Query: A Hadrianic boundary marker from Bulgaria
Yesterday I posted an article on my blog entitled “Demarcation between the T(h)races and Moesi“. I have a photograph of an inscribed boundary marker — which clearly belongs to a well-documented instance of boundary demarcation in AD 135 — but have not been able to find a corresponding publication of this particular text. I do know of 8 other relevant published markers.
I’m hoping CurEp readers can help.
[...] My query about a Hadrianic boundary marker from Bulgaria was occasioned by a demo that Sean Gillies and I (mostly Sean) worked up for online epigraphic image annotation using some free, open-source software called OpenLayers. Sean blogged about the demo, and this has provoked some inquiries from folks in the geospatial computing community, like this one from Paul Ramsey: What’s the use case for digitized inscriptions? I don’t comprehend. [...]
Pingback by Current Epigraphy » Epigraphic Digitization and Imagery Annotation — 22 February, 2008 @ 16:06
13 of these boundary markers have been found so far. Your photograph is of the first one of the four inscriptions published by I. Hristov in Minalo (with numerous errors).
The texts of the four inscriptions (revised by myself):
1. Hristov, p. 5-6, no. 1. Dimensions: 90 x 60 x 24 cm, letters: 4 - 4,4 cm.
Ex auctoritate | Imp(eratoris) Cae(saris), divi | Tra(iani) Parthi(ci) fil(ii), di|vi Nerv(ae) nep(otis), Tra(iani) | Had(riani) Aug(usti), p(atris) p(atriae), po|ntif(icis) maxi(mi), trib(unicia) pot(estate) | XX, co(n)s(ulis) III, M(arcus) Anti|us Rufinus inter | Thracas et Moe|sos fines posuit.
Ligatures: L. 1: AV, IT, TE; L. 3: THI, IL; L. 4: NE, RV, NE; L. 5: AV; L. 6: NTIF, MA; L. 7: NTI; L. 8: RV, IN, INTE; L. 9: THR; L. 10: INE, IT.
2. p. 6, no. 2. Dimensions: 125 x 60 x 22 cm, letters: 4 - 4,4 cm.
Ex auctoritate | Imp(eratoris) Cae(saris), divi | Tra(iani) Parthi(ci) fil(ii), divi | Nerv(ae) nep(otis), Tra(iani) Had(riani) | Aug(usti), p(atris) p(atriae), pontif(icis) maxi(mi), | trib(unicia) pot(estate) XX, co(n)s(ulis) III, | M(arcus) Antius Rufinus | inter Thrac(as) et Moe|sos fines posuit.
Ligatures: L. 1: AV, IT, TE; L. 2: DI; L. 3: TR, THI, IL, DI; L. 4: NE, RV, NE, TR; L. 5: AV, NTIF, MA; L. 6: TR, IB; L. 7: NTI, RV, IN; L. 8: INTE, THR; L. 10: INE, IT.
3. p. 6, no. 3. Dimensions: 136 x 58 x 19 cm, letters: 4 - 4,4 cm.
Ex auctoritate | Imp(eratoris) Caes(aris), divi | Tra(iani) Parthi(ci) fil(ii), | divi Nerv(ae) nep(otis), | Tra(iani) Had(riani) Aug(usti), | p(atris) p(atriae), pontif(icis) maxi(mi), | trib(unicia) pot(estate) XX, c(onsulis) III, | M(arcus) Antius Rufinus | inter Thrac(as) et | Moesos fines | posuit.
Ligatures: L. 1: AV, IT, TE; L. 2: AE, DI; L. 3: THI, IL; L. 4: DI, NE, RV, NE; L. 5: AV; L. 6: NTIF, MA; L. 8: NTI, RV, FINV; L. 9: NTE, THR; L. 10: INE; L. 11: IT.
4. p. 6-7, no. 4. Dimensions: 125 x 62 x 23 cm, letters: 4 cm.
Ex auctoritate | Imp(eratoris) Cae(saris), divi | Tra(iani) Parthi(ci) fil(ii), di|vi Nerv(ae) nep(otis), Tra(iani) | Had(riani) Aug(usti), p(atris) p(atriae), | pontif(icis) max(imi), trib(unicia) | pot(estate) XX, co(n)s(ulis) III, | M(arcus) Antius Rufinus | inter Thrac(as) et Moe|sos fines posuit.
Ligatures: L. 1: AV, IT, TE; L. 2: DI; L. 3: TR, THI, IL, DI; L. 4: INE, RV, NE, TR; L. 5: AV; L. 6: NTIF, IB; L. 8: NTI, FIN; L. 9: INTE, THR; L. 10: INE, IT.
A graffito incised in the lower part of the stone:
N
IIII +
i.e. n(umero) IIII.
Comment by N.S. — 26 February, 2008 @ 00:18
Thanks for the generous and timely response!
Comment by Tom Elliott — 26 February, 2008 @ 00:55