Post by c0gnate on Feb 11, 2008 11:13:09 GMT -5
SETTLEMENT of legionary Veterans in BALKAN PROVINCES
(I–III Century A.D.)
SNEŽANA FERJANČIĆ
BELGRADE 2002
Summary
[...]
Three veteran colonies in the Balkan provinces date from Trajan’s reign (Poetovio in Pannonia, Ratiaria in Upper Moesia and Oescus in Lower Moesia). Their establishment should be viewed as part of the emperor’s policy of urbanization of the Danube regions. Organised settlement has been directly attested only in Poetovio by the term deductus found on two monuments belonging to men discharged from II Adiutrix (21) and XIII Gemina (28).
It has been generally considered that the colonists in Poetovio had originated from other legions as well. Ritterling and Saria suggested that they had been veterans of I Adiutrix (19, 20), and Mócsy added the men discharged from IV Flavia (23).13 The two veterans from I Adiutrix could have hardly taken part in Trajan’s deduction. Missio nummaria, attested in their inscriptions, suggests that they have received money and not allotments of land. Trajan’s settlers undoubtedly obtained allotments of land in the city’s territory, as had been corroborated by another monument mentioning a missio agraria (28). Two veterans from I Adiutrix had probably settled in Poetovio at their own initiative, some time after the establishment of the colony. Their choice might be explained by the fact that the veteran community had already grown strong and had been well organised. The monument 23 has offered no decisive arguments in favour of soldiers discharged from IV Flavia as participating in Trajan’s deduction.
According to modern scholars, several deductions had taken place in the territory of Poetovio. Abramić dated the first one to the middle of the first century A. D.14 The veteran from XI Claudia, whose funerary monument has been adduced by Abramić as a decisive proof for the early deduction (26),
possibly simply remained where he had served. After Actium, XI Claudia had been stationed in Illyricum. Although the exact location of its camp has been unknown, it has been conceivable that it had spent some time at Poetovio before the arrival of VIII Augusta. The formula missio agraria II, recorded in inscription 21, has provoked a lively scholarly discussion. According to Mócsy, it should be understood as a proof of repeated deductions in the territory of Poetovio.15 On the other hand, Mann suggested that the veteran with the missio agraria II had received the double allotment than an ordinary soldier. He was discharged as a beneficiarius consularis and therefore was ranked as a duplarius.16
Despite the lack of direct evidence, Ratiaria and Oescus on the lower Danube should also be counted among Trajan’s veteran colonies. They had been probably founded after the annexation of Dacia when peace was finally established on the Danube. According to Mócsy, men discharged from IV Flavia (335) and VII Claudia (336-339) had been settled in Riatiaria.17 It appears that only three of them were Trajan’s colonists (335-337). Their monuments date from the end of the first century or the beginning of the II century A.D. They were probably Italians who had not returned to their homeland. It has been hard to believe that they had remained where they had served. At the time of their settlement, VII Claudia had been already transferred to Viminacium. As for IV Flavia, some scholars supposed that it had been stationed in Ratiaria prior to its advance to Singidunum. That has been highly improbable, since, as far as we have known, Ratiaria has not yielded any early inscriptions of IV Flavia. Furthermore, the existence of an early legionary fortress in the town has not been borne out by archaeological excavations. Two other veterans of VII Claudia known from Ratiaria (338, 339) probably returned to their hometown after serving in Viminacium.
Oescus has also been granted colonial status after the annexation of Dacia, when V Macedonica had been transferred downstream to Troesmis. Veterans of the Moesian legions V Macedonica (406-409), I Italica (397) and probably IV Flavia (399) were settled in its territory. Their monuments have been dated to the first decades of the II century A.D. The possibility that they remained where they had served must be ruled out, seeing that they were all Orientals or Italians. According to Ritterling and Forni, veterans of V Macedonica attested on monuments 400-402 were among Trajan’s colonists as well.18 Those inscriptions belonged to the first century A.D. and therefore predated Trajan’s deduction. It has seemed much more probable that the veterans in question had chosen to settle where they had served.
Epigraphic evidence has suggested that veterans of I Italica (397) and IV Flavia (399) had been among Trajan’s original colonists at Oescus. It is certain that the two men have not remained near the place of their military service. In the beginning of the II century A.D. I Italica was stationed in Novae
and IV Flavia in Dacia and then in Singidunum. We must not disregard the possibility, however slight, that the veteran who had dedicated the altar 399 returned to his hometown.
