Lucius Artorius Castus
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Lucius Artorius Castus (
fl. ''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...
2nd century AD) was a
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...
military commander. A member of the ''
gens In ancient Rome, a gens ( or , ; plural: ''gentes'' ) was a family consisting of individuals who shared the same nomen and who claimed descent from a common ancestor. A branch of a gens was called a ''stirps'' (plural: ''stirpes''). The ''gen ...
Artoria'' (possibly of
Messapic Messapic (; also known as Messapian; or as Iapygian) is an extinct Indo-European language of the southeastern Italian Peninsula, once spoken in Apulia by the Iapygian peoples of the region: the ''Calabri'' and ''Salentini'' (known collectively as ...
or Etruscan origin), he has been suggested as a potential
historical basis for King Arthur The historicity of King Arthur has been debated both by academics and popular writers. While there have been many suggestions that Arthur was a real historical person, current consensus among academic historians holds him to be a mythological or ...
.


Military career according to sources

What little is known of Lucius Artorius Castus comes from inscriptions on fragments of a
sarcophagus A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Gre ...
, and a memorial plaque, found in Podstrana, on the
Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see names in other languages) is one of the four historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of the Adriatic Sea, str ...
n coast in
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...
. Although the inscriptions cannot be precisely dated, Castus probably served in the Roman army some time between the mid-late 2nd century AD or early to mid-3rd century AD.


The first inscription

The memorial inscription, which was broken into two pieces at some point prior to the 19th century and set into the wall of the Church of St Martin in Podstrana,
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...
, reads (note that "''7''" is a rendering of the symbol used by scribes to represent the word centurio; ligatured letters are indicated with underlines): D...............................M L ARTORI ........TVS ''7'' LEG III GALLICAE ITE ... VI FERRA TAE ITEM ''7'' LEG II AD ...u>TEM ''7'' LEG V M C ITEM P P EIVSDEM ..PRAEPOSITO CLASSIS MISENATIVM .u>AEFF LEG VI VICTRICIS DVCI LEGG .. BRITANICI MIARVM ADVERSVS ARM ... PROC CENTE NARIO PROVINCIAE LI ...GLADI VI VVS IPSE SIBI ET SVIS ... .. Manfred Clauss of the Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss-Slaby (EDCS), following the readings and expansions provided in CIL 03, 01919; CIL 03, 08513; CIL 03, 12813; Dessau 2770; IDRE-02, 303; BritRom-07, 00001; JIES-2019-432 expands the text as: :D(is) M(anibus) / L(ucius) Artori s Catus , (centurio) leg(ionis) / III Gallicae item tr(icis)_iem_, (centurio)_leg(ionis)_V_M(a)/c(edonicae)_item_p(rimus)_p(ilus)_eiusdem_ eg(ionis?)praeposito(!)_/_classis_Misenatium_ ref(ectus)_leg(ionis)_VI_/_Victricis_duci(!)_legg onu_Britan(n)ici/a(no)rum_adversus_Arm _proc(uratori)_cente/nario(!)_provinciae_Li (urniae?)_iuregladi(i)_vi/vus_ipse_sibi_et_suis_ osut
Hans-Georg_Pflaum Hans-Georg Pflaum (3 June 1902, Berlin – 26 December 1979, Linz) was a German-born French historian. Life Pflaum, who came from a Jewish family of industrialists, at first studied law in Breslau and Heidelberg, afterwards taking a position i ...
_offeredPflaum,_p._535.__a_slightly_different_expansion: :D(is)_M(anibus)_L(ucius)_Artori_s_Catus_(centurio)_leg(ionis)_III_Gallicae_item_ centurio)_le(ionis)_VI_Ferratae_item_(centurio)_leg(ionis)_II_Adi tricis_iem_(centurio)_V_M(acedonicae)_C(onstantis)__item_p(rimi)_p(ilus)_eiusdem_ egionis_praeposito_classis_Misenatium,_ tem_preff(ecto)_leg(ionis)_VI_Victricis,_duci_legg(ionum)_ uaru_Britanicimiarum_adversus_Arm ricano,_proc ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_ ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_te">rn(iae)_iure.html"_;"title="ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iure">ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_tet(amento) Anthony_Birley_translatesBirley,_p._355._this_as: :"To_the_Di_Manes.html" ;"title=".ex_te.html" ;"title="rn(iae)_iure.html" ;"title="ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iure">ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_te">rn(iae)_iure.html" ;"title="ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iure">ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_tet(amento) Anthony_Birley_translatesBirley,_p._355._this_as: :"To_the_Di_Manes">divine_shades,_Lucius_Artorius_Castus,_
centurion A centurion (; la, centurio , . la, centuriones, label=none; grc-gre, κεντυρίων, kentyríōn, or ) was a position in the Roman army during classical antiquity, nominally the commander of a century (), a military unit of around 80 ...
_of_the_legio_III_Gallica, Third_Legion_Gallica,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_VI_Ferrata, Sixth_Legion_Ferrata,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_II_Adiutrix, Second_Legion_Adiutrix,_also_centurion_of_the_ Fifth_Legion_Macedonica,_also_ chief_centurion_of_the_same_legion,_in_charge_of_(
Praepositus A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian Churches. Historical development The word ''praepositus'' (Latin: "set over", from ''praeponere'', "to place in front") was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary. I ...
)_the_
Misenum_fleet The ''Classis Misenensis'' ("Fleet of Misenum"), later awarded the honorifics ''praetoria'' and ''Pia Vindex'', was the senior fleet of the imperial Roman navy. History The was founded by Caesar Augustus in 27 BCE, when the fleet of Italy, u ...
,_
prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...
*_of_the_ Sixth_Legion_Victrix,_
commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...
_of_two**_British_legions_against_the_Armenians,_centenary_
procurator Procurator (with procuracy or procuratorate referring to the office itself) may refer to: * Procurator, one engaged in procuration, the action of taking care of, hence management, stewardship, agency * ''Procurator'' (Ancient Rome), the title o ...
_of_ Liburnia_with_the_ power_of_the_sword._He_himself_(set_this_up)_for_himself_and_his_family_in_his_lifetime.***" *Note_that_the_double_-ff-_in_PRAEFF_should_be_indicative_of_the_plural_(often_dual),_though_it_might_be_a_scribal_error_here.Egbert,_p._447. **Birley_follows_Pflaum's_expansion_of_the_text_where_ uaru_"of_two"_is_reinstated_before_Britanicimiarum.Birley,_p._355._Previous_editors_have_preferred_to_restore_the_word_as_''alarum''_"to/for_the_alae",_which_may_make_better_sense_if_''duci_legg''_is_to_be_understood_as_the_title_dux_legionum. ***Birley_does_not_translate_the_final_phrase,_ ..ex_tet(amento),_which_(if_correct)_should_be_rendered_"...according_to_the_terms_of_(his)_will"Dixon,_Southern,_p._240. As_of_2009,_the_two_stone_fragments_bearing_this_inscription_have_been_removed_from_the_wall_of_the_Church_of_St._Martin_for_scientific_analysis_and_restoration;_they_have_since_been_replaced_by_a_copy.__As_of_2012_the_large_inscription_had_been_cleaned_and_returned_to_display_in_the_Chapel_of_St._Martin_in_Podstrana,_Croatia.__The_smaller_inscription_is_still_in_storage_in_the_museum.__The_piece_bearing_the_name_Castus_can_still_be_located.__The_other_two_pieces_sent_for_cleaning_have_been_lost.__The_whereabouts_of_the_fourth_piece_remains_unknown.


_The_second_inscription

The_memorial_plaque,_which_was_discovered_not_far_away_from_the_first_inscription_and_was_also_broken_at_some_point_prior_to_the_19th_century,_reads: _L_ARTORIVS _CASTVS_P__P _LEG_V_MA PR _AEFEC S_LEG _VI_VICTRIC _ .... Which_Clauss_(following_CIL_03,_12791_(p_2258,_2328,120);_CIL_03,_14224;_IDRE-02,_304),_expands:_
L(ucius)_Artorius_, _Castus_p(rimus)_p(ilus)_, _leg(ionis)_V_Ma (edonicae)pr, aefec s_leg(ionis)_, _VI_Victric(is), _.. Translated:_
Lucius_Artorius_Castus,_Primus_Pilus_of_the_legion_V_Macedonica,_Prefect_of_the_Legion_VI_Victrix_ ...


_Possible_third_inscription

An_undated,_unprovenanced_inscription_on_a_stamp,_supposedly_discovered_in_Rome_but_recorded_as_being_in_Paris_in_the_19th_century_reads: _•_LVCI_•
_•_ARTORI_
_•_CASTI_•_ As_inscription_shows_the_text_is_in_the_genitive_form._In_fact,_the_rendered_expansion_will_be_Lucii_Artorii_Casti_which_means:_(It_belongs_to)_Lucius_Artorius_Castus. Without_further_information_on_the_inscription,_we_cannot_say_whether_or_not_it_refers_to_our_Lucius_Artorius_Castus,_or_simply_another_man_of_the_same_name.


_Units_and_ranks_mentioned


_Centurion_of_Legio_III_Gallica

The_first_unit_mentioned_on_Castus's_inscription_is_the_
legio_III_Gallica Legio III Gallica ( Third Legion "Gallic") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. The cognomen ''Gallica'' suggests that its earliest recruits came from veterans of the Gallic legions of Gaius Julius Caesar, a supposition supported by it ...
_–_for_most_of_the_2nd_and_3rd_centuries_the_unit_was_stationed_in_
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
._He_held_the_rank_of_
centurion A centurion (; la, centurio , . la, centuriones, label=none; grc-gre, κεντυρίων, kentyríōn, or ) was a position in the Roman army during classical antiquity, nominally the commander of a century (), a military unit of around 80 ...
_in_this_legion_–_most_Roman_soldiers_only_achieved_the_rank_of_centurion_after_about_15–20_years_of_service,_but_it_was_not_unknown_for_some_politically_connected_civilians_of_the_equestrian_class_to_be_directly_commissioned_as_centurions_upon_entering_the_Army,_though_these_equestrian_centurions_(known_as_"ex_equite_Romano")_were_in_the_minority.Keppie_(1998),_p._179._We_cannot_tell_whether_or_not_Castus_had_a_lengthy_career_as_a_
legionary The Roman legionary (in Latin ''legionarius'', plural ''legionarii'') was a professional heavy infantryman of the Roman army after the Marian reforms. These soldiers would conquer and defend the territories of ancient Rome during the late Republ ...
_soldier_before_attaining_the_centurionate,_or_whether_he_was_directly_commissioned_at_this_rank,_as_the_vast_majority_of_career_centurions'_inscriptions_do_not_mention_any_ranks_that_they_might_have_held_below_the_centurionate.Goldsworthy,_p._31,_n._80._Successful_officers_often_omitted_the_record_of_any_ranks_lower_than_primus_pilus,Keppie_(2000),_p._168._as_Castus_did_on_his_memorial_plaque.


_Centurion_of_Legio_VI_Ferrata

From_the_middle_of_the_2nd_century_until_at_least_the_early_3rd_century_the_
legio_VI_Ferrata Legio VI Ferrata ("Sixth Ironclad Legion") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. In 30 BC it became part of the emperor Augustus's standing army. It continued in existence into the 4th century. A ''Legio VI'' fought in the Roman Republican ...
_was_stationed_in_
Judea Judea or Judaea ( or ; from he, יהודה, Standard ''Yəhūda'', Tiberian ''Yehūḏā''; el, Ἰουδαία, ; la, Iūdaea) is an ancient, historic, Biblical Hebrew, contemporaneous Latin, and the modern-day name of the mountainous so ...
.


_Centurion_of_Legio_II_Adiutrix

From_the_early_2nd_century_onward_the_
legio_II_Adiutrix Legio II Adiutrix ("Second Legion, the Rescuer"), was a legion of the Imperial Roman army founded in AD 70 by the emperor Vespasian (r. 69–79), originally composed of Roman navy marines of the '' classis Ravennatis''. There are still records ...
_were_based_at_
Aquincum Aquincum (, ) was an ancient city, situated on the northeastern borders of the province of Pannonia within the Roman Empire. The ruins of the city can be found today in Budapest, the capital city of Hungary. It is believed that Marcus Aurelius w ...
_(modern_
Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population o ...
)_and_took_part_in_several_notable_campaigns_against_the_
Parthians Parthian may be: Historical * A demonym "of Parthia", a region of north-eastern of Greater Iran * Parthian Empire (247 BC – 224 AD) * Parthian language, a now-extinct Middle Iranian language * Parthian shot, an archery skill famously employed by ...
,_
Marcomanni The Marcomanni were a Germanic people * * * that established a powerful kingdom north of the Danube, somewhere near modern Bohemia, during the peak of power of the nearby Roman Empire. According to Tacitus and Strabo, they were Suebian. O ...
,_
Quadi The Quadi were a Germanic * * * people who lived approximately in the area of modern Moravia in the time of the Roman Empire. The only surviving contemporary reports about the Germanic tribe are those of the Romans, whose empire had its bord ...
_and,_in_the_mid-3rd_century,_the_
Sassanid The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the History of Iran, last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th cen ...
_empire.


_Centurion_and_Primus_Pilus_of_Legio_V_Macedonica

The_ legio_V_Macedonica_was_based_in_
Roman_Dacia Roman Dacia ( ; also known as Dacia Traiana, ; or Dacia Felix, 'Fertile/Happy Dacia') was a Roman province, province of the Roman Empire from 106 to 271–275 AD. Its territory consisted of what are now the regions of Oltenia, Transylvania a ...
_throughout_the_2nd_century_and_through_most_of_the_3rd_–_the_unit_took_part_in_battles_against_the_
Marcomanni The Marcomanni were a Germanic people * * * that established a powerful kingdom north of the Danube, somewhere near modern Bohemia, during the peak of power of the nearby Roman Empire. According to Tacitus and Strabo, they were Suebian. O ...
,_
Sarmatians The Sarmatians (; grc, Σαρμαται, Sarmatai; Latin: ) were a large confederation of ancient Eastern Iranian equestrian nomadic peoples of classical antiquity who dominated the Pontic steppe from about the 3rd century BC to the 4th cen ...
_and_
Quadi The Quadi were a Germanic * * * people who lived approximately in the area of modern Moravia in the time of the Roman Empire. The only surviving contemporary reports about the Germanic tribe are those of the Romans, whose empire had its bord ...
. The_legio_V_Macedonica_after_185_CE_was_called_''Pia_Fidelis''_or_''Pia_Constans''_(shortened_as_P.F._or_P.C.),_so_Castus_served_in_this_unit_as_
centurion A centurion (; la, centurio , . la, centuriones, label=none; grc-gre, κεντυρίων, kentyríōn, or ) was a position in the Roman army during classical antiquity, nominally the commander of a century (), a military unit of around 80 ...
_and_
primus_pilus The ''primus pilus'' or ''primipilus'' was the senior centurion of the first cohort in a Roman legion, a formation of five double-strength centuries of 160 men, was called the ''primus pilus''; he was a career soldier and advisor to the le ...
_before_185_CE_(in_the_inscription_these_nicknames_are_missing).


_Praepositus_of_the_Misenum_fleet

Castus_next_acted_as_Provost_(
Praepositus A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian Churches. Historical development The word ''praepositus'' (Latin: "set over", from ''praeponere'', "to place in front") was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary. I ...
)_of_the_
Misenum_fleet The ''Classis Misenensis'' ("Fleet of Misenum"), later awarded the honorifics ''praetoria'' and ''Pia Vindex'', was the senior fleet of the imperial Roman navy. History The was founded by Caesar Augustus in 27 BCE, when the fleet of Italy, u ...
_in_Italy._This_title_(generally_given_to_ ''Equites'')_indicated_a_special_command__over_a_body_of_troops,_but_somewhat_limited_in_action_and_subject_to_the_Emperor's_control.


