[Authors and titles are listed at the end of the review]
Studia epigraphica et militaria is a collection of papers edited by Marietta Horster, Olga Pelcer-Vujačić, and Snežana Ferjančić that, for the most part, does exactly what it says on the cover: it brings together epigraphic and military studies concerning various facets of life in the Roman world, from social history and funerary commemoration to camp life and religion. As the subtitle attests, the volume is dedicated to Prof. Miroslava Mirković (b. 1933), who passed away on May 3rd, 2020. This explains its scope, for Mirković was a significant figure in the epigraphy of Pannonia and its surrounding provinces, as well as a respected Roman army scholar.[1] Amongst myriad other accomplishments,[2] she contributed to Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum XVII and the new (re)edition of CIL III, authored and co-authored volumes of Inscriptions de la Mésie supérieure, and published the epigraphic corpus of ‘Municipium S( )’ at Komini in modern Montenegro.[3] The essence of her work is aptly summarised in the subtitle of the introduction to this volume: ‘Exploring Roman (provincial) lives (mostly) through inscriptions’. Like most ‘in memoriams’ or Festschriften, this volume is a space for colleagues, students, and collaborators to offer papers of this same essence and on “other aspects so dear to” Mirković (p. 1). In this regard, the volume is successful.
Following a succinct introduction linking most of the contributions to the work or passions of Mirković (von Bülow’s contribution goes unmentioned),[4] there are eighteen contributions, composed in English, German, or Italian. The works are split into three sections: ‘Epigraphica from Pannonia’, ‘Militaria’, and ‘Regions neighbouring Pannonia’. An index of sources is provided, but not of terms or places.
‘Epigraphica from Pannonia’ begins with three papers concerned in some way with Sirmium (Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia), whose “most ardent and meticulous historian” Mirković was (p. 6). Using epigraphic evidence, Snežana Ferjančić re-examines its Flavian origins as a veteran colony, concluding that the original veterans hailed from either the legions or fleets, and that individual cases (viritim) of veteran settlement occurred in the wider region from the mid-first to third century CE. Ivana Popović gives a well-illustrated archaeological and epigraphic study of fourth to fifth century CE marble mensae (tabletops) in lower Pannonia and the Balkan hinterland. Popović categorises mensae into two broad types and uses them to contextualise Sirmium and lower Pannonia into wider networks of cultural exchange with the Mediterranean and the eastern Balkans, while also observing evidence of Christian engagement with the practice. Examining over 110 inscriptions (pp. 66-74, Tabs. 1-2), Julijana Visočnik conducts a comparative study of votive inscriptions concerning beneficiarii (soldiers performing administrative duties stationed in stationes or ‘stations’) from Sirmium and Celeia in Noricum, noting differences in various aspects such as lengths of service and the deities honoured by the inscriptions. For instance, both sites show evidence of dedications to local deities and/or genii.
In contrast, Péter Kovács focuses on a single lost inscription (CIL III 3332) from Intercisa (Dunaújváros, Hungary). Drawing upon other evidence from the site and the wider Danube, Kovács meticulously argues that the building inscription dates to the reign of either Caracalla or Commodus (offering reconstructions for both possibilities, p. 88). Ekkehard Weber studies five monuments from Serbia held in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, contextualising several, such as a large column milestone from Sirmium (CIL III 3705; 10617), which provides evidence for the restoration of road systems under Constantius II (354/5 CE). Ingrid Weber-Hiden analyses over 300 inscribed monuments from northwest Pannonia, the vast majority of which are stelae belonging to the local Celtic population. Following in-depth typological, chronological, and palaeographic analyses, Weber-Hiden makes several astute observations concerning the practices of these groups, such as their adaptation of templates from Carnuntum and affinity for funerary portraiture.
The ‘Militaria’ section is similarly varied in approach and evidence. Piotr Dyczek gives a well-documented snapshot of daily life in the wooden castrum at Novae (Bulgaria) in Moesia Inferior between 45-69 CE. Using references to surviving structures, such as the mortared floors of the centurion’s quarters (p. 149, fig. 7), and artefacts, such as a “rich repertoire of terra sigillata vessels” (p. 150) and a nectarine stone (p. 151), Dyczek illuminates the relatively high standard of living for some members of legio VII Augusta. In similar fashion to Kovács, Zsolt Visy publishes a newly uncovered building inscription from the fort at Inlaceni/Énlaka (Romania) in Dacia Superior which dates the construction of the fort to 149 CE and identifies those responsible: cohors VII Raetorum.
