Notes on a Few Vestal Inscriptions

Author(s): Esther Boise van Deman

Source: The American Journal of Philology, Vol. 29, No. 2 (1908), pp. 172-178
Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/288786
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 III.-NOTES ON A FEW VESTAL INSCRIPTIONS.

I. In connection with the Vestal inscriptions fou

Atrium Vestae in I882-84, Huelsen, in the fourth part
VI of the Corpus, gives a brief but valuable commentary
previously known.' For some reason or other, no ref
made to the inscription VI, 2144, which, as it has seem
on account of its peculiar history merits a brief notice.
The exact time and place in which this inscription was
found are unknown. Since it is first published by Li
whom, however, nothing is said of its location-we m
that it was not among those found in I495 in the At
greater part of which had been published by Juc
Sabinus a half century earlier. In 1549, presumably in
place, certain other inscriptions are reported by Pigh
humed in his presence.3 Although direct mention is mad
two, C. I. L. VI, 2134 and 2139, it is not impossible th
may have been discovered at the same time,4 although
ence is made to it by any one. Or, as in the case o
inscription in honor of the same Vestalis Maxima,5 it
been found in some private house and so have escape
notice. The inscription is, in any case, first reported
dinus as seen in aedibus D. Pal(ini?),6 but at a later t
Ciacconio as ante aedes decani Rotae prope Capitolium
pears to have been then transferred to the house of M
d'Aruzzo, while later it was seen in vinea Bosii, or C
where it was probably copied on March I2th, I706, by
After this time, since no mention is made of its whe

I C. I. L. VI, p. 3296. 2 L. c. VI, 2144.

3 L. c. VI, 2134, me praesente anno 49 extractae e terr
4 This is the opinion of Gatti, who thinks that its
the house of Palini, where No. 2139 is known to have
5 L. c. VI, 230. 6 L. c. VI, 2r44. 7L. c. 8L. c.
9Veron. CCCXLVII, f. 18. 4 qui desc. die 12 Martii, 1706,
2144.
10 A careful copy of the inscription was made by Fea (Schedae Epigraphicae
II 295; now in the Vatican, No. I0547, according to the older numbering), but
with no reference to the place at which it was seen.

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 NOTES ON A FEW VESTAL INSCRIPTIONS. I73

it
it has
has been
beensupposed
supposedthat
that
it disappeared,
it disappeared,
like like
so many
so many
others
into one of Rome's numberless limekilns.
In the year I9go, however, while preparing a list of the Vestal
inscriptions in the Atrium Vestae, I found, in a prominent position
among those discovered in I882-84, this long-lost one which was
easily recognizable on account of certain marked peculiarities.
In a photograph also, taken by Alinari' earlier in the same year,
the base bearing the inscription is seen in the position which it
now occupies, next to the entrance. In 1902 it was published by
Dessau.2 Professor Lanciani, when consulted as to the time and
manner of its reappearance, said that, at the time of the excava-
tions in the Atrium-in 1882-83-, the inscription was not there,
and that he had not known of its appearance there later. Commen-
datore Boni also stated that, during the time of his directorship,
no such inscription had been placed in the Atrium, or brought to
the Forum. Commendatore Gatti, whose knowledge of the inscrip-
tions in the Forum as well as throughout the city has extended
over many years, is no less positive that no inscriptions, except
that from the Palatine,3 have been transferred to the Atrium in
modern times. It is impossible that a base containing an inscrip-
tion of such length should have escaped the notice of Lanciani
and of the many others who saw and reported the inscriptions in
the years immediately following i883.4 It seems equally im-
possible that after that time the inscription could have been
brought into the Forum without the knowledge of the director.
It must, therefore, have been taken to the Forum and to the
vicinity of the Atrium at a much earlier period. At the beginning
of the last century, after a long period of inaction, a renewed in-
terest was aroused in the Forum excavations. At that time
probably, under the direction of Fea or Visconti and in connec-
tion, possibly, with the proposed plan for a Passeggiata Archeo-
logica uniting the Palatine, Forum and Colosseum, our inscription
was transferred from the vinea Caesarina to the Atrium,5 where
in the course of the century it was covered with earth or in some
other way lost to view. After the excavations in 1882-83,
possibly but a short time before I90o,6 the base must have been

1 No. 17359. 2 Inscr. Lat., No. 4927. 3 C. I. L. VI, 2140.

4 See C. I. L. VI, p. 3297, for the more important editions of the inscriptions.
5 This was first suggested to me by Comm. Gatti.
6 It was not in its present place when the inscriptions were edited by
Huelsen.