_Praefectus_of_Legio_VI_Victrix

The_
Legio_VI_Victrix Legio VI Victrix ("Victorious Sixth Legion") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army founded in 41 BC by the general Octavian (who, as Augustus, later became Rome's first emperor). It was the twin legion of VI ''Ferrata'' and perhaps held vet ...
_was_based_in_
Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
_from_c._122_AD_onward,_though_their_history_during_the_3rd_century_AD_is_rather_hazy._Throughout_the_2nd_century_AD_and_into_the_3rd,_the_headquarters_of_the_VI_Victrix_was_at_''Eboracum''_(modern_
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
)._The_unit_was_removed_briefly_to_''Lugdunum''_(Lyons)_in_196_AD_by_
Clodius_Albinus Decimus Clodius Albinus ( 150 – 19 February 197) was a Roman imperial pretender between 193 and 197. He was proclaimed emperor by the legions in Britain and Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula, comprising modern Spain and Portugal) after the murd ...
,_during_his_doomed_revolt_against_the_emperor_
Severus Severus is the name of various historical and fictional figures, including: ;Emperors of the Roman empire *Septimius Severus (145–211), Roman emperor from 193 to 211 (rarely known as ''Severus I.'') *Severus Caracalla (188–217), Roman emperor f ...
,_but_returned_to_York_after_the_revolt_was_quelled_–_and_the_unit_suffered_a_significant_defeat_–_in_197_AD. Castus's_position_in_the_Legio_VI_Victrix,_Prefect_of_the_Legion_(''Praefectus_Legionis''),_was_equivalent_to_that_of_the_
Praefectus_Castrorum The ''praefectus castrorum'' ("camp prefect") was, in the Roman army of the early Empire, the third most senior officer of the Roman legion after the legate (''legatus'') and the senior military tribune ('' tribunus laticlavius''), both of whom ...
.Mommsen,_Demandt,_Demandt,_p._311._Men_who_had_achieved_this_title_were_normally_50–60_years_old_and_had_been_in_the_army_most_of_their_lives,_working_their_way_up_through_the_lower_ranks_and_the_centurionate_until_they_reached_
Primus_Pilus The ''primus pilus'' or ''primipilus'' was the senior centurion of the first cohort in a Roman legion, a formation of five double-strength centuries of 160 men, was called the ''primus pilus''; he was a career soldier and advisor to the le ...
Webster,_p._113._(the_rank_seems_to_have_been_held_exclusively_by_ primipilaresDobson,_p._415._)._They_acted_as_third-in-command_to_the_legionary_commander,_the_
legatus_legionis A ''legatus'' (; anglicised as legate) was a high-ranking Roman military officer in the Roman Army, equivalent to a modern high-ranking general officer. Initially used to delegate power, the term became formalised under Augustus as the office ...
,_and_senior_
tribune Tribune () was the title of various elected officials in ancient Rome. The two most important were the tribunes of the plebs and the military tribunes. For most of Roman history, a college of ten tribunes of the plebs acted as a check on th ...
_and_could_assume_command_in_their_absence.Webster,_p._113._Their_day-to-day_duties_included_maintenance_of_the_fortress_and_management_of_the_food_supplies,_sanitation,_munitions,_equipment,_etc.Webster,_p._113.Keppie_(1998),_p._177._For_most_who_had_attained_this_rank,_it_would_be_their_last_before_retirement.Keppie_(1998),_p._177._During_battles,_the_Praefectus_Castrorum_normally_remained_at_the_unit's_home_base_with_the_reserve_troops,Smith,_Wayte,_Marindin,_p._798._so,_given_his_administrative_position_and_(probably)_advanced_age,_it_is_unlikely_that_Castus_actually_fought_in_any_battles_while_serving_in_Britain. Castus_could_have_overseen_ vexillations_of_troops_guarding_
Hadrian's_Wall Hadrian's Wall ( la, Vallum Aelium), also known as the Roman Wall, Picts' Wall, or ''Vallum Hadriani'' in Latin, is a former defensive fortification of the Roman province of Britannia, begun in AD 122 in the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. Ru ...
,_but_his_inscriptions_do_not_provide_us_with_any_precise_information_on_where_he_might_have_served_while_in_Britain._Given_his_duties_as_''Praefectus_Legionis'',_it_is_reasonable_to_assume_that_he_spent_some_–_if_not_all_–_of_his_time_in_Britain_at_the_VI_Victrix's_headquarters_in_York. It_is_interesting_that_the_title_is_spelled_(P)RAEFF_on_Castus's_sarcophagus_–_doubled_letters_at_the_end_of_abbreviated_words_on_Latin_inscriptions_usually_indicated_the_plural_(often_dual)_and_some_legions_are_known_to_have_had_multiple_praefecti_castrorum.Webster,_p._113.Keppie_(1998),_p._177._The_title_is_given_in_the_singular_on_the_memorial_plaque,_though,_so_we_might_have_a_scribal_error_on_the_sarcophagus._If_not,_then_Castus_was_probably_one_of_two_prefects_of_this_legion.


_Dux_Legionum_Trium_"Britanicimiarum"

Before_finishing_his_military_career,_Castus_led_an_expedition_of_some_note_as_a__ Dux_Legionum,_a_temporary_title_accorded_to_officers_who_were_acting_in_a_capacity_above_their_rank,_either_in_command_of_a_collection_of_troops_(generally_combined_vexillations_drawn_from_legionsBreeze,_Dobson,_p._180.)_in_transit_from_one_station_to_another_or_in_command_of_a_complete_unit_(the_former_seems_to_be_the_case_with_Castus,_since_the_units_are_spoken_of_in_the_genitive_plural).Southern,_Dixon,_p._59.


_=Adversus_*Arm ric(an)o_or_Adversus_*Arme io?

= For_many_years_it_has_been_believed_that_Castus's_expedition_was_against_the_Armoricans_(based_on_the_reading_ADVERSUS_ARM_...,_reconstructed_as_"adversus_*Armoricanos"_–_"against_the_Armoricans"_–_by_
Theodor_Mommsen Christian Matthias Theodor Mommsen (; 30 November 1817 – 1 November 1903) was a German classical scholar, historian, jurist, journalist, politician and archaeologist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest classicists of the 19th centur ...
_in_the_CIL_and_followed_by_most_subsequent_editors_of_the_inscription),_but_the_earliest_published_reading_of_the_inscription,_made_by_the_Croatian_archaeologist_ Francesco_Carrara_in_1850,_was_ADVERSUS_ARME ...Carrara,_p._23._with_a_ ligatured_ME_(no_longer_visible_on_the_stone,_possibly_due_to_weathering,_since_the_stone_has_been_exposed_to_the_elements_for_centuries_and_was_reused_as_part_of_a_roadside_wall_next_to_the_church_of_St._Martin_in_Podstrana;_the_mutilated_word_falls_along_the_broken_right-hand_edge_of_the_first_fragment_of_the_inscription)._If_Carrara's_reading_is_correct,_the_phrase_is_most_likely_to_be_reconstructed_as_"adversus_*Armenios",_i.e._"against_the_Armenians",_since_no_other_national_or_tribal_name_beginning_with_the_letters_*Arme-_is_known_from_this_time_period.Loriot,_pp._85–86. The_regional_names_ Armoricani_or_ Armorici_are_not_attested_in_any_other_Latin_inscriptions,_whereas_the_country_Armenia_and_derivatives_such_as_the_ethnic_name_ Armenii_and_personal_name_ Armeniacus_are_attested_in_numerous_Latin_inscriptions._Furthermore,_no_classical_sources_mention_any_military_action_taken_against_the_Armorici/Armoricani_(which_was_in_origin_a_regional_name_that_encompassed_a_number_of_different_tribes)_in_the_2nd_or_3rd_centuries._While_there_are_literary_references_to_(and_a_small_amount_of_archaeological_evidence_for)_minor_unrest_in_northwestern_Gaul_during_this_time_periodGalliou,_Jones,_p._118._–_often_referred_to_as,_or_associated_with,_the_rebellion_of_the_
Bagaudae Bagaudae (also spelled bacaudae) were groups of peasant insurgents in the later Roman Empire who arose during the Crisis of the Third Century, and persisted until the very end of the Western Empire, particularly in the less-Romanised areas of G ...
,_there_is_no_evidence_that_the_Bagaudae_were_connected_with_the_Armorici/Armoricani,_or_any_other_particular_tribe_or_region_for_that_matter,_making_the_possible_reference_to_the_Armorici/Armoricani_somewhat_strange_(especially_since_Armorica_otherwise_experienced_a_period_of_prosperity_in_the_late_2nd_century_AD,Galliou,_Jones,_p._117-118._when_some_scholars_believe_that_Castus's_expedition_took_place)._Armenia,_on_the_other_hand,_was_the_location_of_several_conflicts_involving_the_Romans_during_the_2nd_and_3rd_centuries. The_alternate,_"Armenian"_translation_was_supported_in_1881_by_the_epigrapher_and_classical_scholar_ Emil_Hübner,_and_most_recently_taken_up_again_by_the_historian_and_epigrapher_ Xavier_Loriot,_who_(based_on_the_contextual_and_epigraphic_evidence)_suggests_a_floruit_for_Castus_in_the_early_mid-3rd_century_ADLoriot,_pp._85–86._(Loriot's_analysis_of_the_inscription_has_recently_been_adopted_by_the_Roman_historians_
Anthony_Birley Anthony Richard Birley (8 October 1937 – 19 December 2020) was a British ancient historian, archaeologist and academic. He was the son of Margaret Isabel (Goodlet) and historian and archaeologist Eric Birley. Early life and education Anthon ...
Birley,_p._355._and_ Marie-Henriette_Quet).Quet,_p._339. With_external_wars_against_a_foreign_enemy_the_tribe_or_people_are_named._Another_example_from_the_Severan_period_reads:_duci_exercitus_Illyrica_expeditione_Asiana_item_Parthica_item_Gallica,_’Leader_of_the_Illyrican_army_on_the_Asian,_Parthian_and_Gallic_expeditions.’ There_are_also_a_number_of_literary_and_epigraphical_pieces_of_evidence_demonstrating_Roman_military_campaigns_in_Armenia_against_Armenians. In_the_Parthian_War_of_AD_161-6_under_Lucius_Verus_the_general_Priscus_led_the_advance_through_Armenia_and_captured_the_Armenian_capital_at_Artaxata.__Marcus_Aurelius_and_Lucius_Verus_subsequently_awarded_themselves_the_titles_of_Armeniacus,_Parthicus,_Medicus_and_pater_patriae._Around_ad_214–216_the_Armenia_King_Khosrov_I_was_imprisoned_by_the_Romans._The_Armenians_rebelled_and_Caracalla_sent_Theocritus_who_led_an_army_to_defeat._However_after_a_subsequent_successful_campaign_Caracalla_did_eventually_grant_the_Armenian_crown_to_Tiridates_II_c._AD_217_and_Armenia_returned_under_Roman_influence._ In_the_reign_of_Macrinus,_AD_217-8,_the_Historia_Augusta_states_there_was_a_‘dux_Armeniae_erat_et_item_legatus_Asiae_atque_Arabiae’._In_c._AD_233_Severus_Alexander_launched_a_three_prong_attack_against_the_Persians_with_the_northern_army_invading_through_Armenia._Alexander_drew_troops_from_the_Rhine_and_Danube_on_his_march_east,_and_we_have_various_inscriptions_dated_to_ad_232–5_honouring_men_who_died_in_‘expediteone_Partica_et_Armeniaca’.


_=Britanicimiarum

= The_name_of_the_units_that_Castus_led_in_this_expedition,_''"Britanicimiarum"'',_seems_to_be_corrupt_–_it_might_be_reconstructed_as_''*Britanniciniarum''_or_''*Britannicianarum''._If_so,_they_were_probably_units_similar_in_nature_to_the_'' ala''_and_''
cohors A cohort (from the Latin ''cohors'', plural ''cohortes'', see wikt:cohors for full inflection table) was a standard tactical military unit of a Roman legion. Although the standard size changed with time and situation, it was generally compos ...
_ I_Britannica''_(also_known_as_the_''I_Flavia_Britannica''_or''_Britanniciana'',_among_other_titles),_which_were_stationed_in_Britain_in_the_mid-1st_century_AD,_but_removed_to_
Vindobona Vindobona (from Gaulish ''windo-'' "white" and ''bona'' "base/bottom") was a Roman military camp on the site of the modern city of Vienna in Austria. The settlement area took on a new name in the 13th century, being changed to Berghof, or now si ...
_in_
Pannonia Pannonia (, ) was a province of the Roman Empire bounded on the north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia. Pannonia was located in the territory that is now west ...
_by_the_late_80s_AD_(they_would_later_take_part_in_
Trajan's_Parthian_War Trajan's Parthian campaign was engaged by Roman Emperor Trajan in 115 against the Parthian Empire in Mesopotamia. The war was initially successful for the Romans, but a series of setbacks, including wide-scale rebellions in the Eastern Me ...
_of_114–117_AD_and_ Trebonianus_Gallus'_Persian_war_of_252_AD).Tully,_pp._379–380.__Though_the_name_of_the_unit_was_derived_from_its_early_service_in_Britain,_the_unit_was_not_generally_composed_of_ethnic_Britons.Kennedy,_pp._249–255.Tully,_pp._380._No_units_of_this_name_are_believed_to_have_been_active_in_Britain_during_the_late_2nd_century.Kennedy,_pp._249–255. In_an_inscription_from_
Sirmium Sirmium was a city in the Roman province of Pannonia, located on the Sava river, on the site of modern Sremska Mitrovica in the Vojvodina autonomous provice of Serbia. First mentioned in the 4th century BC and originally inhabited by Illyria ...
_in_
Pannonia Pannonia (, ) was a province of the Roman Empire bounded on the north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia. Pannonia was located in the territory that is now west ...
_dating_to_the_reign_of_the_emperor_
Gallienus Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus (; c. 218 – September 268) was Roman emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260 and alone from 260 to 268. He ruled during the Crisis of the Third Century that nearly caused the collapse of the empi ...
_(CIL_3,_3228),_we_have_mention_of_ vexillations_of_legions_''*Brittan(n)icin(arum)''_("''militum_vexill(ationum)_legg(ionum)_]G]ermaniciana (um) _Brittan(n)icin(arum)''")_–_another_form_that_is_very_similar_to_the_''*Britan(n)icimiarum''_from_Castus's_inscription.


_Procurator_Centenarius_of_Liburnia

Exceptionally_talented,_experienced_and/or_connected_Praefects_Castrorum/Legionis_could_sometimes_move_on_to_higher_civilian_positions_such_as_
Procurator Procurator (with procuracy or procuratorate referring to the office itself) may refer to: * Procurator, one engaged in procuration, the action of taking care of, hence management, stewardship, agency * ''Procurator'' (Ancient Rome), the title o ...
,Webster,_p._113._which_Castus_indeed_managed_to_accomplish_after_retiring_from_the_army._He_became_'' procurator_centenarius''_(governor)_of_ Liburnia,_a_part_of_Roman_Dalmatia_ Dalmatia_(;__hr,_Dalmacija_;__it,_Dalmazia;_see__names_in_other_languages)_is_one_of_the_four_historical__regions_of_Croatia,_alongside__Croatia_proper,_Slavonia,_and__Istria._Dalmatia_is_a_narrow_belt_of_the_east_shore_of_the_Adriatic_Sea,_str_...
,_today's_Croatia ,__image_flag_____________=_Flag_of_Croatia.svg ,__image_coat_____________=_Coat_of_arms_of_Croatia.svg ,__anthem_________________=_"_Lijepa_naša_domovino"("Our_Beautiful_Homeland") ,__image_map______________=_ ,__map_caption____________=_ ,__capi_...
._(''centenarius''_indicates_that_he_received_a_salary_of_100,000_
sesterces The ''sestertius'' (plural ''sestertii''), or sesterce (plural sesterces), was an Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Roman currency, coin. During the Roman Republic it was a small, silver coin issued only on rare occasions. During the Roman Empire it w ...
_per_year). Castus_was_appointed_procurator_centenarius_of_the_province_of_Liburnia_with_ius_gladii,_the_power_to_put_anyone,_even_Senators,_to_death._Nothing_further_is_known_of_him._Other_Artorii_are_attested_in_the_area,_but_it_is_unknown_if_Lucius_Artorius_Castus_started_this_branch_of_the_family_in_Dalmatia,_or_whether_the_family_had_already_been_settled_there_prior_to_his_birth_(if_the_latter,_Castus_might_have_received_the_Liburnian_procuratorship_because_he_was_a_native_of_the_region).


_The_date_of_Lucius_Artorius_Castus's_''floruit''

No_dates_are_given_in_either_inscription,_making_it_difficult_to_offer_a_precise_date_for_them,_no_less_Lucius_Artorius_Castus's_''floruit''._The_late_French_epigraphy_expert_Xavier_Loriot_suggested_that_Lucius_Artorius_Castus's_expedition_against_the_Armenians_(as_he_reads_the_main_inscription)_could_have_taken_place_in_215_AD,_under_the_reign_of_emperor_
Caracalla Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 – 8 April 217), better known by his nickname "Caracalla" () was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. He was a member of the Severan dynasty, the elder son of Emperor ...
,_or_perhaps_later,_in_232_AD,_under_the_reign_of_
Severus_Alexander Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander (1 October 208 – 21/22 March 235) was a Roman emperor, who reigned from 222 until 235. He was the last emperor from the Severan dynasty. He succeeded his slain cousin Elagabalus in 222. Alexander himself wa ...
_(when_P._Aelius_Hammonius_led_a_Cappadocian_force_in_Severus's_Persian_war)._Three_Croatian_archaeologists_examined_the_inscriptions_in_2012,_as_part_of_an_international_conference_on_Lucius_Artorius_Castus_organized_by_authors_Linda_Malcor_and_ John_Matthews:_ Nenad_Cambi,_ Željko_Miletić,_and_ Miroslav_Glavičić._Cambi_proposes_that_Lucius_Artorius_Castus'_career_can_be_dated_to_the_late_2nd_century_AD_and_his_death_to_the_late_2nd,_or_perhaps_early_3rd_century_AD._Glavičić_dates_Lucius_Artorius_Castus's_military_career_to_the_middle-_through_late-2nd_century_AD_and_proposes_that_he_was_the_first_governor_of_the_province_of_Liburnia,_which_Glavičić_suggests_was_only_established_as_a_separate_province_from_Dalmatia_circa_184–185_AD._Miletić_dates_Lucius_Artorius_Castus's_military_career_to_circa_121–166_AD_and_his_procuratorship_of_the_province_of_Liburnia_to_circa_167–174_AD._Cambi,_Miletić,_and_Glavičić_all_accept_the_reading_''(adversus)_Armenios'',_"against_the_Armenians"_(with_Cambi_offering_''Armorios''_ n_abbreviation_of_''Armoric[ans''.html" ;"title="n.html" ;"title="n_abbreviation_of_''Armoric[an">n_abbreviation_of_''Armoric[ans''">n.html" ;"title="n_abbreviation_of_''Armoric[an">n_abbreviation_of_''Armoric[ans''as_an_alternate_possibility);_Miletić_places_the_expedition_against_the_Armenians_during_emperor_Lucius_Verus's_Roman–Parthian_War_of_161–166, Parthian_war_of_161–166_AD.


