A
The
Heading (top left) Sextus Pompeius, Lucius Cornificius, consuls.
?Heading, top edge [No translation possible]
Column 1 [No translation possible] A: Lucius Annius Hedonus, son of Lucius; Marcus Antonius Pelops, freedman of Marcus; …. ; … Amphilus, freedman of Lucius; … Meno…; … Antiochus; Marcus…Epaproditus; Decimus Anisius Diogenes; Decimus … Damas, freedman of Decimus; Aulus Aemilius Philippus freedman of Aulus; …
Column 2 … Antioch…; …; …Cerdo; Gnaeus Atinius ... freedman of Gnaeus; … freedman of Quintus; Gaius Audius Phileros freedman of Gaius; Marcus Albius …darus …of Marcus; Marcus … Glaucia freedman of Marcus; Quintus Aninius Amphio freedman of Quintus; Lucius Aufidius Zoilus freedman of Lucius;…
Column 3 …us; …cles; …us; …us; …hilus; …ouf; .dorus; … Apella; Gaius Curtius …enes freedman of Gaius; Gaius …. Iac… freedman of Gaius; Lucius Cae…nnius…; Quintus Caecilius …us freedman of Marcus; Lucius Clodius Crispus….; Gaius …nius Eros freedman of Lucius; Gaius Cae… Artas freedman of Gaius; …Cornelius Aristo …of Lucius; Marcus Cusinius Iaso freedman of Lucius; Quintus Caecilius …ius freedman of Quintus; D: …
Column 4 … Lucius … Epigonus…; Lucius …Apollonis…; Aulus Granius Aspasius …of Aulus; Quintus …; Gaius Gavius ….; Publius Granius Rufion freedman of Publius; Lucius Gavius Hilarus….; Marcus G…nius Rufus son of Marcus; H: Gaius Heredius Nicephorus freedman of Gaius; Marcus Hostius Bithus freedman of Marcus; I: Gaius Iulius Epaphroditus freedman of Gaius; Gaius …Terpnus freedman of Gaius…
Column 5 … Gaius …ius Apollodorus ? of Gaius; Gaius … Heracleo freedman of Gaius; Gaius Mannaius Sphaerus freedman of Gaius; Gaius Minucius Alex… freedman of Gaius; Aulus Mucius Alexsa freedman of Aulus; Lucius Munatius Plancus son of Publius; Lucius Mundicius Isidorus freedman of Lucius; Marcus Minucius Rufus son of Marcus; N: Gaius Nessinius Lupus son of Gaius; Quintus Nerius Menophilus freedman of Quintus; Gaius Nonius … son of Gaius; Lucius Numitorius Nicia freedman of Lucius; Decimus Naevius … freedman of Decimus;
… Column 6 … Sabinus; Q R:…ius Agatho freedman of …; Quintus R…lius Zabina freedman of Quintus; S: Publius Servilius Dama freedman of Publius; Publius Servilius Philogenes freedman of Publius; Publius … Licinus freedman of Publius; M… Menodotus freedman of Publius; Publius … Apollonius freedman of Publius; … Astragalus freedman of Publius; … Salvius; Publius Philargurus freedman of Publius; Decimus … Sune… freedman of Publius; …gath…; Aulus Stlaccius …; ….
Column 7 … T: Lucius Terentius Rufus; Gaius Tuscenius Alupus freedman of Gaius; Lucius Terentius Alexsa freedman of Lucius; Publius Titius Sabbio freedman of Publius; V: Decimus Volumnius Epaphroditus freedman of Publius; Appius Vinucius … ; ... Quintus Vettienus … ; …
Column 8 … Gaius Cas… ; Marcus Falcidius Rufus; Gaius Minucius … son of Gaius ; Lucius Mundicius Spica son of Lucius ; Lucius Marcius Pri… son of Lucius ; Marcus Tonnius…
Column 9 … [-]OQV[-]D … Top right corner [---]O[---]
Tentatively, this edition suggests that the heading at the top left of the stone contains the names of a consular pair. This reading is offered with all due caution, but in addition to the clear SEX at the start of line one, traces of the POMP and the final S are visible. The key element suggesting that we are dealing here with a consular pair is the fact that a large O can be seen to the right, engraved midway between the two lines, which would be a standard way of inscribing the names of consuls. Very tentatively, therefore, we propose that this heading gives the names of the consuls of 35 BC. This chronology fits with the flavour of the names discussed below. If this is correct, this reading raises the prospect that Sex. Pompeius and L. Cornificius were somehow the initiators of the monument being set up. Exactly what their relationship is to the individuals subsequently listed below remains unclear.
