DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4391#0031
THE CLASSICAL INSCRIPTIONS.
27
The name erased is that of the Eparch of Egypt.
We know from published sources four Eparchs in the
reign of Domitian :—
C. Laelius Africanus, in office in 82 a.d.
C. Septimius Vegetus „ ,, 86 „
T. Petronius Secundus „ „ 95 „
Mettius Rufus „ „ ?
It is possible that the fourth of these names is the
one to be supplied in this and in the Tariff inscription
{infra, No. IV). The Eparchs held office generally for
three years at least, and it will be noticed that the
three officers whose periods are known, leave a gap
about the year 90. Furthermore, the manner in
which Suetonius (Vit. Dom. 4) introduces the name
of Mettius Rufus suggests that there was something
unsatisfactory, which laid the nomination of that
officer open to canvass. If he were a disreputable
individual, or a creature of the Emperor, a reason
would be supplied for the erasure of his name here.
His master's name has been hacked out with his on
the Tariff stela. In any case the erased name can
hardly be that of any of the first three Eparchs in the
list above, for all are found elsewhere unmutilated in
inscriptions of Egypt. The erasure here conceals
either the name of Mettius Rufus or of an unknown
Eparch.
The praefectus castrorum is the regular title of a
legionary commander in Egypt. He was of eques-
trian, not senatorial, rank, like the legati commanding
legions elsewhere ; and this distinction was due to
Augustus' special organisation of Egypt on Ptolemaic
lines as a sort of vast royal domain, to the exclusion
of all officials of senatorial dignity. (Tac. Ann. ii. 59,
Hist. i. 11. Arrian, Anab. Al. 3, 5.) Q. Licinnius
Ancotius Proculus is not known otherwise. He com-
manded, of course, Legio III Cyrenaica, whose
headquarters were probably at Coptos, but whose
component parts were distributed widely.
The individual, who is prefect of the eastern slopes
and Red Sea ports, is mentioned in the Tariff below,
but not elsewhere. A family of Antistii, springing
from Thibilis in Numidia, produced persons of official
rank in the 1st and 3rd centuries, and probably this
individual is of their stock. (C. I. L. VIII. Suppl.
18893-18906: C. I. Rh. 55.)
NO. IV.
'E£ eTTiTayPjS..........
.........."Ocra Bel tovs fiiaOco-
ra<; Toil iv Ko7rrw v7TOTreiTTTOp-
tos rfj 'Apaf3apxla arrocrroXiov irpaa-
crew koto, r(o)v jvcop.ova T7]Se T1) 5
arijXj] evice)(apaKTcu Bid Aov/ciov
'Avtiutiov 'AacaTt/cov lirap^ov
"Opou? Jiepeveifcrj';.
l\u/3epvr)TOV epvOpaiKOv Bpa-
X/Aas oktco. IO
Upcopecos Bpa-^fid^ BeKa.
.... a/cov Bpa^/u,d<; BeKa.
No.]vtou Bpa^yids irevre.
©epairjevrov vavTrr/jou Spa/^/za?
irivTe. IS-CLpoTeyyov Spa%na9 15
OKTCO. YwaiKCOV 7Ty309 6Tai.pi(T-
p-ov Bpayfias enaTOV oktco.
Tvvcukcov elcnrXeovcroiv Bpa-
y/Lta? eiKoai. Tvvcukcov <7TpaTi-
cotcov BpayjJids e'lKocri. 20
Ylt.TTdKLOv KafjirfKcov bj3o\ov eva.
~S,cppayio-fJ,ov iriTTaKuov oftoXovs Bvo.
TLopelai e^ep-)(opbevrj^ eKaaTou
irbTTaKLov tov dv8pb<; dvafiaivov-
T09 8pa-^fj,7]v [ALav. YvvaiKCov 25
iraacov dvd Bpa-^/j,d<i reaaapa^.
"Ovov o/3oXou? Bvo. 'A^af^s e^ou-
crr/<? TeTpc'uycovov Bpa^p-as Teacrapes.
'icTTOv 8pa-%pLa<; eiKocri. Ke'/jaTO? Bpa-
^/m? T(icrcrapes. Tacpt]'; dvacpepo/xe- 3°
vrjs Kal KdTacpepo/u,evr]>; Bpa-^p,7jv /n[i-
av TeTpcofBoXov. ('Erovs') 6' AvTOKpaTopos
Kalaapo'i [A.o/xtTiavov] Xej3aaT0u [Tepfcav(bKov)]
ira^co be.
48. On a tablet of nummulitic limestone in the
Ghizeh Museum ; found halfway between Coptos
and the desert at the remains of a guard-house (?) on
the road across the plain.
By order of'[. . . governor of Egypt.} The dues,
which the lessees of the transport service in Coptos,
sicbject to the Arabian command, are authorized to
levy by the customary scale, are inscribed on this
slab at the instance of L. Antistius Asiatic us,
prefect of the Red Sea slope.
For a Red Sea helmsman .
drachmas
8.
,, „ bozvsma?t .
• »1
10.
? ....
10.
an able seaman
j;
5-
„ a shipyard hand .
jy
5-
„ a skilled artisan
* jj
8.
,, zvomen for prostitution
jt
108.
