There are many secrets and mysteries in the history of mankind. Many dark spots are gradually revealed with the help of archeology. During excavations in Pompeii, archaeologists discovered an interesting burial. In particular, a military official who served during the time of Emperor Augustus. What is so interesting about the find? What aspects were revealed?
Discovery of the burial
Workers were building an air chamber in Pompeii. It is necessary to remove moisture from the premises. During the work, an ancient burial was discovered. It dates back to the period of Augustus' last conquests. The tomb became the last refuge of a military official of the Roman Empire.
The identity of the official and details of the find
During construction work, a small part of the burial was discovered. After further excavations, it was possible to discover a semicircular tomb, known as a "schola". It has the appearance of a bench, which ends with a product that looks like a "lion's paw".
Later, they managed to get to the back of the bench. The inscription remained on it: "N(umerius) AGRESTINUS N(umerius) F(ilius) EQUITUS PULCHER TRIB(unus) MIL(itum) PRAEF(ectus) AUTRYGON(um) PRAEF(ectus) FABR(um) II D(uum)V(irus) I(ure) D(icundo) ITER(um) LOCUS SEPULTURAE DATUS D(ecreto) D(ecurionum)".
The decoding (translation) of the inscription was done by the professor of Latin Maria Chiara Scappaticcio and the professor of Roman history Alberto Dalla Rosa.
Historians believe that the deceased was Numerius Agrestinus. In addition, the inscription indicated what positions he held. In particular, he was a military tribune and perfect engineers and autrigones. In addition, he held the highest position in Pompeii twice.
Connection with another burial
Unexpectedly for themselves, historians discovered a connection with a burial in the necropolis of Porta Nocera. It turns out that the wife of this official was buried there. She perpetuated the memory of herself and her husband by erecting a monument.
Interesting facts
The title of the deceased is curious. Praefectus Autrygonum. It turns out that this official commanded the Autrygones. This is a people who lived in the northern part of Spain. It turns out that Numerius took part in the Contabrian Wars under the leadership of Augustus.
Some conclusions
The discovery of the tomb allows us to reveal the features of the organization of Roman power during the transition from the republic to the empire. The director of the Pompeii archaeological park, Gabriel Zuchtrigel, points out that this inscription allows us to understand the system of power. The threads connecting the elites of the empire. After all, at that time, many received rewards for special merits in military service in the conflict zone. They were granted social prestige and economic benefits. So it turns out that Numerius Agrestin was devoted to his cause and the Roman Empire.
In the future, I plan to speak more often on historical topics.