function of the settlement between the 2nd – 4th centuries A.D.
II.10. Capidava As the name itself indicates, there can be identified a habitation prior to the Roman arrival at Capidava, also supported by some archaeological discoveries. Based on the inscriptions, we could identify approximately 139 people, whose judicial status is the following: we can certify of assume the Roman citizenship for 102 people, 19 are pilgrims, 5 are veterans, 8 are active military men, 2 are slaves whereas for the other 3 the status is uncertain.
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II.11. Axiopolis The epigraphic information regarding the population of the settlement of Axiopolis (Hinog – Cernavoda) is scarce. We have found of particular interest ,,c(ives) c(onsistentes) vic(o) I Urb...” (138-161 p. Chr.)8, taking into account the fact that the village was literally situated on the route between Axiopolis and Tomis.
II.12. Sacidava From Sacidava we are provided with a number of inscriptions, mainly burial inscriptions, which attest the presence of a number of soldiers and veterans together with their families as well as other characters with Roman or Thraco – Roman names. This indicates that a significant number of Roman people settled in this area. Out of the approximately 44 people attested at Sacidava, we can certify or assume the Roman citizenship for 30, 7 are active soldiers, 5 are veterans and 2 are slaves.
II.13. Durostorum The analysis of the inscriptions from Durostorum allowed us to classify about 79 people, out of whom, we can certify or assume the Roman citizenship for 49, 14 are
8CIL, III, 14441. 17 soldiers, 9 are veterans, for 3 people we have assumed the status of pilgrims, one person has the status of libertus and 3 people have uncertain status. Having synthesized the situation from the settlements on the Scythian limes, we can assert that the epigraphic percentages indicate the following situation: out of the total of the attested people, 41,91% are veterans, 40, 38% are civilian Roman citizens, 8,5% are active soldiers, 4,49% are pilgrims, 1,53 are liberti, 0,24% are slaves and 2,95% have uncertain status. We notice a modest representation of the judicially inferior classes (pilgrims, liberti, slaves) in the inscriptions from the Roman settlements on the limes, in the area of our concern. The disproportion is explicable because the pilgrims are less influential, holding no local functions and of limited material means. Those who owned fortunes and who could afford to build themselves monuments were the Roman citizens. The epigraphic analysis must take into consideration these realities. The statistics we have conducted reveals the limited information provided by the epigraphic inscriptions but not the real percentages of the population.
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CHAPTER III THE ONOMASTIC OF THE ROMAN SETTLEMENTS ON THE SCYTHIAN LIMES III.1. General Considerations Our analysis is based on the approximately 710 names of people identified in inscriptions and which are of use to our research. The onomastic data have allowed for a classification into 4 major categories: Roman names, Greek names (individual names and family names) Thraco – Dacian names (individual names and family names) and names of various origin.
III.2. Roman names attested on the Scythian limes
III.2.1. The structure of the names Out of the approximately 672 people with Roman names, 117 bear tria nomina whereas the name of another 369 is rendered in the duo nomina system (frequently, nomen – cognomen), but structures like praenomen – nomen or praenomen – cognomen are also present. To these, we add 12 other names formed after the Greek – barbarian pattern (respectively personal name to which is added the father’s name in the genitive) and 30 individual names
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(mainly, cognomina). We also notice 78 fragmentary names of which remained only the nomina and another 61 names of which remained the cognomina. We also mention 5 multi-named people.
III.2.2. Nomina The 559 people with known gentilicia divide amongst themselves, in unequal proportions, 118 family names which indicate a relatively open society9. We notice the predominance of the imperial gentilicia from the 1st century A.D. – Iulius (96), Flavius (45), Claudius (23), Cocceius (20) – which proves the importance of the military factor in the colonization of the region with the mention that most inscriptions date back to the 2nd – 3rd centuries A.D. the other nomina imperialia belong to some citizens of rather recent dating : Aelius (23), Aurelius (23), Ulpius (9), Septimius (1), Severus (1). Following the frequency of the usual Roman gentilicia, we remark that predominant are the bearers of the name Valerius, being attested 113 times though structured
9Which indicates an average of 4,72 people for a single family name.