Attention is then turned to diplomata militaria (‘military diplomas’), something Mirković was well acquainted with (pp. 2, n.5; 165, n. 1). Werner Eck and Andreas Pangerl showcase their prosopographical expertise by publishing a diploma for a veteran of ala IIII Flaviana from July 193 CE, contextualising it within the political climate of Septimius Severus’ early reign. Manfred Hainzmann studies 97 diplomas (73 to 306 CE) containing the ‘privilege paragraph’ that granted praetorian guards and urban cohorts the right of conubium (marriage) with non-citizens. Conducting fine-grained analyses of a range of linguistic features (e.g. syntax and orthography) on the extrinsecus and intus (inward and outward leaves) of the diplomas, Hainzmann fashions a template that will no doubt be of great use in future reconstructions. On the theme of marriage, Wolfgang Spickermann sheds light on the familial and religious dimension of camp life in the Gallic and Germanic provinces with 20 votive inscriptions referring to military wives or children of various walks of life. Moving to late antiquity, Fritz Mithoff’s paper uses an unpublished military provision papyrus from Egypt naming detachments of numeri Dacorum and Sextodalmatarum (Papyrus Vindobonensis G 30121) to offer a glimpse of military organisation, unit deployments, and potential links between the Danube and Egypt in the fifth to sixth centuries CE.[5]
Dino Demicheli opens up the final section by reinterpreting a third-century CE votive altar dedicated by a beneficiarius of legio XI Claudia at Salona (Solin, Croatia) (AE 1989, 602).[6] Refuting previous reconstructions, Demicheli argues that the altar was dedicated to the Moesian deity Porobonus and constitutes evidence of the spread of religious cults via the mobility of military servicemen. Lenče Jovanova’s paper, published posthumously, draws attention to three third-century CE milestones re-used in late antique structures at Scupi (Skopje, North Maceondia). Excavated in 2008, these speak to the changing political and strategic landscape of the Balkans during this tumultuous period. Votive monuments and deities are centre stage again in Olga Pelcer-Vujačić’s contribution, which focuses in on Municipium S( ) or ‘Splonistarum’ (p. 300). Alongside common deities such as Jupiter Optimus Maximus, there are several dedications to Silvanus, attesting to his unique prominence in the wider region,[7] as well as other deities associated with forests, nature, and hunting—which Pelcer-Vujačić attributes to a local appreciation of the natural environment (p. 317). Taking inspiration from work conducted by Mirković in the 1980s and 1990s, Gerda von Bülow looks to the archaeological evidence at Gamizgrad-Romuliana near Zaječar, Serbia (Dacia Ripensis) to explore the differences between ‘fortified villas’ and ‘palaces’ in the third to fourth century CE. For von Bülow, the answer lies in the public presentation of their layouts, something she demonstrates using the findings from excavations and magnetometry surveys of the palace at Romuliana and the villa ‘extra muros’ to its north.
The penultimate paper is the most provocative (as the editors acknowledge, p. 2). Karl Strobel argues that an inscription from Magdalensberg (Austria) recording the eight civitates of Noricum provides evidence for an early Augustan (ca. 14-12 BCE) concilium provinciae (provincial council). Though Strobel brings a significant depth of historical knowledge, more evidence will likely be needed before this hypothesis is widely accepted. Finally, Livio Zerbini presents a short yet critically engaged paper arguing that the sculptural program of the arch of Trajan in Benevento (Italy) presented Trajan as optimus princeps. Zerbini works from this to convincingly identify one of the fragmented figures as Spes Augusta (‘hope’), looking to numismatic evidence for comparanda. Though these last two papers are arguably the farthest removed from the work of Mirković, their historical contextualisation of seemingly small pieces of evidence with broader political and social developments is very much in tune with it.
The volume seems to be aimed at a specialist audience, with no definitions provided for some key terms such as viritim settlements (Ferjančić) and mensae (Popović). However, this is not the case throughout, with statio defined by Visočnik (p. 47). In addition, the preliminary remarks of Hainzmann, which set out his approach and terminology, help navigate what is a highly technical paper. A map with key sites for the whole volume would have been a nice addition to help the uninitiated, but this is more a personal preference than an academic norm, with smaller maps given in several of the contributions. On this, in addition to some small typesetting errors,[8] the publisher failed to catch that the maps in Dyczek’s paper are swapped (figs. 1-2, pp. 142-3) and that the Trajanic coin in Zerbini’s contribution is too small to be of use to the reader (p. 369, fig. 4).