_Identification_with_King_Arthur

In_1924,_Kemp_Malone_was_the_first_to_suggest_the_possibility_that_Lucius_Artorius_Castus_was_the_inspiration_for_the_figure_of_
Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more wi ...
_in_medieval_European_literature._More_recent_champions_have_included_authors_
C._Scott_Littleton Covington Scott Littleton (July 1, 1933 – November 25, 2010) was an American anthropologist who was Professor and Chair of the Department of Anthropology at Occidental College. A co-founder of the ''Journal of Indo-European Studies'', Littleton ...
_and_Linda_Malcor._The_hypothesis_has_been_heavily_criticized_by_prominent_Arthurian_scholars_due_to_the_historical_Artorius_Castus_having_very_little_in_common_with_the_Arthurian_legends_and_the_arguments_relying_excessively_on_speculation_and_wishful_thinking. Due_to_the_significant_differences_between_the_persons_and_careers_of_the_historical_Lucius_Artorius_Castus_and_the_traditional_King_Arthur,_the_consensus_of_mainstream_historians_is_that_it_is_very_unlikely_the_former_inspired_the_latter._For_example,_Lucius_Artorius_Castus_was_not_contemporaneous_with_the_Saxon_invasions_of_Britain_in_the_5th_century_CE_which_gave_rise_to_the_Arthurian_legends,_and_some_of_the_earliest_written_references_to_Arthur_are_of_him_fighting_against_the_Saxons._The_strongest_link_between_them_may_be_the_extended_family_or_clan_name_''Artorius''_which_may_have_developed_into_the_personal_name_''Arthur'',_but_this_does_not_necessarily_mean_Lucius_Artorius_Castus_himself_inspired_the_legends._The_possibility,_however_unlikely_or_remote,_is_nonetheless_real_that_he_was_remembered_in_local_tales_that_grew_in_the_retelling._No_definitive_proof,_however,_has_yet_been_established_that_Lucius_Artorius_Castus_was_the_"real"_King_Arthur.


_Lucius_Artorius_Castus_as_King_Arthur_in_modern_entertainment

In_the_film_''
King_Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
''_(
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...
),_Lucius_Artorius_Castus_is_partially_identified_with_King_Arthur._The_film_asserts_that_Arthur's_Roman_name_was_"Artorius_Castus",_and_that_Artorius_was_an_ancestral_name_derived_from_that_of_a_famous_leader._His_''floruit''_("prime_time")_is,_however,_pushed_a_few_centuries_later_so_that_he_is_made_a_contemporary_of_the_invading_Saxons_in_the_5th_century_CE._This_would_be_in_agreement_with_native_Welsh_tradition_regarding_Arthur,_although_his_activities_are_placed_many_decades_or_sometimes_centuries_earlier_than_the_medieval_sources_assign_to_him._As_a_research_consultant_for_the_film_''
King_Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
''_(
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...
),_Linda_Malcor's_hypotheses_regarding_Lucius_Artorius_Castus_were_the_primary_inspiration_for_the_screenplay.Matthews,_John,_"An_Interview_with_David_Franzoni",_in:_Arthuriana,_Volume_14,_Number_3,_Fall_2004,_pp._115–120


_References


_Bibliography

*_Barbero,_Alessandro,_Barbari:_Immigrati,_profughi,_deportati_nell'impero_romano,_Laterza,_Bari,_2012. *_Basić_I.,_Illyrica_II,_Proceedings_of_the_International_Conference,_Šibenik,_12–15_September_2013,_pp. 309–334 *_Birley,_Anthony_R._(2000)._"Hadrian_to_the_Antonines"._In_Bowman,_Alan_K.;_Garnsey,_Peter;_Rathbone,_Dominic_(eds.)._The_Cambridge_Ancient_History,_Volume_XI:_The_High_Empire,_A.D._70–192._Cambridge:_Cambridge_University_Press._pp. 132–94._ *_Birley,_Anthony,_The_Roman_Government_of_Britain,_Oxford,_2005,_p. 355 *_Breeze,_David_John,_Dobson,_Brian,_Roman_Officers_and_Frontiers,_Franz_Steiner_Verlag,_1993,_p. 180 *_Cambi,_Nenad,_"Lucije_Artorije_Kast:_njegovi_grobišni_areal_i_sarkofag_u_Podstrani_(Sveti_Martin)_kod_Splita",_in:_N._Cambi,_J._Matthews_(eds.),_Lucius_Artorius_Castus_and_the_King_Arthur_Legend:_Proceedings_of_the_International_Scholarly_Conference_from_30_March_to_2_April_2012_/_Cambi,_Nenad;_Matthews,_John_(eds.)._Split_:_Književni_krug_Split,_2014,_pp. 29–40. *_Carrara,_Francesco,_De_scavi_di_Salona_nel_1850,_Abhandlung_der_koeniglichen_Boehmischen_Gesellschaft_der_Wissenschaften,_5_s,_7,_1851/1852,_p. 23 *_Dessau,_Hermann,_''
Inscriptiones_Latinae_Selectae ''Inscriptiones Latinae Selectae'', standard abbreviation ''ILS'', is a three-volume selection of Latin inscriptions edited by Hermann Dessau. The work was published in five parts serially from 1892 to 1916, with numerous reprints. Supporting mat ...
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*_Kennedy,_David,_"The_'ala_I'_and_'cohors_I_Britannica'",_Britannia,_Vol._8_(1977),_pp. 249–255 *_Keppie,_Lawrence,_The_Making_of_the_Roman_Army:_from_Republic_to_Empire,_University_of_Oklahoma_Press,_1998,_pp. 176–179 *_Keppie,_Lawrence,_Legions_and_veterans:_Roman_army_papers_1971–2000,_Franz_Steiner_Verlag,_2000,_p. 168. *_Klebs,_Elimar,_Dessau,_Hermann,_Prosopographia_imperii_romani_saec._I._II._III,_Deutsche_Akademie_der_Wissenschaften_zu_Berlin,_p. 155 *_Littleton,_C._Scott,_Malcor,_Linda,_From_Scythia_to_Camelot:_A_Radical_Reassessment_of_the_Legends_of_King_Arthur,_the_Knights_of_the_Round_Table_and_the_Holy_Grail,_New_York,_Garland,_2000 *_Loriot,_Xavier,_"Un_mythe_historiographique_:_l'expédition_d'Artorius_Castus_contre_les_Armoricains",_Bulletin_de_la_Société_nationale_des_antiquaires_de_France,_1997,_pp. 85–86 *_Malcor,_Linda,_"Lucius_Artorius_Castus,_Part_1:_An_Officer_and_an_Equestrian"_Heroic_Age,_1,_1999 *_Malcor,_Linda,_"Lucius_Artorius_Castus,_Part_2:_The_Battles_in_Britain"_Heroic_Age_2,_1999 *_Malone,_Kemp,_"Artorius,"_Modern_Philology_23_(1924–1925):_367–74 *_Medini,_Julian,_Provincija_Liburnija,_Diadora,_v._9,_1980,_pp. 363–436 *_Migliorati,_Guido,_Iscrizioni_per_la_ricostruzione_storica_dell’Impero_romano_da_Marco_Aurelio_a_Commodo,_EDUCatt,_Milan,_2011_ p._427-428 *_Miletić,_Željko,_"Lucius_Artorius_Castus_i_Liburnia",_in:_N._Cambi,_J._Matthews_(eds.),_Lucius_Artorius_Castus_and_the_King_Arthur_Legend:_Proceedings_of_the_International_Scholarly_Conference_from_30_March_to_2_April_2012_/_Cambi,_Nenad;_Matthews,_John_(eds.)._Split_:_Književni_krug_Split,_2014,_pp. 111–130. *_Mommsen,_Theodor_(ed.),_Corpus_Inscriptionum_Latinarum_(CIL),_vol._III,_no._1919_(p_1030,_2328,120);_no._8513;_no._12813;_no._12791_(p_2258,_2328,120);_no._14224 *_Mommsen,_Theodor,_Demandt,_Barbara,_Demandt,_Alexander,_A_history_of_Rome_under_the_emperors,_Routledge,_London_&_New_York,_1999_(new_edition),_pp. 311–312 *_Peachin,_Michael,_Iudex_vice_Caesaris:_deputy_emperors_and_the_administration_of_justice_during_the_Principate,_Volume_21_of_Heidelberger_althistorische_Beiträge_und_epigraphische_Studien,_F._Steiner,_1996,_p. 231 *_Petolescu,_C.C.,_Inscriptiones_Daciae_Romanae._Inscriptiones_extra_fines_Daciae_repertae,_Bukarest_1996_(IDRE-02) *_Pflaum,_Hans-Georg,_Les_carrières_procuratoriennes_équestres_sous_le_Haut-Empire_romain,_Paris,_1960,_p. 535 *_Quet,_Marie-Henriette,_La_"crise"_de_l'Empire_romain_de_Marc_Aurèle_à_Constantin,_Paris,_2006,_p. 339 *_Ritterling,_E._"Legio",_RE_XII,_1924,_col._106. *_Skeen,_Bradley,_"L._Artorius_Castus_and_King_Arthur",_Journal_of_Indo-European_Studies,_Volume_48,_Number_1_&_2,_Spring/Summer_2020,_pp._61-75. *_Smith,_William,_Wayte,_William,_Marindin,_George_Eden_(eds.),_A_dictionary_of_Greek_and_Roman_antiquities,_Volume_1,_Edition_3,_John_Murray,_London,_1890,_p. 798 *_Southern,_Pat,_Dixon,_Karen_R.,_The_Late_Roman_Army,_Routledge,_London,_1996,_p. 59 *_Tully,_Geoffrey_D.,_"A_Fragment_of_a_Military_Diploma_for_Pannonia_Found_in_Northern_England?",_Britannia,_Vol._36_(2005),_pp. 375–82 *_Turković_T.,_Nuove_conoscenze_sulla_Liburnia_Tarsaticensis,_Atti,_vol.XLI,2011,pp. 49–102 *_Webster,_Graham,_The_Roman_Imperial_Army_of_the_first_and_second_centuries_A.D.,_University_of_Oklahoma_Press,_edition_3,_1998,_pp. 112–114 *_Wilkes,_J._J.,_Dalmatia,_Volume_2_of_History_of_the_provinces_of_the_Roman_Empire,_Harvard_University_Press,_1969,_pp. 328–9


_External_links

*_Linda_A._Malcor's_1999_article_about_Lucius_Artorius_Castus_in_''The_Heroic_Age'',
part_1
an