20 into several families. Worth mentioning are some unique nomina in the onomastic of the population of the province Moesia Inferior such as: Atalius, Atulenus, Atisius, Celsius, Cominius, Corienus, Insteius, Maeonius, Manlius, Numerius, Plancius, Truccius, Tuccius, Virius, Visellius whereas other two nomina – Anconteius, Truccius- included on the veterans list at Troesmis, are not mentioned in other areas of the Roman Empire.
III.2.3. Cognomina With regard to cognomina, we notice that 546 people bear 263 different cognomina, which indicates onomastic diversity. A considerable share is held by the Latin names (178) followed by the Greek – Oriental ones (65) and Thraco – Dacian (9). To this are added the 11 cognomina whose origin is uncertain. Out of the Latin cognomina, we note the frequency of the cognomen Valens, mentioned 52 times in the Roman settlements along the Danube, especially in the military10. As for the Greek – Oriental cognomina, top of the list is
10At Troesmis in the list of the retired veterans in the year 134 A.D., the cognomen Valens is present in 25 cases, see ISM , V, 137.
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Alexander (8 mentions) and Ponticus (7 mentions), the former frequently attested in the Roman world including in the province Moesia Inferior.
III.2.4. Peculiarities in transmitting the names The epigraphic sources allow for a series of observations with regard to the transmission of names. We have noticed that we are not dealing with a uniform manner but with different ones. We can say that the paternal onomastic is predominant. There are cases when the children took either the father’s gentilicia or the mother’s. In other cases, we can assume that there is an affiliation to the mother’s family not the father’s.
III.3. Greek names In our catalogue there are 20 people whose names are of Greek origin. The Greek anthroponomy includes 14 individual names without patronymic, 4 Greek names with Greek patronymic and 2 Greek names with Roman patronymic.
III.4. Thracian names The Thracian anthroponomy includes 7 individual names without patronymic, 2 Thracian names in the vicinity of Thracian patronymics and 1 possible Thracian name near
22 a fragmented patronymic. Part of these Thracian anthroponyms might have belonged to the bessi, attested on the territory of Capidava, at Ulmetum, without excluding, however, the Gaetic local population who held the majority share in the rural settlements in Dobrogea.
III.5. Names of various origins A special group is formed by the names whose etymology is debatable. We have included in this category names such as: Attas, Attia, Bassus, Batsinis, Dada, Ithazis, Posses, which are attributed to several linguistic backgrounds.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
The symbiosis between the locals, different in attitude, some open others reluctant to Romanization and the colonizers, civilians and soldiers, from different areas of the Empire was the essence of the Romanization process. The change of the name reflects the bearer’s judicial status. Gradually, and by means of different methods, the number of the Roman citizens increased both in the rural and in the urban areas. By analyzing the epigraphic presence
23 of the different judicial categories from the Roman settlements which make our study, we have noticed that the Roman citizens with tria nomina and duo nomina in the 2nd century A.D. are considerably superior in numbers to the pilgrims, generally identified in inscriptions by a single name followed by the father’s name in the genitive. We could say that the pilgrim’s onomastic is more frequent in the rural areas whereas tria nomina in the urban areas. The analysis of the onomastic of the population in the Roman settlements on the Scythian limes allowed us to emphasise the ratio between the Roman names and the non – Roman ones. Out of a total of 710 names useful to our research, 672 are Roman names and the majority is held by the duo nomina pattern. The Roman names formed after the Greek – barbarian pattern are scarcely represented in inscriptions (about2%). When they are present as cognomen in the Roman onomastic system, the non – Roman names indicate an advanced stage of the Romanisation process. The Romanisation reached all and every social category and the non-Roman ethnic elements almost equally. Of extreme importance is the fact that the constant ethnic, linguistic and social contact between the indigenes and the Romans created the necessary circumstances for the 24 achievement of an ethnic – cultural synthesis which allowed the Romans to linger for centuries at the Lower Danube.
ANNEX ANTHROPONOMICAL CATALOGUE The catalogue includes approximately 776 people out of which 52 have fragmented names, irrelevant for historic research. Another 14 people are anonymous. The respective number of people’s names is owing to the hazard of discoveries and we mentioned it merely to offer an idea about the data of the statistic in the actual stage of the research.
BIBLIOGRAPHY EPYGRAPHIC SOURCES
CIL Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum, I-XVII, 1863, sqq; vol. III, 1873-1902. IDRE C. C. Petolescu, Inscriptions de la Dacie romaine. Inscriptions externs concernant l᾽histoire de la Dacie (I er – III e siècles), Bucarest, I, 1996; II, 2000.