Nevertheless, these small issues do not detract from a strong collection of papers, which, whilst varied in foci, reveal what can be achieved with a few good epigraphic or papyrological materials (or quite a few, e.g., Weber-Hiden) and/or some archaeological evidence, an attention to detail, and a strong grasp of the historical context of the wider region. This predominance of epigraphy combined with archaeological materials and historical expertise is characteristic of Roman frontier studies / Limesforschungen and, more broadly, Roman army studies (RAS), especially relevant for some of the military papers (e.g., Mithoff, Eck and Pangerl).[9] In these fields, critical questions surrounding identity, hybridity, gender, and so forth are being increasingly examined.[10] Whilst not central to this volume, these themes are by no means absent, with multiculturalism addressed by Demicheli and Zerbini discussing the nature of imperial ideology and propaganda. Moreover, the evidence cited and conclusions presented offer opportunities for future critically engaged analyses if one wishes. Spickermann’s findings, for instance, could be combined with our growing appreciation of the archaeological evidence for women in camp spaces.[11]
Indeed, this is where the work truly excels. Be it the rare archaeological remains of daily life in a wooden castrum (Dyczek), a mostly preserved snapshot of the entire sequence of beneficiarii at a single statio (Visočnik), or milestones offering insights into the road (re)building efforts of the tumultuous third century CE (Weber, Jovanova), this volume illuminates the great range of valuable material available in the region(s) Mirković was passionate about. Furthermore, it showcases the expertise of the scholars hailing from (or concerned with) these regions for all to see.
This volume will be of primary interest to scholars of the Danubian and Balkan provinces, the Roman army, and epigraphy, though as one will notice from the summaries provided above, those interested in religion, provincial archaeology, late antiquity, road networks, activities of the emperors, and more will find relevant discussions and materials.[12]
Bibliography
Alföldy, G., B. Dobson and W. Eck (eds). 2000. Kaiser, Heer und Gesellschaft in der Römischen Kaiserzeit: Gedenkschrift für Eric Birley. Heidelberger althistorische Beiträge und epigraphische Studien, 31. Stuttgart: F. Steiner.
Brice, L. L., and E. M. Greene (eds). 2024. Women and the Army in the Roman Empire. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781107705982.
Curta, F., and I. Stamati. 2021. Women Archaeologists under Communism, 1917-1989: Breaking the Glass Ceiling. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87520-6
van Enckevort, H., H. Driessen, E. Graafstal, T. Hazenberg, T. Ivleva, and C. van Driel-Murray (eds). 2024. Living and Dying on the Roman Frontier and beyond. Proceedings of the 25th International Congress of Roman Frontier Studies 3. Leiden: Sidestone press. https://doi.org/10.59641/1b090en.
Kaić, I., and M. Cvetko. 2024. ‘Female Archaeologists and Roman Military Research in Croatia’. In H. van Enckevort, M. Driessen, E. Graafstal, T. Hazenberg, T. Ivleva and C. van Driel-Murray (eds). Current Approaches to Roman Frontiers. Proceedings of the 25th International Congress of Roman Frontier Studies 1. Leiden: Sidestone Press: 73–81. https://doi.org/10.59641/3d278gp.
Mirković, M. 1986. Inscriptions de La Mésie Supérieure. Vol. II. Viminacium et Margum. Belgrade: Centre for Ancient Epigraphy and Numismatics, University of Belgrade.
Mirković, M. 2012. Municipium S( ): A Roman Town in the Central Balkans, Komini near Pljevlja, Montenegro. Oxford: BAR Publishing. https://doi.org/10.30861/9781407309439.
Mirković, M., and S. Dušanić. 1976. Inscriptions de la Mésie supérieure. Vol. I, Singidunum et le Nord-Ouest de la Province. Belgrade: Centre for Ancient Epigraphy and Numismatics, University of Belgrade.
Novaković, P. 2021. The History of Archaeology in the Western Balkans. Ljubljana: Ljubljana University Press, Faculty of Arts. https://doi.org/10.4312/9789610605393.
