Friday 23 July 2010

Addition to legionary roster

Gaius Valerius Pudens

This one passed me by on first reading:

Britannia 40, 2009, 321-2
Inscription on base of jar found at Chester in L1E2 context; jar 'made in a legionary tile-works' - presumably the legionary tile-works at Holt.

G(aius) V[al(erius) G(ai) f(ilius)] Pud[ens] Maceia (tribu)

Inscribed pre-firing. More likely therefore the name of the legionary who made it than necessarily a mark of ownership (although if you were assigned to making pottery, perhaps you'd make sure you got a new set yourself!).

Compare RIB 542 + add. also from Chester:
Dis Man(ibus) L(ucius) Valerius L(ucii filius) [S]ala[r]ia Pud[....]III[...