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I74 AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHILOLOGY.

discovered
discovered in in
its hiding
its hiding
place by
place
the by
workmen
the workmen
and by them and by th
placed
placedwith
withthethe
others,
others,
without
without
the usual
the
report
usual
of report
its discovery
of its disc
to the director.
The pedestal is 92 centimeters high, 60 centimeters wide and
47 centimeters thick. The lower right-hand corner is broken off.
It reads as follows:

TERENTIAE
FLAVVLAE-
PV. V
MAX- SORORI
5 TERENTIVS GENTIAN
VS FL* DIALIS V *C PR
TVT * CVM * POMPONIA
PAETINA * VXORE * ET ?
LOLLIANO * GENTIANo
io FILIO FRATris

C. I. L. VI, 2144. Dessau, 1. c. 4927.

L. i. To the same Terentia Flavula, or Flavola, belong the in-

scriptions C. I. L. VI, 2I30, 32412-13, 32423. In 204 A. D., in the
rites connected with the Ludi Saeculares, she assisted Numisia
Maximilla,l whom she succeeded within a few years as Virgo
Vestalis Maxima.2
L. 3. P. The presence of this letter was the source of some un-
certainty among early editors. It is present on the stone as
represented. Its height, however, is but 0.037 m., while the
letters in the same and adjacent lines are 0.047 m. high. The
cutting, too, differs from the rest of the inscription, being much
less firm and less deeply cut. The letter itself is much broader in
proportion to its height than the same letter where it occurs in
lines 6, 7 and 8, and the loop is more rounded. It must, there-
fore, be considered an addition made by some thoughtless or
malicious person, probably after the stone was set up in the Atrium.
V' V* The placing of a straight or slightly curved line, or of
an apex, over the initial letter of a word to denote abbreviation is
very rare in the first and not common even in the third and fourth
centuries.3 In the Vestal inscriptions, however, it is an accepted

1C. I. L. VI, 32328, 35-36 ; 32329, IO; cf. 1. c. 2I29, 3241I.

2For the family tree, see Huelsen, 1. c. 32412-13.
3 Huebner, Exempla Script. Epigr., pp. LXXII, LXXVI.

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 INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE ATRIUM VESTA

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 NOTES ON A FEW VESTAL INSCRIPTIONS. I75

form,
form,appearing
appearing as a as
simple,
a simple,
straightstraight
line even line
in theeven
inscription
in the i
of
of the
thefirst
first
century.'
century.'
Among Among
the newer
theinscriptions,
newer inscriptions,
the straight the
or
or curved
curved line2
line2
occurs
occurs
in 8 instances3
in 8 instances3
and the apex2
and the
in 5.4apex2
In the in
Vestal
Vestalinscriptions
inscriptionspublished
published
earlier,earlier,
the line is
the
found,
linein isaddition
found, in
to
to the
thepresent
present case,case,
4 times5
4 times5
and theand
apexthe
twice
apex
;6 there
twiceare;6also
ther
three instances of the use of the line where the title is used
incidentally.7 It is probable that in the inscriptions which ar
lost other cases occurred, since in two which remain8 no notice of
the sign is taken by the editors. In one case the line is used
the same inscription to denote both the singular and the plura
The origin of this mode of expressing abbreviation is not clea
It is possible that in the case of certain letters, as V, M, D, an
C, the mode may have arisen from the use of a line with the same
letters used as numerals. Its transference to other initial letters
would not then be difficult.

Terentiae.
Flavolae.
V'V'

MAXIMAE
CN STATILIVS
MENANDER
FICTOR
V'V'

Cn. Statili.
Cerdonis.
Fictoris.
V'V'
Alumnus.
C. I. L. VI, 32423.