Photograph
of_the_first_sarcophagus_fragment_from_Podstrana
Photograph
of_the_second_sarcophagus_fragment_from_Podstrana
Photograph
of_the_Church_of_St._Martin_in_Podstrana,_with_the_first_sarcophagus_fragment_in_the_wall,_to_the_left
The_Lucius_Artorius_Castus_Inscriptions:_A_Sourcebook
{{DEFAULTSORT:Artorius_Castus,_Lucius 2nd-century_births 2nd-century_Romans Ancient_Roman_soldiers Ancient_Romans_in_Britain Ancient_Roman_generals Historical_figures_as_candidates_of_King_Arthur Year_of_death_unknown Artoriihtml" ;"title="(centurio) le]g(ionis) VI Ferra/tae item , (centurio) leg(ionis) II Adi tr(icis) iem , (centurio) leg(ionis) V M(a)/c(edonicae) item p(rimus) p(ilus) eiusdem eg(ionis?)praeposito(!) / classis Misenatium ref(ectus) leg(ionis) VI / Victricis duci(!) legg onu Britan(n)ici/a(no)rum adversus Arm proc(uratori) cente/nario(!) provinciae Li (urniae?) iuregladi(i) vi/vus ipse sibi et suis osut
Hans-Georg Pflaum Hans-Georg Pflaum (3 June 1902, Berlin – 26 December 1979, Linz) was a German-born French historian. Life Pflaum, who came from a Jewish family of industrialists, at first studied law in Breslau and Heidelberg, afterwards taking a position i ...
offeredPflaum, p. 535. a slightly different expansion: :D(is) M(anibus) L(ucius) Artori s Catus (centurio) leg(ionis) III Gallicae item centurio) le(ionis) VI Ferratae item (centurio) leg(ionis) II Adi tricis iem (centurio) V M(acedonicae) C(onstantis) item p(rimi) p(ilus) eiusdem egionis praeposito classis Misenatium, tem preff(ecto) leg(ionis) VI Victricis, duci legg(ionum) uaru Britanicimiarum adversus Arm ricano, proc ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_ ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_te">rn(iae)_iure.html"_;"title="ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iure">ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_tet(amento) Anthony_Birley_translatesBirley,_p._355._this_as: :"To_the_ ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_te">rn(iae)_iure.html"_;"title="ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iure">ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_tet(amento) Anthony_Birley_translatesBirley,_p._355._this_as: :"To_the_Di_Manes">divine_shades,_Lucius_Artorius_Castus,_centurion_ A_centurion_(;__la,_centurio_,_.__la,_centuriones,_label=none;__grc-gre,_κεντυρίων,_kentyríōn,_or_)_was_a_position_in_the_Roman_army_during_classical_antiquity,_nominally_the_commander_of_a__century_(),_a__military_unit_of_around_80__...
_of_the_ ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_te">rn(iae)_iure.html"_;"title="ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iure">ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_tet(amento) Anthony_Birley_translatesBirley,_p._355._this_as: :"To_the_Di_Manes">divine_shades,_Lucius_Artorius_Castus,_centurion_ A_centurion_(;__la,_centurio_,_.__la,_centuriones,_label=none;__grc-gre,_κεντυρίων,_kentyríōn,_or_)_was_a_position_in_the_Roman_army_during_classical_antiquity,_nominally_the_commander_of_a__century_(),_a__military_unit_of_around_80__...
_of_the_legio_III_Gallica">Third_Legion_Gallica,_also_centurion_of_the_ ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_te">rn(iae)_iure.html"_;"title="ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iure">ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_tet(amento) Anthony_Birley_translatesBirley,_p._355._this_as: :"To_the_Di_Manes">divine_shades,_Lucius_Artorius_Castus,_centurion_ A_centurion_(;__la,_centurio_,_.__la,_centuriones,_label=none;__grc-gre,_κεντυρίων,_kentyríōn,_or_)_was_a_position_in_the_Roman_army_during_classical_antiquity,_nominally_the_commander_of_a__century_(),_a__military_unit_of_around_80__...
_of_the_legio_III_Gallica">Third_Legion_Gallica,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_VI_Ferrata">Sixth_Legion_Ferrata,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_II_Adiutrix.html" ;"title="legio_VI_Ferrata.html" ;"title="legio_III_Gallica.html" ;"title="Di_Manes.html" ;"title=".ex_te.html" ;"title="rn(iae)_iure.html" ;"title="ratori) centenario provinciae Lib ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_te">rn(iae)_iure.html"_;"title="ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iure">ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_tet(amento) Anthony_Birley_translatesBirley,_p._355._this_as: :"To_the_Di_Manes">divine_shades,_Lucius_Artorius_Castus,_centurion_ A_centurion_(;__la,_centurio_,_.__la,_centuriones,_label=none;__grc-gre,_κεντυρίων,_kentyríōn,_or_)_was_a_position_in_the_Roman_army_during_classical_antiquity,_nominally_the_commander_of_a__century_(),_a__military_unit_of_around_80__...
_of_the_legio_III_Gallica">Third_Legion_Gallica,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_VI_Ferrata">Sixth_Legion_Ferrata,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_II_Adiutrix">Second_Legion_Adiutrix,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_V_Macedonica.html" ;"title="rn(iae) iure">ratori) centenario provinciae Lib rn(iae)_iure.html"_;"title="ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iure">ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_tet(amento) Anthony_Birley_translatesBirley,_p._355._this_as: :"To_the_Di_Manes">divine_shades,_Lucius_Artorius_Castus,_centurion_ A_centurion_(;__la,_centurio_,_.__la,_centuriones,_label=none;__grc-gre,_κεντυρίων,_kentyríōn,_or_)_was_a_position_in_the_Roman_army_during_classical_antiquity,_nominally_the_commander_of_a__century_(),_a__military_unit_of_around_80__...
_of_the_legio_III_Gallica">Third_Legion_Gallica,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_VI_Ferrata">Sixth_Legion_Ferrata,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_II_Adiutrix">Second_Legion_Adiutrix,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_V_Macedonica">Fifth_Legion_Macedonica,_also_
rn(iae)_iure.html"_;"title="ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iure">ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_tet(amento) Anthony_Birley_translatesBirley,_p._355._this_as: :"To_the_Di_Manes">divine_shades,_Lucius_Artorius_Castus,_centurion_ A_centurion_(;__la,_centurio_,_.__la,_centuriones,_label=none;__grc-gre,_κεντυρίων,_kentyríōn,_or_)_was_a_position_in_the_Roman_army_during_classical_antiquity,_nominally_the_commander_of_a__century_(),_a__military_unit_of_around_80__...
_of_the_legio_III_Gallica">Third_Legion_Gallica,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_VI_Ferrata">Sixth_Legion_Ferrata,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_II_Adiutrix">Second_Legion_Adiutrix,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_V_Macedonica">Fifth_Legion_Macedonica,_also_primus_pilus">chief_centurion_of_the_same_legion,_in_charge_of_(Praepositus_ A_provost_is_a_senior_official_in_a_number_of_Christian_Churches. _Historical_development The_word_''praepositus''_(Latin:_"set_over",_from_''praeponere'',_"to_place_in_front")_was_originally_applied_to_any_ecclesiastical_ruler_or_dignitary._I_...
)_the_ rn(iae)_iure.html"_;"title="ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iure">ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_tet(amento) Anthony_Birley_translatesBirley,_p._355._this_as: :"To_the_Di_Manes">divine_shades,_Lucius_Artorius_Castus,_centurion_ A_centurion_(;__la,_centurio_,_.__la,_centuriones,_label=none;__grc-gre,_κεντυρίων,_kentyríōn,_or_)_was_a_position_in_the_Roman_army_during_classical_antiquity,_nominally_the_commander_of_a__century_(),_a__military_unit_of_around_80__...
_of_the_legio_III_Gallica">Third_Legion_Gallica,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_VI_Ferrata">Sixth_Legion_Ferrata,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_II_Adiutrix">Second_Legion_Adiutrix,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_V_Macedonica">Fifth_Legion_Macedonica,_also_primus_pilus">chief_centurion_of_the_same_legion,_in_charge_of_(Praepositus_ A_provost_is_a_senior_official_in_a_number_of_Christian_Churches. _Historical_development The_word_''praepositus''_(Latin:_"set_over",_from_''praeponere'',_"to_place_in_front")_was_originally_applied_to_any_ecclesiastical_ruler_or_dignitary._I_...
)_the_Classis_Misenensis">Misenum_fleet_ The_''Classis_Misenensis''_("Fleet_of__Misenum"),_later_awarded_the_honorifics_''praetoria''_and_''Pia_Vindex'',_was_the_senior_fleet_of_the_imperial_Roman_navy. __History_ The__was_founded_by_Caesar_Augustus_in_27_BCE,_when_the_fleet_of_Italy,_u_...
,_prefect_ Prefect_(from_the_Latin_''praefectus'',_substantive_adjectival_form_of_''praeficere'':_"put_in_front",_meaning_in_charge)_is_a_magisterial_title_of_varying_definition,_but_essentially_refers_to_the_leader_of_an_administrative_area. A_prefect's__...
*_of_the_
rn(iae)_iure.html"_;"title="ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iure">ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_tet(amento) Anthony_Birley_translatesBirley,_p._355._this_as: :"To_the_Di_Manes">divine_shades,_Lucius_Artorius_Castus,_centurion_ A_centurion_(;__la,_centurio_,_.__la,_centuriones,_label=none;__grc-gre,_κεντυρίων,_kentyríōn,_or_)_was_a_position_in_the_Roman_army_during_classical_antiquity,_nominally_the_commander_of_a__century_(),_a__military_unit_of_around_80__...
_of_the_legio_III_Gallica">Third_Legion_Gallica,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_VI_Ferrata">Sixth_Legion_Ferrata,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_II_Adiutrix">Second_Legion_Adiutrix,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_V_Macedonica">Fifth_Legion_Macedonica,_also_primus_pilus">chief_centurion_of_the_same_legion,_in_charge_of_(Praepositus_ A_provost_is_a_senior_official_in_a_number_of_Christian_Churches. _Historical_development The_word_''praepositus''_(Latin:_"set_over",_from_''praeponere'',_"to_place_in_front")_was_originally_applied_to_any_ecclesiastical_ruler_or_dignitary._I_...
)_the_Classis_Misenensis">Misenum_fleet_ The_''Classis_Misenensis''_("Fleet_of__Misenum"),_later_awarded_the_honorifics_''praetoria''_and_''Pia_Vindex'',_was_the_senior_fleet_of_the_imperial_Roman_navy. __History_ The__was_founded_by_Caesar_Augustus_in_27_BCE,_when_the_fleet_of_Italy,_u_...
,_prefect_ Prefect_(from_the_Latin_''praefectus'',_substantive_adjectival_form_of_''praeficere'':_"put_in_front",_meaning_in_charge)_is_a_magisterial_title_of_varying_definition,_but_essentially_refers_to_the_leader_of_an_administrative_area. A_prefect's__...
*_of_the_legio_VI_Victrix">Sixth_Legion_Victrix,_commander_ Commander_(commonly_abbreviated_as_Cmdr.)_is_a_common__naval_officer_rank._Commander_is_also_used_as_a_rank_or_title_in_other_formal_organizations,_including_several_police_forces._In_several_countries_this_naval_rank_is_termed__frigate_captain._...
_of_two**_British_legions_against_the_Armenians,_centenary_ rn(iae)_iure.html"_;"title="ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iure">ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_tet(amento) Anthony_Birley_translatesBirley,_p._355._this_as: :"To_the_Di_Manes">divine_shades,_Lucius_Artorius_Castus,_centurion_ A_centurion_(;__la,_centurio_,_.__la,_centuriones,_label=none;__grc-gre,_κεντυρίων,_kentyríōn,_or_)_was_a_position_in_the_Roman_army_during_classical_antiquity,_nominally_the_commander_of_a__century_(),_a__military_unit_of_around_80__...
_of_the_legio_III_Gallica">Third_Legion_Gallica,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_VI_Ferrata">Sixth_Legion_Ferrata,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_II_Adiutrix">Second_Legion_Adiutrix,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_V_Macedonica">Fifth_Legion_Macedonica,_also_primus_pilus">chief_centurion_of_the_same_legion,_in_charge_of_(Praepositus_ A_provost_is_a_senior_official_in_a_number_of_Christian_Churches. _Historical_development The_word_''praepositus''_(Latin:_"set_over",_from_''praeponere'',_"to_place_in_front")_was_originally_applied_to_any_ecclesiastical_ruler_or_dignitary._I_...
)_the_Classis_Misenensis">Misenum_fleet_ The_''Classis_Misenensis''_("Fleet_of__Misenum"),_later_awarded_the_honorifics_''praetoria''_and_''Pia_Vindex'',_was_the_senior_fleet_of_the_imperial_Roman_navy. __History_ The__was_founded_by_Caesar_Augustus_in_27_BCE,_when_the_fleet_of_Italy,_u_...
,_prefect_ Prefect_(from_the_Latin_''praefectus'',_substantive_adjectival_form_of_''praeficere'':_"put_in_front",_meaning_in_charge)_is_a_magisterial_title_of_varying_definition,_but_essentially_refers_to_the_leader_of_an_administrative_area. A_prefect's__...
*_of_the_legio_VI_Victrix">Sixth_Legion_Victrix,_commander_ Commander_(commonly_abbreviated_as_Cmdr.)_is_a_common__naval_officer_rank._Commander_is_also_used_as_a_rank_or_title_in_other_formal_organizations,_including_several_police_forces._In_several_countries_this_naval_rank_is_termed__frigate_captain._...
_of_two**_British_legions_against_the_Armenians,_centenary_Procurator_(Roman)">procurator_ Procurator_(with_procuracy_or_procuratorate_referring_to_the_office_itself)_may_refer_to: *_Procurator,_one_engaged_in__procuration,_the_action_of_taking_care_of,_hence_management,_stewardship,_agency *__''Procurator''_(Ancient_Rome),_the_title_o_...
_of__Liburnia_with_the_jus_gladii.html" ;"title="Procurator_(Roman).html" "title="legio_VI_Victrix.html" ;"title="Classis_Misenensis.html" "title="primus_pilus.html" ;"title="rn(iae) iuregladi vivus ipse et suis [….ex te">rn(iae)_iure.html" ;"title="ratori) centenario provinciae Lib[urn(iae) iure">ratori) centenario provinciae Lib[urn(iae) iuregladi vivus ipse et suis [….ex tet(amento) Anthony Birley translatesBirley, p. 355. this as: :"To the Di Manes">divine shades, Lucius Artorius Castus,
centurion A centurion (; la, centurio , . la, centuriones, label=none; grc-gre, κεντυρίων, kentyríōn, or ) was a position in the Roman army during classical antiquity, nominally the commander of a century (), a military unit of around 80 ...
of the legio III Gallica">Third Legion Gallica, also centurion of the legio VI Ferrata">Sixth Legion Ferrata, also centurion of the legio II Adiutrix">Second Legion Adiutrix, also centurion of the legio V Macedonica">Fifth Legion Macedonica, also primus pilus">chief centurion of the same legion, in charge of (
Praepositus A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian Churches. Historical development The word ''praepositus'' (Latin: "set over", from ''praeponere'', "to place in front") was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary. I ...
) the Classis Misenensis">Misenum fleet The ''Classis Misenensis'' ("Fleet of Misenum"), later awarded the honorifics ''praetoria'' and ''Pia Vindex'', was the senior fleet of the imperial Roman navy. History The was founded by Caesar Augustus in 27 BCE, when the fleet of Italy, u ...
,
prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...
* of the legio VI Victrix">Sixth Legion Victrix,
commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...
of two** British legions against the Armenians, centenary Procurator (Roman)">procurator Procurator (with procuracy or procuratorate referring to the office itself) may refer to: * Procurator, one engaged in procuration, the action of taking care of, hence management, stewardship, agency * ''Procurator'' (Ancient Rome), the title o ...
 of Liburnia with the jus gladii">power of the sword. He himself (set this up) for himself and his family in his lifetime.***" *Note that the double -ff- in PRAEFF should be indicative of the plural (often dual), though it might be a scribal error here.Egbert, p. 447. **Birley follows Pflaum's expansion of the text where uaru "of two" is reinstated before Britanicimiarum.Birley, p. 355. Previous editors have preferred to restore the word as ''alarum'' "to/for the alae", which may make better sense if ''duci legg'' is to be understood as the title dux legionum. ***Birley does not translate the final phrase, [...ex te]st(amento), which (if correct) should be rendered "...according to the terms of (his) will"Dixon, Southern, p. 240. As of 2009, the two stone fragments bearing this inscription have been removed from the wall of the Church of St. Martin for scientific analysis and restoration; they have since been replaced by a copy. As of 2012 the large inscription had been cleaned and returned to display in the Chapel of St. Martin in Podstrana, Croatia. The smaller inscription is still in storage in the museum. The piece bearing the name Castus can still be located. The other two pieces sent for cleaning have been lost. The whereabouts of the fourth piece remains unknown.


The second inscription

The memorial plaque, which was discovered not far away from the first inscription and was also broken at some point prior to the 19th century, reads: L ARTORIVS CASTVS P P LEG V MA PR AEFEC S LEG VI VICTRIC .... Which Clauss (following CIL 03, 12791 (p 2258, 2328,120); CIL 03, 14224; IDRE-02, 304), expands:
L(ucius) Artorius , Castus p(rimus) p(ilus) , leg(ionis) V Ma (edonicae)pr, aefec s leg(ionis) , VI Victric(is), .. Translated:
Lucius Artorius Castus, Primus Pilus of the legion V Macedonica, Prefect of the Legion VI Victrix ...


Possible third inscription

An undated, unprovenanced inscription on a stamp, supposedly discovered in Rome but recorded as being in Paris in the 19th century reads: • LVCI •
• ARTORI
• CASTI • As inscription shows the text is in the genitive form. In fact, the rendered expansion will be Lucii Artorii Casti which means: (It belongs to) Lucius Artorius Castus. Without further information on the inscription, we cannot say whether or not it refers to our Lucius Artorius Castus, or simply another man of the same name.


Units and ranks mentioned


Centurion of Legio III Gallica

The first unit mentioned on Castus's inscription is the
legio III Gallica Legio III Gallica ( Third Legion "Gallic") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. The cognomen ''Gallica'' suggests that its earliest recruits came from veterans of the Gallic legions of Gaius Julius Caesar, a supposition supported by it ...
– for most of the 2nd and 3rd centuries the unit was stationed in
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
. He held the rank of
centurion A centurion (; la, centurio , . la, centuriones, label=none; grc-gre, κεντυρίων, kentyríōn, or ) was a position in the Roman army during classical antiquity, nominally the commander of a century (), a military unit of around 80 ...
in this legion – most Roman soldiers only achieved the rank of centurion after about 15–20 years of service, but it was not unknown for some politically connected civilians of the equestrian class to be directly commissioned as centurions upon entering the Army, though these equestrian centurions (known as "ex equite Romano") were in the minority.Keppie (1998), p. 179. We cannot tell whether or not Castus had a lengthy career as a
legionary The Roman legionary (in Latin ''legionarius'', plural ''legionarii'') was a professional heavy infantryman of the Roman army after the Marian reforms. These soldiers would conquer and defend the territories of ancient Rome during the late Republ ...
soldier before attaining the centurionate, or whether he was directly commissioned at this rank, as the vast majority of career centurions' inscriptions do not mention any ranks that they might have held below the centurionate.Goldsworthy, p. 31, n. 80. Successful officers often omitted the record of any ranks lower than primus pilus,Keppie (2000), p. 168. as Castus did on his memorial plaque.


Centurion of Legio VI Ferrata

From the middle of the 2nd century until at least the early 3rd century the
legio VI Ferrata Legio VI Ferrata ("Sixth Ironclad Legion") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. In 30 BC it became part of the emperor Augustus's standing army. It continued in existence into the 4th century. A ''Legio VI'' fought in the Roman Republican ...
was stationed in
Judea Judea or Judaea ( or ; from he, יהודה, Standard ''Yəhūda'', Tiberian ''Yehūḏā''; el, Ἰουδαία, ; la, Iūdaea) is an ancient, historic, Biblical Hebrew, contemporaneous Latin, and the modern-day name of the mountainous so ...
.


Centurion of Legio II Adiutrix

From the early 2nd century onward the
legio II Adiutrix Legio II Adiutrix ("Second Legion, the Rescuer"), was a legion of the Imperial Roman army founded in AD 70 by the emperor Vespasian (r. 69–79), originally composed of Roman navy marines of the '' classis Ravennatis''. There are still records ...
were based at
Aquincum Aquincum (, ) was an ancient city, situated on the northeastern borders of the province of Pannonia within the Roman Empire. The ruins of the city can be found today in Budapest, the capital city of Hungary. It is believed that Marcus Aurelius w ...
(modern
Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population o ...
) and took part in several notable campaigns against the
Parthians Parthian may be: Historical * A demonym "of Parthia", a region of north-eastern of Greater Iran * Parthian Empire (247 BC – 224 AD) * Parthian language, a now-extinct Middle Iranian language * Parthian shot, an archery skill famously employed by ...
,
Marcomanni The Marcomanni were a Germanic people * * * that established a powerful kingdom north of the Danube, somewhere near modern Bohemia, during the peak of power of the nearby Roman Empire. According to Tacitus and Strabo, they were Suebian. O ...
,
Quadi The Quadi were a Germanic * * * people who lived approximately in the area of modern Moravia in the time of the Roman Empire. The only surviving contemporary reports about the Germanic tribe are those of the Romans, whose empire had its bord ...
and, in the mid-3rd century, the
Sassanid The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the History of Iran, last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th cen ...
empire.


Centurion and Primus Pilus of Legio V Macedonica

The legio V Macedonica was based in
Roman Dacia Roman Dacia ( ; also known as Dacia Traiana, ; or Dacia Felix, 'Fertile/Happy Dacia') was a Roman province, province of the Roman Empire from 106 to 271–275 AD. Its territory consisted of what are now the regions of Oltenia, Transylvania a ...
throughout the 2nd century and through most of the 3rd – the unit took part in battles against the
Marcomanni The Marcomanni were a Germanic people * * * that established a powerful kingdom north of the Danube, somewhere near modern Bohemia, during the peak of power of the nearby Roman Empire. According to Tacitus and Strabo, they were Suebian. O ...
,
Sarmatians The Sarmatians (; grc, Σαρμαται, Sarmatai; Latin: ) were a large confederation of ancient Eastern Iranian equestrian nomadic peoples of classical antiquity who dominated the Pontic steppe from about the 3rd century BC to the 4th cen ...
and
Quadi The Quadi were a Germanic * * * people who lived approximately in the area of modern Moravia in the time of the Roman Empire. The only surviving contemporary reports about the Germanic tribe are those of the Romans, whose empire had its bord ...
. The legio V Macedonica after 185 CE was called ''Pia Fidelis'' or ''Pia Constans'' (shortened as P.F. or P.C.), so Castus served in this unit as
centurion A centurion (; la, centurio , . la, centuriones, label=none; grc-gre, κεντυρίων, kentyríōn, or ) was a position in the Roman army during classical antiquity, nominally the commander of a century (), a military unit of around 80 ...
and
primus pilus The ''primus pilus'' or ''primipilus'' was the senior centurion of the first cohort in a Roman legion, a formation of five double-strength centuries of 160 men, was called the ''primus pilus''; he was a career soldier and advisor to the le ...
before 185 CE (in the inscription these nicknames are missing).


Praepositus of the Misenum fleet

Castus next acted as Provost (
Praepositus A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian Churches. Historical development The word ''praepositus'' (Latin: "set over", from ''praeponere'', "to place in front") was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary. I ...
) of the
Misenum fleet The ''Classis Misenensis'' ("Fleet of Misenum"), later awarded the honorifics ''praetoria'' and ''Pia Vindex'', was the senior fleet of the imperial Roman navy. History The was founded by Caesar Augustus in 27 BCE, when the fleet of Italy, u ...
in Italy. This title (generally given to ''Equites'') indicated a special command over a body of troops, but somewhat limited in action and subject to the Emperor's control.


Praefectus of Legio VI Victrix

The
Legio VI Victrix Legio VI Victrix ("Victorious Sixth Legion") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army founded in 41 BC by the general Octavian (who, as Augustus, later became Rome's first emperor). It was the twin legion of VI ''Ferrata'' and perhaps held vet ...
was based in
Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
from c. 122 AD onward, though their history during the 3rd century AD is rather hazy. Throughout the 2nd century AD and into the 3rd, the headquarters of the VI Victrix was at ''Eboracum'' (modern
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
). The unit was removed briefly to ''Lugdunum'' (Lyons) in 196 AD by
Clodius Albinus Decimus Clodius Albinus ( 150 – 19 February 197) was a Roman imperial pretender between 193 and 197. He was proclaimed emperor by the legions in Britain and Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula, comprising modern Spain and Portugal) after the murd ...
, during his doomed revolt against the emperor
Severus Severus is the name of various historical and fictional figures, including: ;Emperors of the Roman empire *Septimius Severus (145–211), Roman emperor from 193 to 211 (rarely known as ''Severus I.'') *Severus Caracalla (188–217), Roman emperor f ...
, but returned to York after the revolt was quelled – and the unit suffered a significant defeat – in 197 AD. Castus's position in the Legio VI Victrix, Prefect of the Legion (''Praefectus Legionis''), was equivalent to that of the
Praefectus Castrorum The ''praefectus castrorum'' ("camp prefect") was, in the Roman army of the early Empire, the third most senior officer of the Roman legion after the legate (''legatus'') and the senior military tribune ('' tribunus laticlavius''), both of whom ...
.Mommsen, Demandt, Demandt, p. 311. Men who had achieved this title were normally 50–60 years old and had been in the army most of their lives, working their way up through the lower ranks and the centurionate until they reached
Primus Pilus The ''primus pilus'' or ''primipilus'' was the senior centurion of the first cohort in a Roman legion, a formation of five double-strength centuries of 160 men, was called the ''primus pilus''; he was a career soldier and advisor to the le ...
Webster, p. 113. (the rank seems to have been held exclusively by primipilaresDobson, p. 415. ). They acted as third-in-command to the legionary commander, the
legatus legionis A ''legatus'' (; anglicised as legate) was a high-ranking Roman military officer in the Roman Army, equivalent to a modern high-ranking general officer. Initially used to delegate power, the term became formalised under Augustus as the office ...
, and senior
tribune Tribune () was the title of various elected officials in ancient Rome. The two most important were the tribunes of the plebs and the military tribunes. For most of Roman history, a college of ten tribunes of the plebs acted as a check on th ...
and could assume command in their absence.Webster, p. 113. Their day-to-day duties included maintenance of the fortress and management of the food supplies, sanitation, munitions, equipment, etc.Webster, p. 113.Keppie (1998), p. 177. For most who had attained this rank, it would be their last before retirement.Keppie (1998), p. 177. During battles, the Praefectus Castrorum normally remained at the unit's home base with the reserve troops,Smith, Wayte, Marindin, p. 798. so, given his administrative position and (probably) advanced age, it is unlikely that Castus actually fought in any battles while serving in Britain. Castus could have overseen vexillations of troops guarding
Hadrian's Wall Hadrian's Wall ( la, Vallum Aelium), also known as the Roman Wall, Picts' Wall, or ''Vallum Hadriani'' in Latin, is a former defensive fortification of the Roman province of Britannia, begun in AD 122 in the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. Ru ...
, but his inscriptions do not provide us with any precise information on where he might have served while in Britain. Given his duties as ''Praefectus Legionis'', it is reasonable to assume that he spent some – if not all – of his time in Britain at the VI Victrix's headquarters in York. It is interesting that the title is spelled (P)RAEFF on Castus's sarcophagus – doubled letters at the end of abbreviated words on Latin inscriptions usually indicated the plural (often dual) and some legions are known to have had multiple praefecti castrorum.Webster, p. 113.Keppie (1998), p. 177. The title is given in the singular on the memorial plaque, though, so we might have a scribal error on the sarcophagus. If not, then Castus was probably one of two prefects of this legion.