[...]
www.balkaninstitut.com/eng/publications/special/edition_78.html
(I–III Century A.D.)
SNEŽANA FERJANČIĆ
BELGRADE 2002
Summary
[...]
Three veteran colonies in the Balkan provinces date from Trajan’s reign (Poetovio in Pannonia, Ratiaria in Upper Moesia and Oescus in Lower Moesia). Their establishment should be viewed as part of the emperor’s policy of urbanization of the Danube regions. Organised settlement has been directly attested only in Poetovio by the term deductus found on two monuments belonging to men discharged from II Adiutrix (21) and XIII Gemina (28).
It has been generally considered that the colonists in Poetovio had originated from other legions as well. Ritterling and Saria suggested that they had been veterans of I Adiutrix (19, 20), and Mócsy added the men discharged from IV Flavia (23).13 The two veterans from I Adiutrix could have hardly taken part in Trajan’s deduction. Missio nummaria, attested in their inscriptions, suggests that they have received money and not allotments of land. Trajan’s settlers undoubtedly obtained allotments of land in the city’s territory, as had been corroborated by another monument mentioning a missio agraria (28). Two veterans from I Adiutrix had probably settled in Poetovio at their own initiative, some time after the establishment of the colony. Their choice might be explained by the fact that the veteran community had already grown strong and had been well organised. The monument 23 has offered no decisive arguments in favour of soldiers discharged from IV Flavia as participating in Trajan’s deduction.
According to modern scholars, several deductions had taken place in the territory of Poetovio. Abramić dated the first one to the middle of the first century A. D.14 The veteran from XI Claudia, whose funerary monument has been adduced by Abramić as a decisive proof for the early deduction (26),
possibly simply remained where he had served. After Actium, XI Claudia had been stationed in Illyricum. Although the exact location of its camp has been unknown, it has been conceivable that it had spent some time at Poetovio before the arrival of VIII Augusta. The formula missio agraria II, recorded in inscription 21, has provoked a lively scholarly discussion. According to Mócsy, it should be understood as a proof of repeated deductions in the territory of Poetovio.15 On the other hand, Mann suggested that the veteran with the missio agraria II had received the double allotment than an ordinary soldier. He was discharged as a beneficiarius consularis and therefore was ranked as a duplarius.16
Despite the lack of direct evidence, Ratiaria and Oescus on the lower Danube should also be counted among Trajan’s veteran colonies. They had been probably founded after the annexation of Dacia when peace was finally established on the Danube. According to Mócsy, men discharged from IV Flavia (335) and VII Claudia (336-339) had been settled in Riatiaria.17 It appears that only three of them were Trajan’s colonists (335-337). Their monuments date from the end of the first century or the beginning of the II century A.D. They were probably Italians who had not returned to their homeland. It has been hard to believe that they had remained where they had served. At the time of their settlement, VII Claudia had been already transferred to Viminacium. As for IV Flavia, some scholars supposed that it had been stationed in Ratiaria prior to its advance to Singidunum. That has been highly improbable, since, as far as we have known, Ratiaria has not yielded any early inscriptions of IV Flavia. Furthermore, the existence of an early legionary fortress in the town has not been borne out by archaeological excavations. Two other veterans of VII Claudia known from Ratiaria (338, 339) probably returned to their hometown after serving in Viminacium.
Oescus has also been granted colonial status after the annexation of Dacia, when V Macedonica had been transferred downstream to Troesmis. Veterans of the Moesian legions V Macedonica (406-409), I Italica (397) and probably IV Flavia (399) were settled in its territory. Their monuments have been dated to the first decades of the II century A.D. The possibility that they remained where they had served must be ruled out, seeing that they were all Orientals or Italians. According to Ritterling and Forni, veterans of V Macedonica attested on monuments 400-402 were among Trajan’s colonists as well.18 Those inscriptions belonged to the first century A.D. and therefore predated Trajan’s deduction. It has seemed much more probable that the veterans in question had chosen to settle where they had served.
Epigraphic evidence has suggested that veterans of I Italica (397) and IV Flavia (399) had been among Trajan’s original colonists at Oescus. It is certain that the two men have not remained near the place of their military service. In the beginning of the II century A.D. I Italica was stationed in Novae
and IV Flavia in Dacia and then in Singidunum. We must not disregard the possibility, however slight, that the veteran who had dedicated the altar 399 returned to his hometown.
[...]
www.balkaninstitut.com/eng/publications/special/edition_78.html