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IGLR Em. Popescu, Inscripțiile grecești și latine din secolele IV-XIII descoperite în România, București, 1976. ISM Inscripţiile din Scythia Minor greceşti şi latine: I (Histria şi împrejurimile; D. M. Pippidi), Bucureşti, 1983; II (Tomis şi teritoriul său; Iorgu Stoian), 1987; III (Callatis et son territoire; Al. Avram), Bucarest-Paris, 1999; (Capidava – Troesmis – Noviodunum; Emilia Doruţiu Boilă), 1980. ILB B. Gerov, Inscriptiones Latinae in Bulgaria repertae, Sofia, 1989.
GENERAL AND SPECFIC PAPERS
Alföldy 1969. Alföldy, G., Die Personennamen in der römischen Provinz Dalmatien, Heidelberg. Aparaschivei Aparaschivei, D., Municipiul Troesmis. 2007. Instituţii şi elite, Peuce, S.N., III-IV, 2005- 2006 ( apare în 2007). Barnea 1998. Barnea, Al., Aspects ethniques dans la vie rurale de la Droboudja Romaine (Mésie Inférieure), in V. H. Baumann (ed.), La politique édilitaire dans les provinces de
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l’Empire romain. IIéme-IVéme aprés J.-C. Actes du IIIe Coloque Roumano-Suisse. La vie rurale dans les provinces romaines: vici et villae, Tulcea, 8-15 octobre 1995 (Tulcea). Curcă 2006. Curcă, R., L’anthroponymie non-romaine dans les inscriptions latines de Mésie Inférieure (entre les rivières Oescus et Iatrus), Classica et Christiana, 1.
Curcă, Curcă, R., Zugravu, N., <
Celtic origin in Dacia and Scythia Minor, Aberystwyth. Kajanto Kajanto, K, The Latin Cognomina, 1965. Helsinki. Mihailov Mihailov, G., Les noms thraces dans les 1977. inscriptions des pays thraces, în L’onomastique latine. Colloques internationaux du CNRC no.564, Paris. Mihăilescu- Mihăilescu-Bîrliba, L., Străinii în Moesia Bîrliba 2009. Inferior. Posibilităţi de identificare, în Mihăilescu-Bîrliba, L., Structuri etno- demografice la Dunărea de Jos. Sec. I-VIII p. Chr., Iaşi. Mihăilescu- Mihăilescu-Bîrliba, L., Piftor, V., Les Bîrliba, Piftor familles d᾽Ancyra á Troesmis, în Cojocaru, 2005. V. (ed.), Ethnic Contacts and Cultural Exchanges North and West of the Black Sea from the Greek Colonization to the Ottoman Conquest, Iași. Minkova Minkova, M., The personal names of the 2000. inscriptions in Bulgaria (Studien zur klassishen Philologie 118), Frankfurt am
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Main-Berlin-Bern-Bruxelles-New-York, Wiena. Russu 1977. Russu, I.I., L’onomastique du la Dacie romaine, în L’onomastique latine. Colloques internationaux du CNRC no. 564, Paris. Mócsy, Mocsy, A., Feldmann, R., Nomenclator Feldmann provinciarum Europae Latinarum et 1983. Galliae Cisalpinae, Diss. Pann., III, 1, Budapesta. Schulze 1991. Schulze, W., Zur Geschichte lateinischer Eigennamen, Berlin, AbhGöttingen, V, 1904 (Mit einer Berichtungsliste zur Neuausgabe von Olli Salomies, Zürich, Hildesheim, Weidmann, 1991). Solin 1982. Solin, H., Die griechischen Personennamen in Rom, I-III, Berlin-New-York. Solin, Solin, H., Salomies, O., Repertorium Salomies nominum gentilium et cognominum 1994. Latinarum, editio addendis corrigendisque augmentata,Hildesheim-Zurich-New-York. Suceaveanu Suceavanu, Al., Viața economică în 1977. 29
Dobrogea romană sec. I-III e.n., Bucureşti. Suceveanu et Suceveanu, Al., Zahariade, M., Topoleanu, alii 2003. Fl., Poenaru-Bordea, Gh., Halmyris, I, Cluj-Napoca. Suceveanu, Suceveanu, Al., Barnea, Al., La Dobroudja Barnea 1991. romaine, Bucureşti.
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