Dux Legionum Trium "Britanicimiarum"

Before finishing his military career, Castus led an expedition of some note as a Dux Legionum, a temporary title accorded to officers who were acting in a capacity above their rank, either in command of a collection of troops (generally combined vexillations drawn from legionsBreeze, Dobson, p. 180.) in transit from one station to another or in command of a complete unit (the former seems to be the case with Castus, since the units are spoken of in the genitive plural).Southern, Dixon, p. 59.


=Adversus *Arm ric(an)o or Adversus *Arme io?

= For many years it has been believed that Castus's expedition was against the Armoricans (based on the reading ADVERSUS ARM ..., reconstructed as "adversus *Armoricanos" – "against the Armoricans" – by
Theodor Mommsen Christian Matthias Theodor Mommsen (; 30 November 1817 – 1 November 1903) was a German classical scholar, historian, jurist, journalist, politician and archaeologist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest classicists of the 19th centur ...
in the CIL and followed by most subsequent editors of the inscription), but the earliest published reading of the inscription, made by the Croatian archaeologist Francesco Carrara in 1850, was ADVERSUS ARME ...Carrara, p. 23. with a ligatured ME (no longer visible on the stone, possibly due to weathering, since the stone has been exposed to the elements for centuries and was reused as part of a roadside wall next to the church of St. Martin in Podstrana; the mutilated word falls along the broken right-hand edge of the first fragment of the inscription). If Carrara's reading is correct, the phrase is most likely to be reconstructed as "adversus *Armenios", i.e. "against the Armenians", since no other national or tribal name beginning with the letters *Arme- is known from this time period.Loriot, pp. 85–86. The regional names Armoricani or Armorici are not attested in any other Latin inscriptions, whereas the country Armenia and derivatives such as the ethnic name Armenii and personal name Armeniacus are attested in numerous Latin inscriptions. Furthermore, no classical sources mention any military action taken against the Armorici/Armoricani (which was in origin a regional name that encompassed a number of different tribes) in the 2nd or 3rd centuries. While there are literary references to (and a small amount of archaeological evidence for) minor unrest in northwestern Gaul during this time periodGalliou, Jones, p. 118. – often referred to as, or associated with, the rebellion of the
Bagaudae Bagaudae (also spelled bacaudae) were groups of peasant insurgents in the later Roman Empire who arose during the Crisis of the Third Century, and persisted until the very end of the Western Empire, particularly in the less-Romanised areas of G ...
, there is no evidence that the Bagaudae were connected with the Armorici/Armoricani, or any other particular tribe or region for that matter, making the possible reference to the Armorici/Armoricani somewhat strange (especially since Armorica otherwise experienced a period of prosperity in the late 2nd century AD,Galliou, Jones, p. 117-118. when some scholars believe that Castus's expedition took place). Armenia, on the other hand, was the location of several conflicts involving the Romans during the 2nd and 3rd centuries. The alternate, "Armenian" translation was supported in 1881 by the epigrapher and classical scholar Emil Hübner, and most recently taken up again by the historian and epigrapher Xavier Loriot, who (based on the contextual and epigraphic evidence) suggests a floruit for Castus in the early mid-3rd century ADLoriot, pp. 85–86. (Loriot's analysis of the inscription has recently been adopted by the Roman historians
Anthony Birley Anthony Richard Birley (8 October 1937 – 19 December 2020) was a British ancient historian, archaeologist and academic. He was the son of Margaret Isabel (Goodlet) and historian and archaeologist Eric Birley. Early life and education Anthon ...
Birley, p. 355. and Marie-Henriette Quet).Quet, p. 339. With external wars against a foreign enemy the tribe or people are named. Another example from the Severan period reads: duci exercitus Illyrica expeditione Asiana item Parthica item Gallica, ’Leader of the Illyrican army on the Asian, Parthian and Gallic expeditions.’ There are also a number of literary and epigraphical pieces of evidence demonstrating Roman military campaigns in Armenia against Armenians. In the Parthian War of AD 161-6 under Lucius Verus the general Priscus led the advance through Armenia and captured the Armenian capital at Artaxata. Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus subsequently awarded themselves the titles of Armeniacus, Parthicus, Medicus and pater patriae. Around ad 214–216 the Armenia King Khosrov I was imprisoned by the Romans. The Armenians rebelled and Caracalla sent Theocritus who led an army to defeat. However after a subsequent successful campaign Caracalla did eventually grant the Armenian crown to Tiridates II c. AD 217 and Armenia returned under Roman influence. In the reign of Macrinus, AD 217-8, the Historia Augusta states there was a ‘dux Armeniae erat et item legatus Asiae atque Arabiae’. In c. AD 233 Severus Alexander launched a three prong attack against the Persians with the northern army invading through Armenia. Alexander drew troops from the Rhine and Danube on his march east, and we have various inscriptions dated to ad 232–5 honouring men who died in ‘expediteone Partica et Armeniaca’.


=Britanicimiarum

= The name of the units that Castus led in this expedition, ''"Britanicimiarum"'', seems to be corrupt – it might be reconstructed as ''*Britanniciniarum'' or ''*Britannicianarum''. If so, they were probably units similar in nature to the '' ala'' and ''
cohors A cohort (from the Latin ''cohors'', plural ''cohortes'', see wikt:cohors for full inflection table) was a standard tactical military unit of a Roman legion. Although the standard size changed with time and situation, it was generally compos ...
I Britannica'' (also known as the ''I Flavia Britannica'' or'' Britanniciana'', among other titles), which were stationed in Britain in the mid-1st century AD, but removed to
Vindobona Vindobona (from Gaulish ''windo-'' "white" and ''bona'' "base/bottom") was a Roman military camp on the site of the modern city of Vienna in Austria. The settlement area took on a new name in the 13th century, being changed to Berghof, or now si ...
in
Pannonia Pannonia (, ) was a province of the Roman Empire bounded on the north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia. Pannonia was located in the territory that is now west ...
by the late 80s AD (they would later take part in
Trajan's Parthian War Trajan's Parthian campaign was engaged by Roman Emperor Trajan in 115 against the Parthian Empire in Mesopotamia. The war was initially successful for the Romans, but a series of setbacks, including wide-scale rebellions in the Eastern Me ...
of 114–117 AD and Trebonianus Gallus' Persian war of 252 AD).Tully, pp. 379–380. Though the name of the unit was derived from its early service in Britain, the unit was not generally composed of ethnic Britons.Kennedy, pp. 249–255.Tully, pp. 380. No units of this name are believed to have been active in Britain during the late 2nd century.Kennedy, pp. 249–255. In an inscription from
Sirmium Sirmium was a city in the Roman province of Pannonia, located on the Sava river, on the site of modern Sremska Mitrovica in the Vojvodina autonomous provice of Serbia. First mentioned in the 4th century BC and originally inhabited by Illyria ...
in
Pannonia Pannonia (, ) was a province of the Roman Empire bounded on the north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia. Pannonia was located in the territory that is now west ...
dating to the reign of the emperor
Gallienus Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus (; c. 218 – September 268) was Roman emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260 and alone from 260 to 268. He ruled during the Crisis of the Third Century that nearly caused the collapse of the empi ...
(CIL 3, 3228), we have mention of vexillations of legions ''*Brittan(n)icin(arum)'' ("''militum vexill(ationum) legg(ionum) ]G]ermaniciana (um) Brittan(n)icin(arum)''") – another form that is very similar to the ''*Britan(n)icimiarum'' from Castus's inscription.


Procurator Centenarius of Liburnia

Exceptionally talented, experienced and/or connected Praefects Castrorum/Legionis could sometimes move on to higher civilian positions such as
Procurator Procurator (with procuracy or procuratorate referring to the office itself) may refer to: * Procurator, one engaged in procuration, the action of taking care of, hence management, stewardship, agency * ''Procurator'' (Ancient Rome), the title o ...
,Webster, p. 113. which Castus indeed managed to accomplish after retiring from the army. He became '' procurator centenarius'' (governor) of Liburnia, a part of Roman
Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see names in other languages) is one of the four historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of the Adriatic Sea, str ...
, today's
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...
. (''centenarius'' indicates that he received a salary of 100,000
sesterces The ''sestertius'' (plural ''sestertii''), or sesterce (plural sesterces), was an Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Roman currency, coin. During the Roman Republic it was a small, silver coin issued only on rare occasions. During the Roman Empire it w ...
per year). Castus was appointed procurator centenarius of the province of Liburnia with ius gladii, the power to put anyone, even Senators, to death. Nothing further is known of him. Other Artorii are attested in the area, but it is unknown if Lucius Artorius Castus started this branch of the family in Dalmatia, or whether the family had already been settled there prior to his birth (if the latter, Castus might have received the Liburnian procuratorship because he was a native of the region).


The date of Lucius Artorius Castus's ''floruit''

No dates are given in either inscription, making it difficult to offer a precise date for them, no less Lucius Artorius Castus's ''floruit''. The late French epigraphy expert Xavier Loriot suggested that Lucius Artorius Castus's expedition against the Armenians (as he reads the main inscription) could have taken place in 215 AD, under the reign of emperor
Caracalla Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 – 8 April 217), better known by his nickname "Caracalla" () was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. He was a member of the Severan dynasty, the elder son of Emperor ...
, or perhaps later, in 232 AD, under the reign of
Severus Alexander Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander (1 October 208 – 21/22 March 235) was a Roman emperor, who reigned from 222 until 235. He was the last emperor from the Severan dynasty. He succeeded his slain cousin Elagabalus in 222. Alexander himself wa ...
(when P. Aelius Hammonius led a Cappadocian force in Severus's Persian war). Three Croatian archaeologists examined the inscriptions in 2012, as part of an international conference on Lucius Artorius Castus organized by authors Linda Malcor and John Matthews: Nenad Cambi, Željko Miletić, and Miroslav Glavičić. Cambi proposes that Lucius Artorius Castus' career can be dated to the late 2nd century AD and his death to the late 2nd, or perhaps early 3rd century AD. Glavičić dates Lucius Artorius Castus's military career to the middle- through late-2nd century AD and proposes that he was the first governor of the province of Liburnia, which Glavičić suggests was only established as a separate province from Dalmatia circa 184–185 AD. Miletić dates Lucius Artorius Castus's military career to circa 121–166 AD and his procuratorship of the province of Liburnia to circa 167–174 AD. Cambi, Miletić, and Glavičić all accept the reading ''(adversus) Armenios'', "against the Armenians" (with Cambi offering ''Armorios'' n_abbreviation_of_''Armoric[ans''.html" ;"title="n.html" ;"title="n abbreviation of ''Armoric[an">n abbreviation of ''Armoric[ans''">n.html" ;"title="n abbreviation of ''Armoric[an">n abbreviation of ''Armoric[ans''as an alternate possibility); Miletić places the expedition against the Armenians during emperor Lucius Verus's Roman–Parthian War of 161–166, Parthian war of 161–166 AD.


Identification with King Arthur

In 1924, Kemp Malone was the first to suggest the possibility that Lucius Artorius Castus was the inspiration for the figure of
Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more wi ...
in medieval European literature. More recent champions have included authors
C. Scott Littleton Covington Scott Littleton (July 1, 1933 – November 25, 2010) was an American anthropologist who was Professor and Chair of the Department of Anthropology at Occidental College. A co-founder of the ''Journal of Indo-European Studies'', Littleton ...
and Linda Malcor. The hypothesis has been heavily criticized by prominent Arthurian scholars due to the historical Artorius Castus having very little in common with the Arthurian legends and the arguments relying excessively on speculation and wishful thinking. Due to the significant differences between the persons and careers of the historical Lucius Artorius Castus and the traditional King Arthur, the consensus of mainstream historians is that it is very unlikely the former inspired the latter. For example, Lucius Artorius Castus was not contemporaneous with the Saxon invasions of Britain in the 5th century CE which gave rise to the Arthurian legends, and some of the earliest written references to Arthur are of him fighting against the Saxons. The strongest link between them may be the extended family or clan name ''Artorius'' which may have developed into the personal name ''Arthur'', but this does not necessarily mean Lucius Artorius Castus himself inspired the legends. The possibility, however unlikely or remote, is nonetheless real that he was remembered in local tales that grew in the retelling. No definitive proof, however, has yet been established that Lucius Artorius Castus was the "real" King Arthur.


Lucius Artorius Castus as King Arthur in modern entertainment

In the film ''
King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
'' (
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...
), Lucius Artorius Castus is partially identified with King Arthur. The film asserts that Arthur's Roman name was "Artorius Castus", and that Artorius was an ancestral name derived from that of a famous leader. His ''floruit'' ("prime time") is, however, pushed a few centuries later so that he is made a contemporary of the invading Saxons in the 5th century CE. This would be in agreement with native Welsh tradition regarding Arthur, although his activities are placed many decades or sometimes centuries earlier than the medieval sources assign to him. As a research consultant for the film ''
King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
'' (
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...
), Linda Malcor's hypotheses regarding Lucius Artorius Castus were the primary inspiration for the screenplay.Matthews, John, "An Interview with David Franzoni", in: Arthuriana, Volume 14, Number 3, Fall 2004, pp. 115–120


