Finds

Military diploma

In the XVIII century, near the church of San Lussorio, they found a military diploma dated 13 September 134 A.D., during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian.

Its main feature is that is is not assigned to a single person, but to two classiarii of the fleet of the Miseno: the former gregale (gregarious person) Decimus Numitorius Tarammon, son of Agisinus and his son Tarpalaris.

The former is also called Fifensis ex Sardinia, so was a soldier of Sardinian origin who, having served in the Roman navy for 25 years, was discharged with honour, obtaining the privileges of citizenship and of the ius conubii. We can assume that the veteran decided, after discharge, to return to his place of origin, perhaps where the diploma was found.

Inner part, table I (fig. 1)
Imp(erator) Caesar, divi Traiani Parthici f(ilius), divi
Nervae nepos Traianus Hadrianus Aug(ustus)
pontif(ex) max(imus) trib(unicia) potest(ate) XVIII co(n)s(ul) III p(ater) p(atriae)
iis qui militaer(unt) emerit(ia) dim(issis) ho(nesta)
mis(sione) qu(orum) nom/ina) sub(scripta) su(nt) ips(is) lib(eris) pos(terisque) eor(um)
civ(itatem)ded(it)
et con(ubium) cum ux(oribus) qu(as) tunc hab(uissent) cum est
civ(itas) iis dat(a) aut siq(ui) cael(ibes) ess(ent) cum iis
quas post(ea) dux(issent) dum tax(at) sing(uli) singulas

1
Fig. 1 - Inner part of table I (from Aa.Vv. 1989, p. 231, fig. 16 a).

Inner part, table II (fig. 2)
A(nte) d(iem XVII K(alendas) Oct(obres)
P(ublio) Licinio Pansa L(ucio) Attio Macrone co(n)s(ulibus.
Ex gregale
D(ecimo) Numitorio Agisini (filio) Tarammoni Fifens(i) ex Sard(inia)
Et Tarpalar(i) f(ilio) eius

2
Fig. 2 - Inner part of table II (from Aa.Vv. 1989, p. 231, fig. 16 b).

On the outer side of the bronze sheet you again have the entire discharge text and the names of the seven witnesses: Ti(beri) Claudi Menandi; P(ubli) Atti Severi; L(uci) Pulli Daphni; T(iti) Flavi Romuli; Ti(beri) Iuli Felicis; C(ai) Iuli Silvani; C(ai) Vettieni Hermetis (fig. 3).

3
Fig. 3 - Outer side of table II with the names of witnesses (from Aa.Vv. 1989, p. 231, fig. 16 c).


The outer part of table I repeats the same text present on the inner part and the one engraved on the inner part of table II (fig. 4).

4
Fig. 4 - Outer part of table I (from Aa.Vv. 1989, p. 231, fig. 16 d).


 

Bibliografia

  • AA.VV., Il Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Cagliari (a cura di V. Santoni, Milano 1989.
  • A. BONINU, Tortolì, località S. Lussorio (Nuoro), in Nuove testimonianze archeologiche della Sardegna centro-settentrionale, Sassari, 1976, pp. 105-106.
  • G. CONSIGLIO, Il soldato romano: carriera militare e vita privata, in Ager Veleias, 5.07, 2010, pp. 1-29.
  • A. MASTINO, Storia della Sardegna antica, Nuoro 2005.
  • A. MASTINO, P. RUGGERI, La romanizzazione dell’Ogliastra, in MELONI, NOCCO 2001, pp. 151-190. P. MELONI, La Sardegna romana, Sassari 1991.
  • V. NONNIS, Tortolì, in Ogliastra. Antica Cultura-Nuova Provincia, Sestu-Bari Sardo 2005, pp. 143-153.
  • E. PAIS, Storia della Sardegna e della Corsica durante il periodo romano, I-II, Roma 1923.
  • R.J. ROWLAND, Onomastic remarks on Roman Sardinia, in Names, XXI, 2, 1973.
  • G. SPANO, Memoria sulla badia di Bonarcado e scoperte archeologiche fattesi nell'isola in tutto l'anno 1869, Cagliari, 1870, p. 30.
  • G. SPANO, Scoperte archeologiche fattesi in Sardegna in tutto l’anno 1871 con appendice sugli oggetti sardi dell’esposizione italiana, Cagliari 1872.  

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