Any interpretation of this monument has to take into account its distinctive attributes, particularly its use of Latin, the large number of names,
the egalitarian listing of freeborn alongside freedmen together with the unusual choice of alphabetical order, the suggestion that it is a
‘dynamic’ list, and its monumental format. Over 90 names appear in the main sections of the list, ordered alphabetically, and at least a further
seven names appear in column 8, which does not follow alphabetical order. It is possible that the original total number of names should be at
least doubled: the record continued below the part that is preserved – note the heading D right at the bottom of column 3 – and large parts of the
upper part of this block may also originally have been covered with further names. Although no definite indicator remains as to why these names
are inscribed together in this way, the most plausible social context in which to place these individuals is, as suggested by Nicholas Purcell at
the Oxford Epigraphy Workshop where a preliminary account of the text was presented, as members of the
The activities of Italians in the Greek East have long been appreciated as a distinctive contribution to the economies and societies of cities
in mainland Greece, the Greek islands, and Asia Minor (Hatzfeld 1919; Càssola 1970/71;
Müller and Hasenohr 2002; Kirbihler 2007 and
2016; Tran 2014). Significant numbers of Italians were based in Ephesos already by
around 100 BC (Hatzfeld 1919: 47). During the first half of the first century BC, an honorific monument was
set up for L. Agrius Publeianus by the
The flavour of many of the names recorded in this list is also appropriate to such a social context and chronology. Although it is notoriously difficult to be certain whether individuals actually themselves originated from Italy, or whether they were descendants of freedmen, there is a significant number of gentilician names in this list which can be paralleled on Delos or in the towns of Campania (Kirbihler 2007: 21-22). It seems likely that the mass emigration from Delos in the 50s BC is reflected in the names to be found at Ephesos, where it has been calculated that about a third of the non-imperial gentilician names may be traced back to the island. Even so, the majority of non-imperial gentilician names at Ephesos appear derived from Italy, and from Campania in particular (Kirbihler 2007: 29). In our inscription, the following names fit well into a negotiator milieu derived from Delos and/or Campania:
[L.] Annius L. f. [He]donus: Annii - especially Capua, Puteoli; on Delos from 2nd century BC (D’Isanto 1993: 61-63 no.22; Ferrary et al. 2002: 187)
M. An[to]nius M. l. [P]elo[p]s: Antonii – common throughout Campania; on Delos from 2nd century BC (D’Isanto 1993: 65-66 no.26; Ferrary et al. 2002: 187)
A. Aemilius A. l. Philippus: Aemilii well-known in Campania, especially Puteoli ; on Delos during 2nd and 1st centuries BC (D’Isanto 1993: 55 no.6; Ferrary et al. 2002: 186)
C. Audius C. l. Phileros: Audii found in Campania, especially Pompeii, with a few also in central/ southern Italy; on Delos from end of 2nd to mid-1st century BC (D’Isanto 1993: 73 no.40)
M. Albius M. [--4--]darus: one example at Capua (D’Isanto 1993: 56 no.11)
L. Aufidius L l. Zoilus: Aufidii at Capua; on Delos (D’Isanto 1993: 73 no.42; Ferrary et al. 2002: 189)
C. Curti[us] C. l. P?e[--3--]enes: Curtii known as high-ranking individuals in Capua (D’Isanto 1993: 116-117 no.113)
L. Clodius [--2--] Cris[p]us: Clodii as one of the most important families at Capua; on Delos during 1st century BC (D’Isanto 1993: 104-106 no.98; Ferrary et al. 2002: 193)
[-] Cor[ne]lius L. [-] Aristo: Cornelii very common in Campania, linked both to L. Cornelius Sulla and L Cornelius Balbus; on Delos (D’Isanto 1993: 111-114 no.106; Ferrary et al. 2002: 193)
Q. Caecilius Q. l. [--2?--]ius: Caecilii in Campania and on Delos during the 1st century BC (D’Isanto 1993: 85-86 no.67; Ferrary et al. 2002: 191)
A. Granius A.[-] Asp[a]sius; P Gr[an]ius P. l. Rufion: Granii known from 1st century BC in Capua, and also on Delos. Many traders with this gentilician known from the 1st c BC in Greece and Asia Minor more widely too (D’Isanto 1993: 139-140 no.155; Ferrary et al. 2002: 198-99).
