Gaius Geminius Priscus

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Gaius Geminius Priscus was a member of the Roman knighthood ( eques ) living in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD . Through an inscription from Laumellum, today's Lomello , individual stations of his career are known, which he probably completed in the early 2nd century.

Life

The order of the offices held by Gaius Geminius Priscus is not clear from the inscription with his cursus honorum . It is most likely that he was initially assigned as praefectus fabrum to a magistrate or proconsul in one of the senatorial provinces of the Roman Empire. He then began his military career as prefect of the Cohors I Breucorum , which was stationed in the province of Raetia . However, this command was only given to him pro forma ( libero commeatu ), as he was probably in a different place. This could either have been meant as a special privilege for Priscus or indicate an extraordinary leave of absence.

Then he became prefect of an Ala Augusta . There were several units called Ala Augusta in inscriptions . Geminius Priscus could therefore have commanded one of the following units: the Ala I Augusta Gallorum , which was stationed in the province of Mauretania Tingitana , the Ala I Augusta Gallorum Proculeiana , which was stationed in Britannia or the Ala I Augusta Thracum , which was stationed at the time of his command was stationed either in Raetia or in Noricum .

The last stage in his career was then probably the command as tribune of the Cohors II Praetoria . However, this position is at the very end of the list of the positions held in the inscription, although otherwise it appears to be a "descending" cursus honorum , that is to say the most important offices first . In addition, the inscription stone has been lost and, at least according to the still preserved markings, the word “tribune” has been omitted from the text. It has therefore also been assumed that his service in the Cohors II Praetoria was not at the end but at the very beginning of his career and that he was active there as a simple soldier. Then, however, between this time and his appointment to praefectus fabrum , he would have had to be promoted first to Centurion and then to Primus Pilus .

family

Geminius Priscus probably came from the municipality of Laumellum, as the inscription there was commissioned by two of his freedmen named Piarus and Martialis. Another (incompletely preserved) inscription, which can also be assigned to Geminius Priscus, was found in the vicinity. A Geminia Prisca is known from another inscription, which is probably a daughter of Geminius Priscus.

literature

  • Hubert Devijver : Prosopographia militiarum equestrium quae fuerunt from Augusto ad Gallienum (= Symbolae. Row A, Volume 3). Universitaire Pers Leuven, Leuven 1976, ISBN 90-6186-046-6 , pp. 407 f., No. G 16.
  • Gabriella Amiotti: Un'iscrizione inedita di C. Gemino Prisco? In: Athenaeum . Neue Serie, Volume 65, 1987, pp. 242-244.
  • Joachim Ott: The commanders of the Norican auxiliaries. In: Tyche . Contributions to ancient history, papyrology and epigraphy. Volume 10, 1995, pp. 107-138 ( PDF ).

Remarks

  1. ↑ The inscription ( CIL 5, 6478 ) says C (ai) Gemini Prisci praef (ecti) eq (uitum) alae Aug (ustae) . John Spaul assigns Priscus to the Ala I Augusta Gallorum . According to Joachim Ott, Priscus could have commanded either the Ala I Augusta Gallorum Proculeiana or the Ala I Augusta Thracum .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Joachim Ott, Die Kommandeure, pp. 118–119.
  2. ↑ a b c CIL 5, 6478
  3. ^ So Michael P. Speidel : Furlough in the Roman army. In: Yale Classical Studies. Volume 28, 1985, pp. 283-293, here p. 290.
  4. ↑ a b So Gabriella Amiotti: Un'iscrizione inedita di C. Gemino Prisco? In: Athenaeum . Neue Serie, Volume 65, 1987, pp. 242-244, here p. 243.
  5. ↑ John EH Spaul : Ala. The Auxiliary Cavalry Units of the Pre-Diocletianic Imperial Roman Army. Nectoreca Press, Andover 1994, ISBN 0-9525062-0-3 , p. 52.
  6. ↑ AE 1987, 463
  7. ↑ Gabriella Amiotti: Un'iscrizione inedita di C. Gemino Prisco? In: Athenaeum . Neue Serie, Volume 65, 1987, pp. 242-244.
  8. ↑ CIL 5, 5239
personal data
SURNAME Geminius Priscus, Gaius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Roman officer (imperial era)
DATE OF BIRTH 1st century
DATE OF DEATH 2nd century