This inscription as published in the Corpus is seen to be upon

a stone broken both at the top and bottom. It is probable, there-

'C. I. L. VI, 32409. 2. V or'V-; V-V-

3L. c. VI, 32409-13 (3 times), 32414.
4L. c. 32415-I6, 32418 (2 times)--9.
5 L. c. 2146 (= XIV, 4120), 2147-48; XIV, 3677 (fr
6L. c. 2130, 2134. 7L. c. 27I32a, 27I33-34.
8 L. c. 2130, 2146. A few fragmentary inscriptions I hav
see. The list here given, where it differs from the Corpus,
from the stones themselves.

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I76 AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHILOLOGY.

fore,
fore,that
thatwewe
have
have
but the
butmiddle
the middle
part of part
the original
of the inscription.
original insc
Since,
Since,soso farfar
as it
asisitleft,
is left,
it is the
it is
same
thein same
form and
in form
content
and
as co
C.
C. I.I.L.L.VI,
VI,32413,
32413,
it isitprobably
is probably
a duplicate
a duplicate
of that inscription
of that in
and
andisistoto bebecompleted
completed as here
as given.
here given.

3
FL * PVBLICIAE *V V * MAX
SANCTISSIMAE ET PIISSI
MAE * AC SVPER * OMNES
RETRO RELIGIOSISSIMAE
5 PVRISSIMAE * CASTISSIMAEQVE
CVIVS RELIGIOSAM ?
CVRAM * SACRORVM * ET
MORVM * PRAEDICABILEM
DISCIPLINAM * NVMEN QVOQVE
io VESTAE CONPROVABIT' sic
Q VETVRIVS * MEMPHIVS * V E
FICTOR * V V DIGNATIONES * sic
ERGA SE HONORISQVE' CAVSA
PLVRIMIS' IN SE' CONLATIS'
15 BENEFICIIS
C. I. L. VI, 32419.

L. Io. Huelsen reads COMPROBAVIT.

L. 12. DIGNATIONES. Cf. C. I. L. VI, 2134, where the
correct spelling is found.
In this inscription and one of those earlier published, C. I. L.
VI, 2134, we have an interesting example of duplicate honorary
inscriptions. In the year I549, the earlier of these was excavated
in the presence of Pighius,l presumably in the precinct, though
not in the Atrium, of Vesta.2 The later inscription, that here
given, was found Jan. 27th, 1884, in situ in a room on the south
side of the Atrium.3 The two inscriptions are identical in word-
ing, except that in the earlier one in 1. 12 in place of dignationes
the correct spelling dignationis was found.4 On the other hand,
the mistake in 1. Io, where conprovabit is used for comprobavit,

'See p. I, n. 3.
2 Lanciani (Storia degli Scavi di Roma, II, p. 203) notes that the Atrium itself
was not reached by the excavators, since it lay within the bounds of the
Farnese possessions, within which no excavations were allowed.
Bull. Arch. Com., 1884, p. 5. 'No variation in reading is found.

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 NOTES ON A FEW VESTAL INSCRIPTIONS. I77