References


Bibliography

* Barbero, Alessandro, Barbari: Immigrati, profughi, deportati nell'impero romano, Laterza, Bari, 2012. * Basić I., Illyrica II, Proceedings of the International Conference, Šibenik, 12–15 September 2013, pp. 309–334 * Birley, Anthony R. (2000). "Hadrian to the Antonines". In Bowman, Alan K.; Garnsey, Peter; Rathbone, Dominic (eds.). The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume XI: The High Empire, A.D. 70–192. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 132–94. * Birley, Anthony, The Roman Government of Britain, Oxford, 2005, p. 355 * Breeze, David John, Dobson, Brian, Roman Officers and Frontiers, Franz Steiner Verlag, 1993, p. 180 * Cambi, Nenad, "Lucije Artorije Kast: njegovi grobišni areal i sarkofag u Podstrani (Sveti Martin) kod Splita", in: N. Cambi, J. Matthews (eds.), Lucius Artorius Castus and the King Arthur Legend: Proceedings of the International Scholarly Conference from 30 March to 2 April 2012 / Cambi, Nenad; Matthews, John (eds.). Split : Književni krug Split, 2014, pp. 29–40. * Carrara, Francesco, De scavi di Salona nel 1850, Abhandlung der koeniglichen Boehmischen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften, 5 s, 7, 1851/1852, p. 23 * Dessau, Hermann, ''
Inscriptiones Latinae Selectae ''Inscriptiones Latinae Selectae'', standard abbreviation ''ILS'', is a three-volume selection of Latin inscriptions edited by Hermann Dessau. The work was published in five parts serially from 1892 to 1916, with numerous reprints. Supporting mat ...
'', Berlin 1892–1916 (Dessau 2770) * Dobson, B., "The Significance of the Centurion and 'Primipilaris' in the Roman Army and Administration," Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt II.1 Berlin/NY 1974 392- 434. * Dixon, Karen R., Southern, Pat, The Roman cavalry: from the first to the third century AD, Routledge, London, 1997, p. 240 * Egbert, James Chidester, Introduction to the study of Latin inscriptions, American Book Company, New York, 1896, p. 447 * Galliou, Patrick, Jones, Michael, The Bretons, Blackwell, Oxford (UK)/Cambridge (MA), 1991 * Gilliam, J. Frank. "The Dux Ripae at Dura", Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association, Vol. 72, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1941, p. 163 * Glavičić, Miroslav, "Artorii u Rimskoj Provinciji Dalmaciji", in: N. Cambi, J. Matthews (eds.), Lucius Artorius Castus and the King Arthur Legend: Proceedings of the International Scholarly Conference from 30 March to 2 April 2012 / Cambi, Nenad; Matthews, John (eds.). Split : Književni krug Split, 2014, pp. 59–70. * Goldsworthy, Adrian Keith, The Roman army at war: 100 BC-AD 200, Oxford University Press, 1998 * Halsall, Guy, Worlds of Arthur: Facts and Fictions of the Dark Ages, Oxford 2013 p. 147-151 * Haverfield, Francis, The Romanization of Roman Britain, Oxford, 1912, p. 65 * Higham, Nicholas J., King Arthur: The Making of the Legend, Yale, 2018 p. 13-39; pp. 281-284 * Hübner, Emil, "Exercitus Britannicus", Hermes XVI, 1881, p. 521ff. * McHugh, John, Emperor Alexander Severus, (Pen and Sword, Barnsley, 2017). * Jackson, Thomas Graham, Dalmatia, the Quarnero and Istria, Volume 2, Oxford, 1887, pp. 166–7 * Kennedy, David, "The 'ala I' and 'cohors I Britannica'", Britannia, Vol. 8 (1977), pp. 249–255 * Keppie, Lawrence, The Making of the Roman Army: from Republic to Empire, University of Oklahoma Press, 1998, pp. 176–179 * Keppie, Lawrence, Legions and veterans: Roman army papers 1971–2000, Franz Steiner Verlag, 2000, p. 168. * Klebs, Elimar, Dessau, Hermann, Prosopographia imperii romani saec. I. II. III, Deutsche Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, p. 155 * Littleton, C. Scott, Malcor, Linda, From Scythia to Camelot: A Radical Reassessment of the Legends of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table and the Holy Grail, New York, Garland, 2000 * Loriot, Xavier, "Un mythe historiographique : l'expédition d'Artorius Castus contre les Armoricains", Bulletin de la Société nationale des antiquaires de France, 1997, pp. 85–86 * Malcor, Linda, "Lucius Artorius Castus, Part 1: An Officer and an Equestrian" Heroic Age, 1, 1999 * Malcor, Linda, "Lucius Artorius Castus, Part 2: The Battles in Britain" Heroic Age 2, 1999 * Malone, Kemp, "Artorius," Modern Philology 23 (1924–1925): 367–74 * Medini, Julian, Provincija Liburnija, Diadora, v. 9, 1980, pp. 363–436 * Migliorati, Guido, Iscrizioni per la ricostruzione storica dell’Impero romano da Marco Aurelio a Commodo, EDUCatt, Milan, 2011 p. 427-428 * Miletić, Željko, "Lucius Artorius Castus i Liburnia", in: N. Cambi, J. Matthews (eds.), Lucius Artorius Castus and the King Arthur Legend: Proceedings of the International Scholarly Conference from 30 March to 2 April 2012 / Cambi, Nenad; Matthews, John (eds.). Split : Književni krug Split, 2014, pp. 111–130. * Mommsen, Theodor (ed.), Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum (CIL), vol. III, no. 1919 (p 1030, 2328,120); no. 8513; no. 12813; no. 12791 (p 2258, 2328,120); no. 14224 * Mommsen, Theodor, Demandt, Barbara, Demandt, Alexander, A history of Rome under the emperors, Routledge, London & New York, 1999 (new edition), pp. 311–312 * Peachin, Michael, Iudex vice Caesaris: deputy emperors and the administration of justice during the Principate, Volume 21 of Heidelberger althistorische Beiträge und epigraphische Studien, F. Steiner, 1996, p. 231 * Petolescu, C.C., Inscriptiones Daciae Romanae. Inscriptiones extra fines Daciae repertae, Bukarest 1996 (IDRE-02) * Pflaum, Hans-Georg, Les carrières procuratoriennes équestres sous le Haut-Empire romain, Paris, 1960, p. 535 * Quet, Marie-Henriette, La "crise" de l'Empire romain de Marc Aurèle à Constantin, Paris, 2006, p. 339 * Ritterling, E. "Legio", RE XII, 1924, col. 106. * Skeen, Bradley, "L. Artorius Castus and King Arthur", Journal of Indo-European Studies, Volume 48, Number 1 & 2, Spring/Summer 2020, pp. 61-75. * Smith, William, Wayte, William, Marindin, George Eden (eds.), A dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities, Volume 1, Edition 3, John Murray, London, 1890, p. 798 * Southern, Pat, Dixon, Karen R., The Late Roman Army, Routledge, London, 1996, p. 59 * Tully, Geoffrey D., "A Fragment of a Military Diploma for Pannonia Found in Northern England?", Britannia, Vol. 36 (2005), pp. 375–82 * Turković T., Nuove conoscenze sulla Liburnia Tarsaticensis, Atti, vol.XLI,2011,pp. 49–102 * Webster, Graham, The Roman Imperial Army of the first and second centuries A.D., University of Oklahoma Press, edition 3, 1998, pp. 112–114 * Wilkes, J. J., Dalmatia, Volume 2 of History of the provinces of the Roman Empire, Harvard University Press, 1969, pp. 328–9


External links

* Linda A. Malcor's 1999 article about Lucius Artorius Castus in ''The Heroic Age'',
part 1
an


Photograph
of the first sarcophagus fragment from Podstrana
Photograph
of the second sarcophagus fragment from Podstrana
Photograph
of the Church of St. Martin in Podstrana, with the first sarcophagus fragment in the wall, to the left
The Lucius Artorius Castus Inscriptions: A Sourcebook
{{DEFAULTSORT:Artorius Castus, Lucius 2nd-century births 2nd-century Romans Ancient Roman soldiers Ancient Romans in Britain Ancient Roman generals Historical figures as candidates of King Arthur Year of death unknown Artorii>(centurio) le(ionis) VI Ferra/tae item , (centurio) leg(ionis) II Adi tr(icis) iem , (centurio) leg(ionis) V M(a)/c(edonicae) item p(rimus) p(ilus) eiusdem eg(ionis?)praeposito(!) / classis Misenatium ref(ectus) leg(ionis) VI / Victricis duci(!) legg onu Britan(n)ici/a(no)rum adversus Arm proc(uratori) cente/nario(!) provinciae Li (urniae?) iuregladi(i) vi/vus ipse sibi et suis osut
Hans-Georg Pflaum Hans-Georg Pflaum (3 June 1902, Berlin – 26 December 1979, Linz) was a German-born French historian. Life Pflaum, who came from a Jewish family of industrialists, at first studied law in Breslau and Heidelberg, afterwards taking a position i ...
offeredPflaum, p. 535. a slightly different expansion: :D(is) M(anibus) L(ucius) Artori s Catus (centurio) leg(ionis) III Gallicae item centurio) le(ionis) VI Ferratae item (centurio) leg(ionis) II Adi tricis iem (centurio) V M(acedonicae) C(onstantis) item p(rimi) p(ilus) eiusdem egionis praeposito classis Misenatium, tem preff(ecto) leg(ionis) VI Victricis, duci legg(ionum) uaru Britanicimiarum adversus Arm ricano, proc ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_ ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_te">rn(iae)_iure.html"_;"title="ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iure">ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_tet(amento) Anthony_Birley_translatesBirley,_p._355._this_as: :"To_the_ ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_te">rn(iae)_iure.html"_;"title="ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iure">ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_tet(amento) Anthony_Birley_translatesBirley,_p._355._this_as: :"To_the_Di_Manes">divine_shades,_Lucius_Artorius_Castus,_centurion_ A_centurion_(;__la,_centurio_,_.__la,_centuriones,_label=none;__grc-gre,_κεντυρίων,_kentyríōn,_or_)_was_a_position_in_the_Roman_army_during_classical_antiquity,_nominally_the_commander_of_a__century_(),_a__military_unit_of_around_80__...
_of_the_ ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_te">rn(iae)_iure.html"_;"title="ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iure">ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_tet(amento) Anthony_Birley_translatesBirley,_p._355._this_as: :"To_the_Di_Manes">divine_shades,_Lucius_Artorius_Castus,_centurion_ A_centurion_(;__la,_centurio_,_.__la,_centuriones,_label=none;__grc-gre,_κεντυρίων,_kentyríōn,_or_)_was_a_position_in_the_Roman_army_during_classical_antiquity,_nominally_the_commander_of_a__century_(),_a__military_unit_of_around_80__...
_of_the_legio_III_Gallica">Third_Legion_Gallica,_also_centurion_of_the_ ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_te">rn(iae)_iure.html"_;"title="ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iure">ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_tet(amento) Anthony_Birley_translatesBirley,_p._355._this_as: :"To_the_Di_Manes">divine_shades,_Lucius_Artorius_Castus,_centurion_ A_centurion_(;__la,_centurio_,_.__la,_centuriones,_label=none;__grc-gre,_κεντυρίων,_kentyríōn,_or_)_was_a_position_in_the_Roman_army_during_classical_antiquity,_nominally_the_commander_of_a__century_(),_a__military_unit_of_around_80__...
_of_the_legio_III_Gallica">Third_Legion_Gallica,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_VI_Ferrata">Sixth_Legion_Ferrata,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_II_Adiutrix.html" ;"title="legio_VI_Ferrata.html" ;"title="legio_III_Gallica.html" ;"title="Di_Manes.html" ;"title=".ex_te.html" ;"title="rn(iae)_iure.html" ;"title="ratori) centenario provinciae Lib ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_te">rn(iae)_iure.html"_;"title="ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iure">ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_tet(amento) Anthony_Birley_translatesBirley,_p._355._this_as: :"To_the_Di_Manes">divine_shades,_Lucius_Artorius_Castus,_centurion_ A_centurion_(;__la,_centurio_,_.__la,_centuriones,_label=none;__grc-gre,_κεντυρίων,_kentyríōn,_or_)_was_a_position_in_the_Roman_army_during_classical_antiquity,_nominally_the_commander_of_a__century_(),_a__military_unit_of_around_80__...
_of_the_legio_III_Gallica">Third_Legion_Gallica,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_VI_Ferrata">Sixth_Legion_Ferrata,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_II_Adiutrix">Second_Legion_Adiutrix,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_V_Macedonica.html" ;"title="rn(iae) iure">ratori) centenario provinciae Lib rn(iae)_iure.html"_;"title="ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iure">ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_tet(amento) Anthony_Birley_translatesBirley,_p._355._this_as: :"To_the_Di_Manes">divine_shades,_Lucius_Artorius_Castus,_centurion_ A_centurion_(;__la,_centurio_,_.__la,_centuriones,_label=none;__grc-gre,_κεντυρίων,_kentyríōn,_or_)_was_a_position_in_the_Roman_army_during_classical_antiquity,_nominally_the_commander_of_a__century_(),_a__military_unit_of_around_80__...
_of_the_legio_III_Gallica">Third_Legion_Gallica,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_VI_Ferrata">Sixth_Legion_Ferrata,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_II_Adiutrix">Second_Legion_Adiutrix,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_V_Macedonica">Fifth_Legion_Macedonica,_also_
rn(iae)_iure.html"_;"title="ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iure">ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_tet(amento) Anthony_Birley_translatesBirley,_p._355._this_as: :"To_the_Di_Manes">divine_shades,_Lucius_Artorius_Castus,_centurion_ A_centurion_(;__la,_centurio_,_.__la,_centuriones,_label=none;__grc-gre,_κεντυρίων,_kentyríōn,_or_)_was_a_position_in_the_Roman_army_during_classical_antiquity,_nominally_the_commander_of_a__century_(),_a__military_unit_of_around_80__...
_of_the_legio_III_Gallica">Third_Legion_Gallica,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_VI_Ferrata">Sixth_Legion_Ferrata,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_II_Adiutrix">Second_Legion_Adiutrix,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_V_Macedonica">Fifth_Legion_Macedonica,_also_primus_pilus">chief_centurion_of_the_same_legion,_in_charge_of_(Praepositus_ A_provost_is_a_senior_official_in_a_number_of_Christian_Churches. _Historical_development The_word_''praepositus''_(Latin:_"set_over",_from_''praeponere'',_"to_place_in_front")_was_originally_applied_to_any_ecclesiastical_ruler_or_dignitary._I_...
)_the_ rn(iae)_iure.html"_;"title="ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iure">ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_tet(amento) Anthony_Birley_translatesBirley,_p._355._this_as: :"To_the_Di_Manes">divine_shades,_Lucius_Artorius_Castus,_centurion_ A_centurion_(;__la,_centurio_,_.__la,_centuriones,_label=none;__grc-gre,_κεντυρίων,_kentyríōn,_or_)_was_a_position_in_the_Roman_army_during_classical_antiquity,_nominally_the_commander_of_a__century_(),_a__military_unit_of_around_80__...
_of_the_legio_III_Gallica">Third_Legion_Gallica,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_VI_Ferrata">Sixth_Legion_Ferrata,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_II_Adiutrix">Second_Legion_Adiutrix,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_V_Macedonica">Fifth_Legion_Macedonica,_also_primus_pilus">chief_centurion_of_the_same_legion,_in_charge_of_(Praepositus_ A_provost_is_a_senior_official_in_a_number_of_Christian_Churches. _Historical_development The_word_''praepositus''_(Latin:_"set_over",_from_''praeponere'',_"to_place_in_front")_was_originally_applied_to_any_ecclesiastical_ruler_or_dignitary._I_...
)_the_Classis_Misenensis">Misenum_fleet_ The_''Classis_Misenensis''_("Fleet_of__Misenum"),_later_awarded_the_honorifics_''praetoria''_and_''Pia_Vindex'',_was_the_senior_fleet_of_the_imperial_Roman_navy. __History_ The__was_founded_by_Caesar_Augustus_in_27_BCE,_when_the_fleet_of_Italy,_u_...
,_prefect_ Prefect_(from_the_Latin_''praefectus'',_substantive_adjectival_form_of_''praeficere'':_"put_in_front",_meaning_in_charge)_is_a_magisterial_title_of_varying_definition,_but_essentially_refers_to_the_leader_of_an_administrative_area. A_prefect's__...
*_of_the_
rn(iae)_iure.html"_;"title="ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iure">ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_tet(amento) Anthony_Birley_translatesBirley,_p._355._this_as: :"To_the_Di_Manes">divine_shades,_Lucius_Artorius_Castus,_centurion_ A_centurion_(;__la,_centurio_,_.__la,_centuriones,_label=none;__grc-gre,_κεντυρίων,_kentyríōn,_or_)_was_a_position_in_the_Roman_army_during_classical_antiquity,_nominally_the_commander_of_a__century_(),_a__military_unit_of_around_80__...
_of_the_legio_III_Gallica">Third_Legion_Gallica,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_VI_Ferrata">Sixth_Legion_Ferrata,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_II_Adiutrix">Second_Legion_Adiutrix,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_V_Macedonica">Fifth_Legion_Macedonica,_also_primus_pilus">chief_centurion_of_the_same_legion,_in_charge_of_(Praepositus_ A_provost_is_a_senior_official_in_a_number_of_Christian_Churches. _Historical_development The_word_''praepositus''_(Latin:_"set_over",_from_''praeponere'',_"to_place_in_front")_was_originally_applied_to_any_ecclesiastical_ruler_or_dignitary._I_...
)_the_Classis_Misenensis">Misenum_fleet_ The_''Classis_Misenensis''_("Fleet_of__Misenum"),_later_awarded_the_honorifics_''praetoria''_and_''Pia_Vindex'',_was_the_senior_fleet_of_the_imperial_Roman_navy. __History_ The__was_founded_by_Caesar_Augustus_in_27_BCE,_when_the_fleet_of_Italy,_u_...
,_prefect_ Prefect_(from_the_Latin_''praefectus'',_substantive_adjectival_form_of_''praeficere'':_"put_in_front",_meaning_in_charge)_is_a_magisterial_title_of_varying_definition,_but_essentially_refers_to_the_leader_of_an_administrative_area. A_prefect's__...
*_of_the_legio_VI_Victrix">Sixth_Legion_Victrix,_commander_ Commander_(commonly_abbreviated_as_Cmdr.)_is_a_common__naval_officer_rank._Commander_is_also_used_as_a_rank_or_title_in_other_formal_organizations,_including_several_police_forces._In_several_countries_this_naval_rank_is_termed__frigate_captain._...
_of_two**_British_legions_against_the_Armenians,_centenary_ rn(iae)_iure.html"_;"title="ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iure">ratori)_centenario_provinciae_Lib[urn(iae)_iuregladi_vivus_ipse_et_suis_[….ex_tet(amento) Anthony_Birley_translatesBirley,_p._355._this_as: :"To_the_Di_Manes">divine_shades,_Lucius_Artorius_Castus,_centurion_ A_centurion_(;__la,_centurio_,_.__la,_centuriones,_label=none;__grc-gre,_κεντυρίων,_kentyríōn,_or_)_was_a_position_in_the_Roman_army_during_classical_antiquity,_nominally_the_commander_of_a__century_(),_a__military_unit_of_around_80__...
_of_the_legio_III_Gallica">Third_Legion_Gallica,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_VI_Ferrata">Sixth_Legion_Ferrata,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_II_Adiutrix">Second_Legion_Adiutrix,_also_centurion_of_the_legio_V_Macedonica">Fifth_Legion_Macedonica,_also_primus_pilus">chief_centurion_of_the_same_legion,_in_charge_of_(Praepositus_ A_provost_is_a_senior_official_in_a_number_of_Christian_Churches. _Historical_development The_word_''praepositus''_(Latin:_"set_over",_from_''praeponere'',_"to_place_in_front")_was_originally_applied_to_any_ecclesiastical_ruler_or_dignitary._I_...
)_the_Classis_Misenensis">Misenum_fleet_ The_''Classis_Misenensis''_("Fleet_of__Misenum"),_later_awarded_the_honorifics_''praetoria''_and_''Pia_Vindex'',_was_the_senior_fleet_of_the_imperial_Roman_navy. __History_ The__was_founded_by_Caesar_Augustus_in_27_BCE,_when_the_fleet_of_Italy,_u_...
,_prefect_ Prefect_(from_the_Latin_''praefectus'',_substantive_adjectival_form_of_''praeficere'':_"put_in_front",_meaning_in_charge)_is_a_magisterial_title_of_varying_definition,_but_essentially_refers_to_the_leader_of_an_administrative_area. A_prefect's__...
*_of_the_legio_VI_Victrix">Sixth_Legion_Victrix,_commander_ Commander_(commonly_abbreviated_as_Cmdr.)_is_a_common__naval_officer_rank._Commander_is_also_used_as_a_rank_or_title_in_other_formal_organizations,_including_several_police_forces._In_several_countries_this_naval_rank_is_termed__frigate_captain._...
_of_two**_British_legions_against_the_Armenians,_centenary_Procurator_(Roman)">procurator_ Procurator_(with_procuracy_or_procuratorate_referring_to_the_office_itself)_may_refer_to: *_Procurator,_one_engaged_in__procuration,_the_action_of_taking_care_of,_hence_management,_stewardship,_agency *__''Procurator''_(Ancient_Rome),_the_title_o_...
_of__Liburnia_with_the_jus_gladii.html" ;"title="Procurator_(Roman).html" "title="legio_VI_Victrix.html" ;"title="Classis_Misenensis.html" "title="primus_pilus.html" ;"title="rn(iae) iuregladi vivus ipse et suis [….ex te">rn(iae)_iure.html" ;"title="ratori) centenario provinciae Lib[urn(iae) iure">ratori) centenario provinciae Lib[urn(iae) iuregladi vivus ipse et suis [….ex tet(amento) Anthony Birley translatesBirley, p. 355. this as: :"To the Di Manes">divine shades, Lucius Artorius Castus,
centurion A centurion (; la, centurio , . la, centuriones, label=none; grc-gre, κεντυρίων, kentyríōn, or ) was a position in the Roman army during classical antiquity, nominally the commander of a century (), a military unit of around 80 ...
of the legio III Gallica">Third Legion Gallica, also centurion of the legio VI Ferrata">Sixth Legion Ferrata, also centurion of the legio II Adiutrix">Second Legion Adiutrix, also centurion of the legio V Macedonica">Fifth Legion Macedonica, also primus pilus">chief centurion of the same legion, in charge of (
Praepositus A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian Churches. Historical development The word ''praepositus'' (Latin: "set over", from ''praeponere'', "to place in front") was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary. I ...
) the Classis Misenensis">Misenum fleet The ''Classis Misenensis'' ("Fleet of Misenum"), later awarded the honorifics ''praetoria'' and ''Pia Vindex'', was the senior fleet of the imperial Roman navy. History The was founded by Caesar Augustus in 27 BCE, when the fleet of Italy, u ...
,
prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...
* of the legio VI Victrix">Sixth Legion Victrix,
commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...
of two** British legions against the Armenians, centenary Procurator (Roman)">procurator Procurator (with procuracy or procuratorate referring to the office itself) may refer to: * Procurator, one engaged in procuration, the action of taking care of, hence management, stewardship, agency * ''Procurator'' (Ancient Rome), the title o ...
 of Liburnia with the jus gladii">power of the sword. He himself (set this up) for himself and his family in his lifetime.***" *Note that the double -ff- in PRAEFF should be indicative of the plural (often dual), though it might be a scribal error here.Egbert, p. 447. **Birley follows Pflaum's expansion of the text where uaru "of two" is reinstated before Britanicimiarum.Birley, p. 355. Previous editors have preferred to restore the word as ''alarum'' "to/for the alae", which may make better sense if ''duci legg'' is to be understood as the title dux legionum. ***Birley does not translate the final phrase, [...ex te]st(amento), which (if correct) should be rendered "...according to the terms of (his) will"Dixon, Southern, p. 240. As of 2009, the two stone fragments bearing this inscription have been removed from the wall of the Church of St. Martin for scientific analysis and restoration; they have since been replaced by a copy. As of 2012 the large inscription had been cleaned and returned to display in the Chapel of St. Martin in Podstrana, Croatia. The smaller inscription is still in storage in the museum. The piece bearing the name Castus can still be located. The other two pieces sent for cleaning have been lost. The whereabouts of the fourth piece remains unknown.


