Biographie d'un centurion - article ; n°1 ; vol.27, pg 53-68

Jean-Marie Lassère

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Antiquités africaines - Année 1991 - Volume 27 - Numéro 1 - Pages 53-68
The inscription on the mausoleum of the Petronii (which Ch. Saumagne formerly revised) acquaints us with the centurion [M. Petronius] Fortunatus who served for a very long time with thirteen legions. He was probably serving either with the IIIrd Gallica or with the expeditionary forces sent to the East by the IIIrd Augusta in 195 A.D. when he was given the dona militaria. This point of reference, if accepted, induces to assume that he was born about 154-155 A.D. in Africa, where his tria nomina have nothing unusual. He was called up in Moesia about 172, for the bellum sarmaticum. In spite of his long time in the Service and many distinctions, he never succeeded in becoming a primipilus. He retired in Cillium which is probably the hometown of his wife Claudia Marcia Capitolina. Their only son, who bore his father's names, also served as a centurion, but he died young. The mausoleum that the veteran built reminds the one of the Flavii by its architecture, as well as by the poem engraved on it, of which only a few lines are still extant.
The inscription on the mausoleum of the Petronii (which Ch. Saumagne formerly revised) acquaints us with the centurion [M. Petronius] Fortunatus who served for a very long time with thirteen legions. He was probably serving either with the IIIrd Gallica or with the expeditionary forces sent to the East by the IIIrd Augusta in 195 A.D. when he was given the dona militaria. This point of reference, if accepted, induces to assume that he was born about 154-155 A.D. in Africa, where his tria nomina have nothing unusual. He was called up in Moesia about 172, for the bellum sarmaticum. In spite of his long time in the Service and many distinctions, he never succeeded in becoming a primipilus. He retired in Cillium which is probably the hometown of his wife Claudia Marcia Capitolina. Their only son, who bore his father's names, also served as a centurion, but he died young. The mausoleum that the veteran built reminds the one of the Flavii by its architecture, as well as by the poem engraved on it, of which only a few lines are still extant.
16 pages
Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.

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• Publié par: ANTIQUITES_AFRICAINES
• Publié le: 01 janvier 1991
• Nombre de lectures: 52
• Langue: Français
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