„ ivotnen, immigrant
• jj
20.
E 2
27
The name erased is that of the Eparch of Egypt.
We know from published sources four Eparchs in the
reign of Domitian :—
C. Laelius Africanus, in office in 82 a.d.
C. Septimius Vegetus „ ,, 86 „
T. Petronius Secundus „ „ 95 „
Mettius Rufus „ „ ?
It is possible that the fourth of these names is the
one to be supplied in this and in the Tariff inscription
{infra, No. IV). The Eparchs held office generally for
three years at least, and it will be noticed that the
three officers whose periods are known, leave a gap
about the year 90. Furthermore, the manner in
which Suetonius (Vit. Dom. 4) introduces the name
of Mettius Rufus suggests that there was something
unsatisfactory, which laid the nomination of that
officer open to canvass. If he were a disreputable
individual, or a creature of the Emperor, a reason
would be supplied for the erasure of his name here.
His master's name has been hacked out with his on
the Tariff stela. In any case the erased name can
hardly be that of any of the first three Eparchs in the
list above, for all are found elsewhere unmutilated in
inscriptions of Egypt. The erasure here conceals
either the name of Mettius Rufus or of an unknown
Eparch.
The praefectus castrorum is the regular title of a
legionary commander in Egypt. He was of eques-
trian, not senatorial, rank, like the legati commanding
legions elsewhere ; and this distinction was due to
Augustus' special organisation of Egypt on Ptolemaic
lines as a sort of vast royal domain, to the exclusion
of all officials of senatorial dignity. (Tac. Ann. ii. 59,
Hist. i. 11. Arrian, Anab. Al. 3, 5.) Q. Licinnius
Ancotius Proculus is not known otherwise. He com-
manded, of course, Legio III Cyrenaica, whose
headquarters were probably at Coptos, but whose
component parts were distributed widely.
The individual, who is prefect of the eastern slopes
and Red Sea ports, is mentioned in the Tariff below,
but not elsewhere. A family of Antistii, springing
from Thibilis in Numidia, produced persons of official
rank in the 1st and 3rd centuries, and probably this
individual is of their stock. (C. I. L. VIII. Suppl.
18893-18906: C. I. Rh. 55.)
NO. IV.
'E£ eTTiTayPjS..........
.........."Ocra Bel tovs fiiaOco-
ra<; Toil iv Ko7rrw v7TOTreiTTTOp-
tos rfj 'Apaf3apxla arrocrroXiov irpaa-
crew koto, r(o)v jvcop.ova T7]Se T1) 5
arijXj] evice)(apaKTcu Bid Aov/ciov
'Avtiutiov 'AacaTt/cov lirap^ov
"Opou? Jiepeveifcrj';.
l\u/3epvr)TOV epvOpaiKOv Bpa-
X/Aas oktco. IO
Upcopecos Bpa-^fid^ BeKa.
.... a/cov Bpa^/u,d<; BeKa.
No.]vtou Bpa^yids irevre.
©epairjevrov vavTrr/jou Spa/^/za?
irivTe. IS-CLpoTeyyov Spa%na9 15
OKTCO. YwaiKCOV 7Ty309 6Tai.pi(T-
p-ov Bpayfias enaTOV oktco.
Tvvcukcov elcnrXeovcroiv Bpa-
y/Lta? eiKoai. Tvvcukcov <7TpaTi-
cotcov BpayjJids e'lKocri. 20
Ylt.TTdKLOv KafjirfKcov bj3o\ov eva.
~S,cppayio-fJ,ov iriTTaKuov oftoXovs Bvo.
TLopelai e^ep-)(opbevrj^ eKaaTou
irbTTaKLov tov dv8pb<; dvafiaivov-
T09 8pa-^fj,7]v [ALav. YvvaiKCov 25
iraacov dvd Bpa-^/j,d<i reaaapa^.
"Ovov o/3oXou? Bvo. 'A^af^s e^ou-
crr/<? TeTpc'uycovov Bpa^p-as Teacrapes.
'icTTOv 8pa-%pLa<; eiKocri. Ke'/jaTO? Bpa-
^/m? T(icrcrapes. Tacpt]'; dvacpepo/xe- 3°
vrjs Kal KdTacpepo/u,evr]>; Bpa-^p,7jv /n[i-
av TeTpcofBoXov. ('Erovs') 6' AvTOKpaTopos
Kalaapo'i [A.o/xtTiavov] Xej3aaT0u [Tepfcav(bKov)]
ira^co be.
48. On a tablet of nummulitic limestone in the
Ghizeh Museum ; found halfway between Coptos
and the desert at the remains of a guard-house (?) on
the road across the plain.
By order of'[. . . governor of Egypt.} The dues,
which the lessees of the transport service in Coptos,
sicbject to the Arabian command, are authorized to
levy by the customary scale, are inscribed on this
slab at the instance of L. Antistius Asiatic us,
prefect of the Red Sea slope.
For a Red Sea helmsman .
drachmas
8.
,, „ bozvsma?t .
• »1
10.
? ....
10.
an able seaman
j;
5-
„ a shipyard hand .
jy
5-
„ a skilled artisan
* jj
8.
,, zvomen for prostitution
jt
108.
„ ivotnen, immigrant
• jj
20.
E 2