The second inscription

The memorial plaque, which was discovered not far away from the first inscription and was also broken at some point prior to the 19th century, reads: L ARTORIVS CASTVS P P LEG V MA PR AEFEC S LEG VI VICTRIC .... Which Clauss (following CIL 03, 12791 (p 2258, 2328,120); CIL 03, 14224; IDRE-02, 304), expands:
L(ucius) Artorius , Castus p(rimus) p(ilus) , leg(ionis) V Ma (edonicae)pr, aefec s leg(ionis) , VI Victric(is), .. Translated:
Lucius Artorius Castus, Primus Pilus of the legion V Macedonica, Prefect of the Legion VI Victrix ...


Possible third inscription

An undated, unprovenanced inscription on a stamp, supposedly discovered in Rome but recorded as being in Paris in the 19th century reads: • LVCI •
• ARTORI
• CASTI • As inscription shows the text is in the genitive form. In fact, the rendered expansion will be Lucii Artorii Casti which means: (It belongs to) Lucius Artorius Castus. Without further information on the inscription, we cannot say whether or not it refers to our Lucius Artorius Castus, or simply another man of the same name.


Units and ranks mentioned


Centurion of Legio III Gallica

The first unit mentioned on Castus's inscription is the
legio III Gallica Legio III Gallica ( Third Legion "Gallic") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. The cognomen ''Gallica'' suggests that its earliest recruits came from veterans of the Gallic legions of Gaius Julius Caesar, a supposition supported by it ...
– for most of the 2nd and 3rd centuries the unit was stationed in
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
. He held the rank of
centurion A centurion (; la, centurio , . la, centuriones, label=none; grc-gre, κεντυρίων, kentyríōn, or ) was a position in the Roman army during classical antiquity, nominally the commander of a century (), a military unit of around 80 ...
in this legion – most Roman soldiers only achieved the rank of centurion after about 15–20 years of service, but it was not unknown for some politically connected civilians of the equestrian class to be directly commissioned as centurions upon entering the Army, though these equestrian centurions (known as "ex equite Romano") were in the minority.Keppie (1998), p. 179. We cannot tell whether or not Castus had a lengthy career as a
legionary The Roman legionary (in Latin ''legionarius'', plural ''legionarii'') was a professional heavy infantryman of the Roman army after the Marian reforms. These soldiers would conquer and defend the territories of ancient Rome during the late Republ ...
soldier before attaining the centurionate, or whether he was directly commissioned at this rank, as the vast majority of career centurions' inscriptions do not mention any ranks that they might have held below the centurionate.Goldsworthy, p. 31, n. 80. Successful officers often omitted the record of any ranks lower than primus pilus,Keppie (2000), p. 168. as Castus did on his memorial plaque.


Centurion of Legio VI Ferrata

From the middle of the 2nd century until at least the early 3rd century the
legio VI Ferrata Legio VI Ferrata ("Sixth Ironclad Legion") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. In 30 BC it became part of the emperor Augustus's standing army. It continued in existence into the 4th century. A ''Legio VI'' fought in the Roman Republican ...
was stationed in
Judea Judea or Judaea ( or ; from he, יהודה, Standard ''Yəhūda'', Tiberian ''Yehūḏā''; el, Ἰουδαία, ; la, Iūdaea) is an ancient, historic, Biblical Hebrew, contemporaneous Latin, and the modern-day name of the mountainous so ...
.


Centurion of Legio II Adiutrix

From the early 2nd century onward the
legio II Adiutrix Legio II Adiutrix ("Second Legion, the Rescuer"), was a legion of the Imperial Roman army founded in AD 70 by the emperor Vespasian (r. 69–79), originally composed of Roman navy marines of the '' classis Ravennatis''. There are still records ...
were based at
Aquincum Aquincum (, ) was an ancient city, situated on the northeastern borders of the province of Pannonia within the Roman Empire. The ruins of the city can be found today in Budapest, the capital city of Hungary. It is believed that Marcus Aurelius w ...
(modern
Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population o ...
) and took part in several notable campaigns against the
Parthians Parthian may be: Historical * A demonym "of Parthia", a region of north-eastern of Greater Iran * Parthian Empire (247 BC – 224 AD) * Parthian language, a now-extinct Middle Iranian language * Parthian shot, an archery skill famously employed by ...
,
Marcomanni The Marcomanni were a Germanic people * * * that established a powerful kingdom north of the Danube, somewhere near modern Bohemia, during the peak of power of the nearby Roman Empire. According to Tacitus and Strabo, they were Suebian. O ...
,
Quadi The Quadi were a Germanic * * * people who lived approximately in the area of modern Moravia in the time of the Roman Empire. The only surviving contemporary reports about the Germanic tribe are those of the Romans, whose empire had its bord ...
and, in the mid-3rd century, the
Sassanid The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the History of Iran, last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th cen ...
empire.


Centurion and Primus Pilus of Legio V Macedonica

The legio V Macedonica was based in
Roman Dacia Roman Dacia ( ; also known as Dacia Traiana, ; or Dacia Felix, 'Fertile/Happy Dacia') was a Roman province, province of the Roman Empire from 106 to 271–275 AD. Its territory consisted of what are now the regions of Oltenia, Transylvania a ...
throughout the 2nd century and through most of the 3rd – the unit took part in battles against the
Marcomanni The Marcomanni were a Germanic people * * * that established a powerful kingdom north of the Danube, somewhere near modern Bohemia, during the peak of power of the nearby Roman Empire. According to Tacitus and Strabo, they were Suebian. O ...
,
Sarmatians The Sarmatians (; grc, Σαρμαται, Sarmatai; Latin: ) were a large confederation of ancient Eastern Iranian equestrian nomadic peoples of classical antiquity who dominated the Pontic steppe from about the 3rd century BC to the 4th cen ...
and
Quadi The Quadi were a Germanic * * * people who lived approximately in the area of modern Moravia in the time of the Roman Empire. The only surviving contemporary reports about the Germanic tribe are those of the Romans, whose empire had its bord ...
. The legio V Macedonica after 185 CE was called ''Pia Fidelis'' or ''Pia Constans'' (shortened as P.F. or P.C.), so Castus served in this unit as
centurion A centurion (; la, centurio , . la, centuriones, label=none; grc-gre, κεντυρίων, kentyríōn, or ) was a position in the Roman army during classical antiquity, nominally the commander of a century (), a military unit of around 80 ...
and
primus pilus The ''primus pilus'' or ''primipilus'' was the senior centurion of the first cohort in a Roman legion, a formation of five double-strength centuries of 160 men, was called the ''primus pilus''; he was a career soldier and advisor to the le ...
before 185 CE (in the inscription these nicknames are missing).


Praepositus of the Misenum fleet

Castus next acted as Provost (
Praepositus A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian Churches. Historical development The word ''praepositus'' (Latin: "set over", from ''praeponere'', "to place in front") was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary. I ...
) of the
Misenum fleet The ''Classis Misenensis'' ("Fleet of Misenum"), later awarded the honorifics ''praetoria'' and ''Pia Vindex'', was the senior fleet of the imperial Roman navy. History The was founded by Caesar Augustus in 27 BCE, when the fleet of Italy, u ...
in Italy. This title (generally given to ''Equites'') indicated a special command over a body of troops, but somewhat limited in action and subject to the Emperor's control.


Praefectus of Legio VI Victrix

The
Legio VI Victrix Legio VI Victrix ("Victorious Sixth Legion") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army founded in 41 BC by the general Octavian (who, as Augustus, later became Rome's first emperor). It was the twin legion of VI ''Ferrata'' and perhaps held vet ...
was based in
Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
from c. 122 AD onward, though their history during the 3rd century AD is rather hazy. Throughout the 2nd century AD and into the 3rd, the headquarters of the VI Victrix was at ''Eboracum'' (modern
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
). The unit was removed briefly to ''Lugdunum'' (Lyons) in 196 AD by
Clodius Albinus Decimus Clodius Albinus ( 150 – 19 February 197) was a Roman imperial pretender between 193 and 197. He was proclaimed emperor by the legions in Britain and Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula, comprising modern Spain and Portugal) after the murd ...
, during his doomed revolt against the emperor
Severus Severus is the name of various historical and fictional figures, including: ;Emperors of the Roman empire *Septimius Severus (145–211), Roman emperor from 193 to 211 (rarely known as ''Severus I.'') *Severus Caracalla (188–217), Roman emperor f ...
, but returned to York after the revolt was quelled – and the unit suffered a significant defeat – in 197 AD. Castus's position in the Legio VI Victrix, Prefect of the Legion (''Praefectus Legionis''), was equivalent to that of the
Praefectus Castrorum The ''praefectus castrorum'' ("camp prefect") was, in the Roman army of the early Empire, the third most senior officer of the Roman legion after the legate (''legatus'') and the senior military tribune ('' tribunus laticlavius''), both of whom ...
.Mommsen, Demandt, Demandt, p. 311. Men who had achieved this title were normally 50–60 years old and had been in the army most of their lives, working their way up through the lower ranks and the centurionate until they reached
Primus Pilus The ''primus pilus'' or ''primipilus'' was the senior centurion of the first cohort in a Roman legion, a formation of five double-strength centuries of 160 men, was called the ''primus pilus''; he was a career soldier and advisor to the le ...
Webster, p. 113. (the rank seems to have been held exclusively by primipilaresDobson, p. 415. ). They acted as third-in-command to the legionary commander, the
legatus legionis A ''legatus'' (; anglicised as legate) was a high-ranking Roman military officer in the Roman Army, equivalent to a modern high-ranking general officer. Initially used to delegate power, the term became formalised under Augustus as the office ...
, and senior
tribune Tribune () was the title of various elected officials in ancient Rome. The two most important were the tribunes of the plebs and the military tribunes. For most of Roman history, a college of ten tribunes of the plebs acted as a check on th ...
and could assume command in their absence.Webster, p. 113. Their day-to-day duties included maintenance of the fortress and management of the food supplies, sanitation, munitions, equipment, etc.Webster, p. 113.Keppie (1998), p. 177. For most who had attained this rank, it would be their last before retirement.Keppie (1998), p. 177. During battles, the Praefectus Castrorum normally remained at the unit's home base with the reserve troops,Smith, Wayte, Marindin, p. 798. so, given his administrative position and (probably) advanced age, it is unlikely that Castus actually fought in any battles while serving in Britain. Castus could have overseen vexillations of troops guarding
Hadrian's Wall Hadrian's Wall ( la, Vallum Aelium), also known as the Roman Wall, Picts' Wall, or ''Vallum Hadriani'' in Latin, is a former defensive fortification of the Roman province of Britannia, begun in AD 122 in the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. Ru ...
, but his inscriptions do not provide us with any precise information on where he might have served while in Britain. Given his duties as ''Praefectus Legionis'', it is reasonable to assume that he spent some – if not all – of his time in Britain at the VI Victrix's headquarters in York. It is interesting that the title is spelled (P)RAEFF on Castus's sarcophagus – doubled letters at the end of abbreviated words on Latin inscriptions usually indicated the plural (often dual) and some legions are known to have had multiple praefecti castrorum.Webster, p. 113.Keppie (1998), p. 177. The title is given in the singular on the memorial plaque, though, so we might have a scribal error on the sarcophagus. If not, then Castus was probably one of two prefects of this legion.


Dux Legionum Trium "Britanicimiarum"

Before finishing his military career, Castus led an expedition of some note as a Dux Legionum, a temporary title accorded to officers who were acting in a capacity above their rank, either in command of a collection of troops (generally combined vexillations drawn from legionsBreeze, Dobson, p. 180.) in transit from one station to another or in command of a complete unit (the former seems to be the case with Castus, since the units are spoken of in the genitive plural).Southern, Dixon, p. 59.


=Adversus *Arm ric(an)o or Adversus *Arme io?

= For many years it has been believed that Castus's expedition was against the Armoricans (based on the reading ADVERSUS ARM ..., reconstructed as "adversus *Armoricanos" – "against the Armoricans" – by
Theodor Mommsen Christian Matthias Theodor Mommsen (; 30 November 1817 – 1 November 1903) was a German classical scholar, historian, jurist, journalist, politician and archaeologist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest classicists of the 19th centur ...
in the CIL and followed by most subsequent editors of the inscription), but the earliest published reading of the inscription, made by the Croatian archaeologist Francesco Carrara in 1850, was ADVERSUS ARME ...Carrara, p. 23. with a ligatured ME (no longer visible on the stone, possibly due to weathering, since the stone has been exposed to the elements for centuries and was reused as part of a roadside wall next to the church of St. Martin in Podstrana; the mutilated word falls along the broken right-hand edge of the first fragment of the inscription). If Carrara's reading is correct, the phrase is most likely to be reconstructed as "adversus *Armenios", i.e. "against the Armenians", since no other national or tribal name beginning with the letters *Arme- is known from this time period.Loriot, pp. 85–86. The regional names Armoricani or Armorici are not attested in any other Latin inscriptions, whereas the country Armenia and derivatives such as the ethnic name Armenii and personal name Armeniacus are attested in numerous Latin inscriptions. Furthermore, no classical sources mention any military action taken against the Armorici/Armoricani (which was in origin a regional name that encompassed a number of different tribes) in the 2nd or 3rd centuries. While there are literary references to (and a small amount of archaeological evidence for) minor unrest in northwestern Gaul during this time periodGalliou, Jones, p. 118. – often referred to as, or associated with, the rebellion of the
Bagaudae Bagaudae (also spelled bacaudae) were groups of peasant insurgents in the later Roman Empire who arose during the Crisis of the Third Century, and persisted until the very end of the Western Empire, particularly in the less-Romanised areas of G ...
, there is no evidence that the Bagaudae were connected with the Armorici/Armoricani, or any other particular tribe or region for that matter, making the possible reference to the Armorici/Armoricani somewhat strange (especially since Armorica otherwise experienced a period of prosperity in the late 2nd century AD,Galliou, Jones, p. 117-118. when some scholars believe that Castus's expedition took place). Armenia, on the other hand, was the location of several conflicts involving the Romans during the 2nd and 3rd centuries. The alternate, "Armenian" translation was supported in 1881 by the epigrapher and classical scholar Emil Hübner, and most recently taken up again by the historian and epigrapher Xavier Loriot, who (based on the contextual and epigraphic evidence) suggests a floruit for Castus in the early mid-3rd century ADLoriot, pp. 85–86. (Loriot's analysis of the inscription has recently been adopted by the Roman historians
Anthony Birley Anthony Richard Birley (8 October 1937 – 19 December 2020) was a British ancient historian, archaeologist and academic. He was the son of Margaret Isabel (Goodlet) and historian and archaeologist Eric Birley. Early life and education Anthon ...
Birley, p. 355. and Marie-Henriette Quet).Quet, p. 339. With external wars against a foreign enemy the tribe or people are named. Another example from the Severan period reads: duci exercitus Illyrica expeditione Asiana item Parthica item Gallica, ’Leader of the Illyrican army on the Asian, Parthian and Gallic expeditions.’ There are also a number of literary and epigraphical pieces of evidence demonstrating Roman military campaigns in Armenia against Armenians. In the Parthian War of AD 161-6 under Lucius Verus the general Priscus led the advance through Armenia and captured the Armenian capital at Artaxata. Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus subsequently awarded themselves the titles of Armeniacus, Parthicus, Medicus and pater patriae. Around ad 214–216 the Armenia King Khosrov I was imprisoned by the Romans. The Armenians rebelled and Caracalla sent Theocritus who led an army to defeat. However after a subsequent successful campaign Caracalla did eventually grant the Armenian crown to Tiridates II c. AD 217 and Armenia returned under Roman influence. In the reign of Macrinus, AD 217-8, the Historia Augusta states there was a ‘dux Armeniae erat et item legatus Asiae atque Arabiae’. In c. AD 233 Severus Alexander launched a three prong attack against the Persians with the northern army invading through Armenia. Alexander drew troops from the Rhine and Danube on his march east, and we have various inscriptions dated to ad 232–5 honouring men who died in ‘expediteone Partica et Armeniaca’.