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Jean-Marie Lassère
Biographie d'un centurion
In: Antiquités africaines, 27,1991. pp. 53-68.
Citer ce document / Cite this document :
Lassère Jean-Marie. Biographie d'un centurion . In: Antiquités africaines, 27,1991. pp. 53-68.
doi : 10.3406/antaf.1991.1186
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/antaf_0066-4871_1991_num_27_1_1186Résumé
The inscription on the mausoleum of the Petronii (which Ch. Saumagne formerly revised) acquaints us
with the centurion [M. Petronius] Fortunatus who served for a very long time with thirteen legions. He
was probably serving either with the IIIrd Gallica or with the expeditionary forces sent to the East by the
IIIrd Augusta in 195 A.D. when he was given the dona militaria. This point of reference, if accepted,
induces to assume that he was born about 154-155 A.D. in Africa, where his tria nomina have nothing
unusual. He was called up in Moesia about 172, for the bellum sarmaticum. In spite of his long time in
the Service and many distinctions, he never succeeded in becoming a primipilus. He retired in Cillium
which is probably the hometown of his wife Claudia Marcia Capitolina. Their only son, who bore his
father's names, also served as a centurion, but he died young. The mausoleum that the veteran built
reminds the one of the Flavii by its architecture, as well as by the poem engraved on it, of which only a
few lines are still extant.
Abstract
The inscription on the mausoleum of the Petronii (which Ch. Saumagne formerly revised) acquaints us
with the centurion [M. Petronius] Fortunatus who served for a very long time with thirteen legions. He
was probably serving either with the IIIrd Gallica or with the expeditionary forces sent to the East by the
IIIrd Augusta in 195 A.D. when he was given the dona militaria. This point of reference, if accepted,
induces to assume that he was born about 154-155 A.D. in Africa, where his tria nomina have nothing
unusual. He was called up in Moesia about 172, for the bellum sarmaticum. In spite of his long time in
the Service and many distinctions, he never succeeded in becoming a primipilus. He retired in Cillium
which is probably the hometown of his wife Claudia Marcia Capitolina. Their only son, who bore his
father's names, also served as a centurion, but he died young. The mausoleum that the veteran built
reminds the one of the Flavii by its architecture, as well as by the poem engraved on it, of which only a
few lines are still extant.Antiquités africaines
t. 27, 1991, p. 53-68
BIOGRAPHIE D'UN CENTURION
(C./.L, VIII, 217-218)
par
Jean-Marie LASSÈRE*
Résumé
L'inscription du mausolée des Petronii (relue jadis par Ch. Saumagne) fait connaître le centurion [M. Petronius]
Fortunatus, dont la carrière fort longue se déroule dans treize légions. C'est probablement alors qu'il servait soit dans la ///
Gallica, soit dans le régiment de marche envoyé en Orient par la IH Augusta en 195 qu'il a reçu les dona militaría. Ce repère
admis, on peut considérer qu'il est né vers 154 ou 155 en Afrique, où sa séquence onomastique n'a rien d'anormal. Il est
incorporé en Mésie vers 172 à l'occasion du bellum sarmaticum. Malgré ses longs états de service et ses distinctions, il n'accède
pas au primipilat. Il prend sa retraite à Cillium, qui est probablement la patrie de son épouse Claudia Marcia Capitolina. Leur
fils unique, homonyme de son père, sert également comme centurion, mais meurt jeune. Le mausolée que le vétéran fait édifier
rappelle celui des Flavii par son architecture et par le poème qui l'ornait, dont il ne subsiste que quelques vers.
Abstract
The inscription on the mausoleum of the Petronii (which Ch. Saumagne formerly revised) acquaints us with the centurion
[M. Petronius] Fortunatus who served for a very long time with thirteen legions. He was probably serving either with the Illrd
Gallica or with the expeditionary forces sent to the East by the Illrd Augusta in 195 A.D. when he was given the dona militaría.
This point of reference, if accepted, induces to assume that he was born about 154-155 A.D. in Africa, where his tria nomina
have nothing unusual. He was called up in Moesia about 172, for the bellum sarmaticum. In spite of his long time in the Service
and many distinctions, he never succeeded in becoming a primipilus. He retired in Cillium which is probably the hometown
of his wife Claudia Marcia Capitolina. Their only son, who bore his father's names, also served as a centurion, but he died
young. The mausoleum that the veteran built reminds the one of the Flavii by its architecture, as well as by the poem engraved
on it, of which only a few lines are still extant.
L'intérêt que notre groupe de recherches, à Montpellier, porte depuis plusieurs années au mausolée et
à la famille des Flauti de Cillium (Kasserine) - une famille fondée par un ancien militaire dont nous ignorons
malheureusement les états de service1 - nous a conduits à tenter quelques comparaisons avec l'autre
mausolée, celui des Petronii, qui avec celui des Flauti est le seul vestige de cette série abondante de tours
* Membre du Groupe de recherches sur l'Afrique antique de l'Université de Montpellier III.
1 Voir sur ce point notre publication proche, Les Flauti de Cillium. \
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54 J.-M. LASSERE
funéraires que Grenville Temple avait vues dans la plaine de Kasserine au début du XIXe s. Plus éloigné
de la cité antique, il se retrouve enserré aujourd'hui dans les nouveaux quartiers de la ville moderne de
Kasserine, sur un trottoir, face à l'entrée des casernes, un peu avant le pont sur l'Oued Derb. Ce monument
peu étudié, et dont je dirai un mot tout à l'heure, est également, en effet, la sépulture d'une famille fondée
par un autre militaire, dont les états de service sont assez bien connus : ils sont retracés dans l'inscription
funéraire qui se trouvait en haut du monument, et qui est relativement bien conservée. Elle nous fait
connaître la carrière d'un soldat qui, engagé comme recrue dans une légion de Mésie, y est assez rapidement
devenu centurion. De là, il est passé dans douze autres légions (il a donc servi dans treize unités au total)
dont trois ne sont malheureusement pas identifiables à cause de l'état présent de l'inscription. Il reste
cependant que ce texte, par l'abondance des mutations du centurion, est, sauf erreur, le plus remarquable
de ceux qui nous ont été transmis dans cette catégorie. Aussi n'est-il pas étonnant qu'Eric Biriey lui ait
réservé une bonne place dans son article du Carnuntum Jahrbuch de 1963-1964 consacré aux promotions
et aux mutations dans l'armée romaine, II, le centurionat 2. Le même document a fait aussi l'objet d'une
notice de V. A. Maxfield dans son récent ouvrage sur les décorations militaires romaines 3. Il faut toutefois
regretter que le savant de Durham et celui d'Exeter aient, l'un et l'autre, étudié la leçon proposée par le
C.I.L., VIII 217, et reproduit par les I.L.S., n°2658, et n'aient pas tenu compte de la relecture, par
Ch. Saumagne, d'une pierre détachée du monument et qui portait la partie droite des cinq premières lignes
de l'inscription4. Voici le texte tel qu'il doit être lu :
[..Petronius Fortunatus] militauit annis IV in leg(ione) I Ita[lica] librar (ius), tesser (arius), optio,
signifier·, (centuno)] factus ex suffragio leg(ionis) eiu[sdem,] militauit (centuno) leg(ionis) I Ital(icae),
(centuno) leg(ionis) VII[-] |5 ( (centuno) I Min(eruiae), [-], (centuno)}
leg(ionis) //[-] (centuno) leg(ionis) IH Aug(ustae), (centuno) leg(ionis) //[/] Gall(icae), (centuno) XXX V[I\p(iae), (centuno) leg(ionis) VI (Vie (trias), (centuno) leg(ionis) III Cyr(enaicae),
(centuno) leg(ionis) XV Apol(linaris), (centuno) leg(ionis) II Par(thicae), (centuno) leg(ionis) I
Adiutricis, consecutus ob uirtutem in l0 expeditionem parthicam coronam muralem uallarem, torques et
l5 Claudiae Marciae Capitolinae koniugi phaleras ; agit in diem operis perfect i annos LXXX ; sibi et
karissimae quae agit in diem operis perfect[i] annos LXV e[t] M. Pe tronío Fortunato [filio] 20 [milí\tauit
ann(os) VI (centuno) leg(ionis) X[X]II Pr[imig(eniae), (centuno) leg(ionis) II Aug(ustae) ; uixit XXV ; cui Fortunatus et Marcia parentes karissimo memoria(m) fecerunt.
L. 12-13 et 16-17 : agit in diem operis, pour egit usque ad diem..., cf Söderström, p. 42.
Pour information, le C.I.L., donnait, des cinq premières lignes, la leçon suivante :
MILITAVI[r L ANNIS IN LEG III A VG\
LIBRAR [TESSER OPTIO SIGNIFER]
FACTUS [EX SVFFRAGIO LEG IV - ]
MILITAVIfr 7 LEG II IT AL LEG VU - ]
1 LEG I MIN[ 7 LEG X GEM 7 LEG II-]
Pour s'être fondé sur le texte du C.I.L., E. Biriey