C. Gavius [--9?--]; L. Gavius [--] H[il]arus: Gavii in Campania (D’Isanto 1993: 138 no.152)
M. Hostius M. l. Bithus: Hostii include magistri at Capua during the Republic (D’Isanto 1993: 148-150 no.168)
L. Marcius L. f. Pri[-2-]: Marcii in Campania, especially Puteoli during Republic; on Delos (D’Isanto 1993: 167-68 no.202; Ferrary et al. 2002: 202)
C. Minucius C. l. Alex[----];M. Minucius M.f. Rufus: at Capua; on Delos (D’Isanto 1993: 173 no.211; Ferrary et al. 2002: 203)
A. Mucius A. l. Alexsa: Mucii one example only in Campania, from imperial era (D’Isanto 1993: 173 no.213)
L. Munatius P. f. Plancus: Munatii in Campania ; on Delos during 1st century BC (D’Isanto 1993: 174 no.215; Ferrary et al. 2002: 203)
D. Naevius D. l. [----]: Naevii very common in Campania; on Delos during the first century BC (D’Isanto 1993: 174-76 no.221; Ferrary et al. 2002: 203)
Q. Nerius Q.l. Menophilus: Nerii only in Capua during the Republic in Campania; on Delos from end of 2nd century BC (D’Isanto 1993: 178-79 no.223; Ferrary et al. 2002: 204)
C. Nonius Q. E[--6--]: Nonii in Campania; on Delos during 1st century BC (D’Isanto 1993: 180 no.224; Ferrary et al. 2002: 204)
L. Numitorius L. l. Nicia: Numitorii only one from imperial era in Campania; on Delos (D’Isanto 1993: 184 no.231; Ferrary et al. 2002: 205)
P. S[erv]ilius P.l. Dama; P. Servilius P. l. Philogenes: Servilii in Capua during the Republic; on Delos 1st century BC (D’Isanto 1993: 224-225; Ferrary et al. 2002: 214)
[-] Stlaccius [----]: Stlaccii in Campania
D. Volumnius P. l. Epaph
The other element in favour of identifying these names as negotiatores at Ephesos is the way in which freeborn citizens and freedmen are mixed together, without a sense of hierarchy. This is particularly noticeable in column 5, where freeborn citizens and freedmen are interspersed. A similar pattern can be seen in dedications by groups of negotiatores elsewhere. In Boeotia, for example, a list of names in Latin from AD 14 presents nineteen names in two columns, mixing together freeborn and freed (CIL III 7301; Hatzfeld 1919: 68-69). This suggests that within the conventus organisation, freeborn and freed were on an equal footing. There is no clear consensus about the exact composition of groups of negotiatores. It seems that it was possible for a conventus to consist of several hundred members, as at Utica at the time of the Younger Cato where the conventus comprised 300 members (Plutarch, Cato Younger 59). Otherwise, it seems that the collectivity could include individuals of varied social status, from equestrian to slave (Tran 2014). Given that our evidence for their activities is largely epigraphic, it should be no surprise that we primarily find them honouring members of Rome’s elite and, latterly, imperial family. This monument, however, is no statue base in form. Nor does it seem suitable as an album of members, which are more usually found engraved upon thin marble plaques. There is also a suggestion, if the reading of the consuls is correct, that the conventus may have been being led in this instance to set up a monument under the direction of the consuls. The block seems most suitable as part of a building’s structure. One possibility is that we have here the setting up of a cult building of some sort, perhaps analogous with what appears to be the altar established to the newly deified Augustus in Boeotia in AD 14 (CIL III 7301).
Unpublished