Perinić, L. 2017. The Nature and Origin of the Cult of Silvanus in the Roman Provinces of Dalmatia and Pannonia. Oxford: Archaeopress. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv177tjgv.
Stefanovic, D. 2020. ‘In Memoriam Prof. Dr Miroslava Mirković (1933-2020)’. Београдски Историјски Гласник / Belgrade Historical Review XI: 217–19.
Authors and titles
Marietta Horster, Olga Pelcer-Vujačić and Snežana Ferjančić — Introduction: Exploring Roman (provincial) lives (mostly) through inscriptions
Epigraphica from Pannonia
Snežana Ferjančić — Sirmium and the veterans of the Roman army
Ivana Popović — Marble mensae from Sirmium as a mediterranean tradition accepted by the early Christians
Julijana Visočnik — Beneficiarii in Celeia and Sirmium – analogy and contrast
Péter Kovács — A Roman inscription from Intercisa and Marsigli
Ekkehard Weber — Die römischen Inschriften aus Serbien im Kunsthistorischen Museum in Wien
Ingrid Weber-Hiden — Zur Chronologie und Form der Inschriftendenkmäler im nordwestlichen Pannonien
Militaria
Piotr Dyczek — Everyday life of the legionaries from legio VIII Augusta at the castrum Novae: building a “home” on the Lower Danubian limes
Zsolt Visy — Eine neue Inschrift der cohors VIII Raetorum aus Inlăceni/Énlaka
Werner Eck and Andreas Pangerl — Septimius Severus Augustus während seines Romaufenthalts im Jahr 193 n.Chr.
Manfred Hainzmann — Ius tribuo conubii: Beobachtungen zum Privilegienparagraphen der Prätorianerdiplome
Wolfgang Spickermann — Die Soldatengattin in der Öffentlichkeit. Weihungen von Frauen und Ehepaaren aus dem Umfeld des römischen Heeres in Gallien und Germanien
Fritz Mitthof — Daci und Sextodalmatae: Neue Evidenz zu zwei spätantiken Militäreinheiten
Regions neighbouring Pannonia
Dino Demicheli — A votive altar of the god Porobonus from Salona
Lenče Jovanova — Three new milestones from Scupi of the emperors Elagabalus (or Severus Alexander?), Traianus Decius, and of the joined rule of Valerianus I with Gallienus
Olga Pelcer-Vujačić — The gods of Municipium “S”
Gerda von Bülow — Eine neu entdeckte villa im Umfeld des Palastes Romuliana-Gamzigrad
Karl Strobel — Überlegungen zum concilium provinciae in regno Norico und zu einer neuen Rekonstruktion der augusteischen Ehreninschriften vom Magdalensberg
Livio Zerbini — Traiano e la raffigurazione della Spes Augusta nell’Arco di Traiano a Benevento
Notes
[1] Women have long been active in the archaeology, history, and epigraphy of southeastern Europe (Novaković 2021, 431; Curta and Stamati 202; Kaić and Cvetko 2024).
[2] For a list of monographs and a touching tribute, see Stefanović 2020.
[3] Mirković and Dušanić 1976; Mirković 1986; 2012.
[4] Nonetheless the contribution is undoubtedly at home in the volume, being concerned with Gamizgrad-Romuliana, which Mirković studied several times (pp. 323-4).
[5] The papyrus is held in the Austrian National Library in Vienna and recorded as being from Egypt. Though it is to be published fully in a forthcoming work, “Die eigentliche Edition wird Verfasser in dem in Vorbereitung befindlichen Wiener Editionsband P. Palme vorlegen” (p. 235, n. 1), it is currently unpublished. Therefore, it should be noted that this object may have been acquired after 14 November, 1970; no evidence of its documentation before that date or its legal export from the country of origin was found by the author of this review.
[6] The transcription in L’Année Epigraphique is the previous reconstruction.
[7] Perinić 2017.
[8] E.g. ‘barak’ (p. 148), ‘medicla’ (p. 150). The list on p. 84 also seems to have incorrect numbering.
[9] E.g. Alföldy, Dobson and Eck (eds.) 2000.
[10] E.g. some of the contributions to van Enckevort et al. (eds) 2024.
[11] Brice and Greene (eds) 2024.
[12] The online indexation of the chapters with individual DOIs by De Gruyter should make them easily locatable.