=Britanicimiarum

= The name of the units that Castus led in this expedition, ''"Britanicimiarum"'', seems to be corrupt – it might be reconstructed as ''*Britanniciniarum'' or ''*Britannicianarum''. If so, they were probably units similar in nature to the '' ala'' and ''
cohors A cohort (from the Latin ''cohors'', plural ''cohortes'', see wikt:cohors for full inflection table) was a standard tactical military unit of a Roman legion. Although the standard size changed with time and situation, it was generally compos ...
I Britannica'' (also known as the ''I Flavia Britannica'' or'' Britanniciana'', among other titles), which were stationed in Britain in the mid-1st century AD, but removed to
Vindobona Vindobona (from Gaulish ''windo-'' "white" and ''bona'' "base/bottom") was a Roman military camp on the site of the modern city of Vienna in Austria. The settlement area took on a new name in the 13th century, being changed to Berghof, or now si ...
in
Pannonia Pannonia (, ) was a province of the Roman Empire bounded on the north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia. Pannonia was located in the territory that is now west ...
by the late 80s AD (they would later take part in
Trajan's Parthian War Trajan's Parthian campaign was engaged by Roman Emperor Trajan in 115 against the Parthian Empire in Mesopotamia. The war was initially successful for the Romans, but a series of setbacks, including wide-scale rebellions in the Eastern Me ...
of 114–117 AD and Trebonianus Gallus' Persian war of 252 AD).Tully, pp. 379–380. Though the name of the unit was derived from its early service in Britain, the unit was not generally composed of ethnic Britons.Kennedy, pp. 249–255.Tully, pp. 380. No units of this name are believed to have been active in Britain during the late 2nd century.Kennedy, pp. 249–255. In an inscription from
Sirmium Sirmium was a city in the Roman province of Pannonia, located on the Sava river, on the site of modern Sremska Mitrovica in the Vojvodina autonomous provice of Serbia. First mentioned in the 4th century BC and originally inhabited by Illyria ...
in
Pannonia Pannonia (, ) was a province of the Roman Empire bounded on the north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia. Pannonia was located in the territory that is now west ...
dating to the reign of the emperor
Gallienus Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus (; c. 218 – September 268) was Roman emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260 and alone from 260 to 268. He ruled during the Crisis of the Third Century that nearly caused the collapse of the empi ...
(CIL 3, 3228), we have mention of vexillations of legions ''*Brittan(n)icin(arum)'' ("''militum vexill(ationum) legg(ionum) ]G]ermaniciana (um) Brittan(n)icin(arum)''") – another form that is very similar to the ''*Britan(n)icimiarum'' from Castus's inscription.


Procurator Centenarius of Liburnia

Exceptionally talented, experienced and/or connected Praefects Castrorum/Legionis could sometimes move on to higher civilian positions such as
Procurator Procurator (with procuracy or procuratorate referring to the office itself) may refer to: * Procurator, one engaged in procuration, the action of taking care of, hence management, stewardship, agency * ''Procurator'' (Ancient Rome), the title o ...
,Webster, p. 113. which Castus indeed managed to accomplish after retiring from the army. He became '' procurator centenarius'' (governor) of Liburnia, a part of Roman
Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see names in other languages) is one of the four historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of the Adriatic Sea, str ...
, today's
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...
. (''centenarius'' indicates that he received a salary of 100,000
sesterces The ''sestertius'' (plural ''sestertii''), or sesterce (plural sesterces), was an Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Roman currency, coin. During the Roman Republic it was a small, silver coin issued only on rare occasions. During the Roman Empire it w ...
per year). Castus was appointed procurator centenarius of the province of Liburnia with ius gladii, the power to put anyone, even Senators, to death. Nothing further is known of him. Other Artorii are attested in the area, but it is unknown if Lucius Artorius Castus started this branch of the family in Dalmatia, or whether the family had already been settled there prior to his birth (if the latter, Castus might have received the Liburnian procuratorship because he was a native of the region).


The date of Lucius Artorius Castus's ''floruit''

No dates are given in either inscription, making it difficult to offer a precise date for them, no less Lucius Artorius Castus's ''floruit''. The late French epigraphy expert Xavier Loriot suggested that Lucius Artorius Castus's expedition against the Armenians (as he reads the main inscription) could have taken place in 215 AD, under the reign of emperor
Caracalla Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 – 8 April 217), better known by his nickname "Caracalla" () was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. He was a member of the Severan dynasty, the elder son of Emperor ...
, or perhaps later, in 232 AD, under the reign of
Severus Alexander Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander (1 October 208 – 21/22 March 235) was a Roman emperor, who reigned from 222 until 235. He was the last emperor from the Severan dynasty. He succeeded his slain cousin Elagabalus in 222. Alexander himself wa ...
(when P. Aelius Hammonius led a Cappadocian force in Severus's Persian war). Three Croatian archaeologists examined the inscriptions in 2012, as part of an international conference on Lucius Artorius Castus organized by authors Linda Malcor and John Matthews: Nenad Cambi, Željko Miletić, and Miroslav Glavičić. Cambi proposes that Lucius Artorius Castus' career can be dated to the late 2nd century AD and his death to the late 2nd, or perhaps early 3rd century AD. Glavičić dates Lucius Artorius Castus's military career to the middle- through late-2nd century AD and proposes that he was the first governor of the province of Liburnia, which Glavičić suggests was only established as a separate province from Dalmatia circa 184–185 AD. Miletić dates Lucius Artorius Castus's military career to circa 121–166 AD and his procuratorship of the province of Liburnia to circa 167–174 AD. Cambi, Miletić, and Glavičić all accept the reading ''(adversus) Armenios'', "against the Armenians" (with Cambi offering ''Armorios'' n_abbreviation_of_''Armoric[ans''.html" ;"title="n.html" ;"title="n abbreviation of ''Armoric[an">n abbreviation of ''Armoric[ans''">n.html" ;"title="n abbreviation of ''Armoric[an">n abbreviation of ''Armoric[ans''as an alternate possibility); Miletić places the expedition against the Armenians during emperor Lucius Verus's Roman–Parthian War of 161–166, Parthian war of 161–166 AD.


Identification with King Arthur

In 1924, Kemp Malone was the first to suggest the possibility that Lucius Artorius Castus was the inspiration for the figure of
Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more wi ...
in medieval European literature. More recent champions have included authors
C. Scott Littleton Covington Scott Littleton (July 1, 1933 – November 25, 2010) was an American anthropologist who was Professor and Chair of the Department of Anthropology at Occidental College. A co-founder of the ''Journal of Indo-European Studies'', Littleton ...
and Linda Malcor. The hypothesis has been heavily criticized by prominent Arthurian scholars due to the historical Artorius Castus having very little in common with the Arthurian legends and the arguments relying excessively on speculation and wishful thinking. Due to the significant differences between the persons and careers of the historical Lucius Artorius Castus and the traditional King Arthur, the consensus of mainstream historians is that it is very unlikely the former inspired the latter. For example, Lucius Artorius Castus was not contemporaneous with the Saxon invasions of Britain in the 5th century CE which gave rise to the Arthurian legends, and some of the earliest written references to Arthur are of him fighting against the Saxons. The strongest link between them may be the extended family or clan name ''Artorius'' which may have developed into the personal name ''Arthur'', but this does not necessarily mean Lucius Artorius Castus himself inspired the legends. The possibility, however unlikely or remote, is nonetheless real that he was remembered in local tales that grew in the retelling. No definitive proof, however, has yet been established that Lucius Artorius Castus was the "real" King Arthur.


Lucius Artorius Castus as King Arthur in modern entertainment

In the film ''
King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
'' (
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...
), Lucius Artorius Castus is partially identified with King Arthur. The film asserts that Arthur's Roman name was "Artorius Castus", and that Artorius was an ancestral name derived from that of a famous leader. His ''floruit'' ("prime time") is, however, pushed a few centuries later so that he is made a contemporary of the invading Saxons in the 5th century CE. This would be in agreement with native Welsh tradition regarding Arthur, although his activities are placed many decades or sometimes centuries earlier than the medieval sources assign to him. As a research consultant for the film ''
King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
'' (
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...
), Linda Malcor's hypotheses regarding Lucius Artorius Castus were the primary inspiration for the screenplay.Matthews, John, "An Interview with David Franzoni", in: Arthuriana, Volume 14, Number 3, Fall 2004, pp. 115–120


References


Bibliography

* Barbero, Alessandro, Barbari: Immigrati, profughi, deportati nell'impero romano, Laterza, Bari, 2012. * Basić I., Illyrica II, Proceedings of the International Conference, Šibenik, 12–15 September 2013, pp. 309–334 * Birley, Anthony R. (2000). "Hadrian to the Antonines". In Bowman, Alan K.; Garnsey, Peter; Rathbone, Dominic (eds.). The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume XI: The High Empire, A.D. 70–192. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 132–94. * Birley, Anthony, The Roman Government of Britain, Oxford, 2005, p. 355 * Breeze, David John, Dobson, Brian, Roman Officers and Frontiers, Franz Steiner Verlag, 1993, p. 180 * Cambi, Nenad, "Lucije Artorije Kast: njegovi grobišni areal i sarkofag u Podstrani (Sveti Martin) kod Splita", in: N. Cambi, J. Matthews (eds.), Lucius Artorius Castus and the King Arthur Legend: Proceedings of the International Scholarly Conference from 30 March to 2 April 2012 / Cambi, Nenad; Matthews, John (eds.). Split : Književni krug Split, 2014, pp. 29–40. * Carrara, Francesco, De scavi di Salona nel 1850, Abhandlung der koeniglichen Boehmischen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften, 5 s, 7, 1851/1852, p. 23 * Dessau, Hermann, ''
Inscriptiones Latinae Selectae ''Inscriptiones Latinae Selectae'', standard abbreviation ''ILS'', is a three-volume selection of Latin inscriptions edited by Hermann Dessau. The work was published in five parts serially from 1892 to 1916, with numerous reprints. Supporting mat ...
'', Berlin 1892–1916 (Dessau 2770) * Dobson, B., "The Significance of the Centurion and 'Primipilaris' in the Roman Army and Administration," Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt II.1 Berlin/NY 1974 392- 434. * Dixon, Karen R., Southern, Pat, The Roman cavalry: from the first to the third century AD, Routledge, London, 1997, p. 240 * Egbert, James Chidester, Introduction to the study of Latin inscriptions, American Book Company, New York, 1896, p. 447 * Galliou, Patrick, Jones, Michael, The Bretons, Blackwell, Oxford (UK)/Cambridge (MA), 1991 * Gilliam, J. Frank. "The Dux Ripae at Dura", Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association, Vol. 72, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1941, p. 163 * Glavičić, Miroslav, "Artorii u Rimskoj Provinciji Dalmaciji", in: N. Cambi, J. Matthews (eds.), Lucius Artorius Castus and the King Arthur Legend: Proceedings of the International Scholarly Conference from 30 March to 2 April 2012 / Cambi, Nenad; Matthews, John (eds.). Split : Književni krug Split, 2014, pp. 59–70. * Goldsworthy, Adrian Keith, The Roman army at war: 100 BC-AD 200, Oxford University Press, 1998 * Halsall, Guy, Worlds of Arthur: Facts and Fictions of the Dark Ages, Oxford 2013 p. 147-151 * Haverfield, Francis, The Romanization of Roman Britain, Oxford, 1912, p. 65 * Higham, Nicholas J., King Arthur: The Making of the Legend, Yale, 2018 p. 13-39; pp. 281-284 * Hübner, Emil, "Exercitus Britannicus", Hermes XVI, 1881, p. 521ff. * McHugh, John, Emperor Alexander Severus, (Pen and Sword, Barnsley, 2017). * Jackson, Thomas Graham, Dalmatia, the Quarnero and Istria, Volume 2, Oxford, 1887, pp. 166–7 * Kennedy, David, "The 'ala I' and 'cohors I Britannica'", Britannia, Vol. 8 (1977), pp. 249–255 * Keppie, Lawrence, The Making of the Roman Army: from Republic to Empire, University of Oklahoma Press, 1998, pp. 176–179 * Keppie, Lawrence, Legions and veterans: Roman army papers 1971–2000, Franz Steiner Verlag, 2000, p. 168. * Klebs, Elimar, Dessau, Hermann, Prosopographia imperii romani saec. I. II. III, Deutsche Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, p. 155 * Littleton, C. Scott, Malcor, Linda, From Scythia to Camelot: A Radical Reassessment of the Legends of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table and the Holy Grail, New York, Garland, 2000 * Loriot, Xavier, "Un mythe historiographique : l'expédition d'Artorius Castus contre les Armoricains", Bulletin de la Société nationale des antiquaires de France, 1997, pp. 85–86 * Malcor, Linda, "Lucius Artorius Castus, Part 1: An Officer and an Equestrian" Heroic Age, 1, 1999 * Malcor, Linda, "Lucius Artorius Castus, Part 2: The Battles in Britain" Heroic Age 2, 1999 * Malone, Kemp, "Artorius," Modern Philology 23 (1924–1925): 367–74 * Medini, Julian, Provincija Liburnija, Diadora, v. 9, 1980, pp. 363–436 * Migliorati, Guido, Iscrizioni per la ricostruzione storica dell’Impero romano da Marco Aurelio a Commodo, EDUCatt, Milan, 2011 p. 427-428 * Miletić, Željko, "Lucius Artorius Castus i Liburnia", in: N. Cambi, J. Matthews (eds.), Lucius Artorius Castus and the King Arthur Legend: Proceedings of the International Scholarly Conference from 30 March to 2 April 2012 / Cambi, Nenad; Matthews, John (eds.). Split : Književni krug Split, 2014, pp. 111–130. * Mommsen, Theodor (ed.), Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum (CIL), vol. III, no. 1919 (p 1030, 2328,120); no. 8513; no. 12813; no. 12791 (p 2258, 2328,120); no. 14224 * Mommsen, Theodor, Demandt, Barbara, Demandt, Alexander, A history of Rome under the emperors, Routledge, London & New York, 1999 (new edition), pp. 311–312 * Peachin, Michael, Iudex vice Caesaris: deputy emperors and the administration of justice during the Principate, Volume 21 of Heidelberger althistorische Beiträge und epigraphische Studien, F. Steiner, 1996, p. 231 * Petolescu, C.C., Inscriptiones Daciae Romanae. Inscriptiones extra fines Daciae repertae, Bukarest 1996 (IDRE-02) * Pflaum, Hans-Georg, Les carrières procuratoriennes équestres sous le Haut-Empire romain, Paris, 1960, p. 535 * Quet, Marie-Henriette, La "crise" de l'Empire romain de Marc Aurèle à Constantin, Paris, 2006, p. 339 * Ritterling, E. "Legio", RE XII, 1924, col. 106. * Skeen, Bradley, "L. Artorius Castus and King Arthur", Journal of Indo-European Studies, Volume 48, Number 1 & 2, Spring/Summer 2020, pp. 61-75. * Smith, William, Wayte, William, Marindin, George Eden (eds.), A dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities, Volume 1, Edition 3, John Murray, London, 1890, p. 798 * Southern, Pat, Dixon, Karen R., The Late Roman Army, Routledge, London, 1996, p. 59 * Tully, Geoffrey D., "A Fragment of a Military Diploma for Pannonia Found in Northern England?", Britannia, Vol. 36 (2005), pp. 375–82 * Turković T., Nuove conoscenze sulla Liburnia Tarsaticensis, Atti, vol.XLI,2011,pp. 49–102 * Webster, Graham, The Roman Imperial Army of the first and second centuries A.D., University of Oklahoma Press, edition 3, 1998, pp. 112–114 * Wilkes, J. J., Dalmatia, Volume 2 of History of the provinces of the Roman Empire, Harvard University Press, 1969, pp. 328–9


External links

* Linda A. Malcor's 1999 article about Lucius Artorius Castus in ''The Heroic Age'',
part 1
an


Photograph
of the first sarcophagus fragment from Podstrana
Photograph
of the second sarcophagus fragment from Podstrana
Photograph
of the Church of St. Martin in Podstrana, with the first sarcophagus fragment in the wall, to the left
The Lucius Artorius Castus Inscriptions: A Sourcebook
{{DEFAULTSORT:Artorius Castus, Lucius 2nd-century births 2nd-century Romans Ancient Roman soldiers Ancient Romans in Britain Ancient Roman generals Historical figures as candidates of King Arthur Year of death unknown Artorii