occurred,
occurred,ititis is
clear,
clear,
in in
thethe
lostlost
inscription
inscription
also.' The
also.'
inscrip
The
differed
differedininthe thedivision
division of the
of the
lineslines
and, and,
if theifreports
the repoof
editors
editorsbe beaccepted,
accepted, in in
thethepunctuation.
punctuation.While, While,
however,how t
two
two inscriptions
inscriptions areare
clearly
clearlyduplicates,
duplicates,
or theoronethe a copy
one ao
other,
other,thetheoneonefound
found in 1549
in 1549was was
peculiar
peculiar
in thein presence
the pr
supplementary
supplementary inscription
inscription on the
on the
left left
side of
side
theofbase,
thecontain
base,
originally
originallythethenames
names of of
thethe
consuls
consuls
of the
ofyear.2
the year.2
In the Ininscrip
the
now
now ininthe
theForum
Forum not not
onlyonly
is this
is this
date date
lacking,
lacking,
but therebut
space
space on
onthetheside
sideof of
thethe
basebase
at all
atadapted
all adapted
for it. for
It is
it.prob
It
from
fromthe thelength
length of of
thethe
lines
lines
of the
of inscription
the inscription
that the that
ea
base
base was
wassquare,
square, notnothexagonal.
hexagonal.
The
The existence
existence ofofduplicate
duplicate inscriptions,-suggesting
inscriptions,-suggesting the ex
ence
ence of
ofduplicate
duplicatestatues,
statues,
also,-within
also,-within
the same
the same
precinc
p
peculiar.
peculiar.Since,
Since,however,
however,thethe
earlier
earlier
base base
was found
was found
outside
Atrium
Atriumproper,
proper, it it
is probable
is probable
thatthat
of the
oftwo
thestatues
two statue
erect
one
one time
timeby bythe
thesame
samedonor,
donor,
the the
one was
one set
wasupset
in up
the in
te
area and the other in the Atrium where it was found. Such also
may have been the arrangement in the case of the duplicate
inscriptions described above.3

4 Calpurnia
praete XTATA
v. V
maxiMA
C. I. L. VI, 32410.

This inscription is placed by Huelsen immediately after that

in honor of Praetextata, the daughter of Crassus.4 It seems more
likely, however, that it is to be referred to Calpurnia Praetextata,
whose name and title appear on a bronze tablet in form and
arrangement identical with that of the inscription here given, so
far as it remains.5

5 OB MERITVM CASTITATIS
PVDICITIAE ADQ IN SACRIS
RELIGIONIBVSQVE
DOCTRINAE MIRABILIS
C /!///!!!/ E V V MAX * etc.
C. I. L. VI, 32422.

See C. I. L. VI, 2134 for the various readings of early editors. The reading
of Pighius, an accurate observer, is the same as that of the existing inscription
2See 1. c. 3 P. 76. 4C. I. L. VI, 32409. 5 L. c. VI, 2146.

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178 AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHILOLOGY.

Concerning
Concerning the
the identity
identityof
ofthe
theVestalis
VestalisMaxima,
Maxima,who
whoby
erasure
erasure of
of her
her name
namehas
haswon
wonsuch
such
unfortunate
unfortunate distinction,
distinction,
as w
a
concerning
concerning the
the nature
natureof
ofher
heroffence,
offence,nono
little
little
discussion
discussion
hasha
a
Marucchi,'
Marucchi,' followed
followedby
bymany
manylater
later
editors,
editors,
basing
basinghishis
sugg
su
upon
upon the
the general
generaldate
dateof
ofthe
theinscription
inscriptionand
and
thethe
presence
presen
as the
the initial
initial letter
letterof
ofthe
thename
namewhich
whichhas
has
been
been
erased,
erased,
sugges
sug
that
that she
she was
was the
theClaudia
Claudiareferred
referredtoto bybyPrudentius2
Prudentius2 as as
a co
a
to Christianity.
Christianity.Interesting
Interestingasasthethesuggestion
suggestion is is
andand
notnot
w
possibility,
possibility, when
whenconsidered
consideredfrom
from the
thepoint
pointofofview
viewof of
ex
evidence,
evidence, the
the evidence
evidenceof ofthe
theinscription
inscription itself
itselfis is
decisive
decisiv a
it. Though
Though at at the
thebeginning
beginningof ofthe
theline
line
there
there remain,
remain, as
been
been said,
said, clear
clear traces
tracesofofthe
theletter
letterC,C,
the
thenumber
number of of
thethl
following
following it,
it, of
ofwhich
whichsome
sometraces
traces
remain
remainat at
the
the
top
top
and
andbott
b
cannot
cannot have
have been
beenless
lessthan
thannine,
nine,while
whilefor
for
Claudiae
Claudiae
but
but
sixsix
wo
be required.
required. Any
Anyidentification,
identification,therefore,
therefore, with
withthe
the
Claud
Cl
Prudentius-who,
Prudentius-who,moreover,
moreover,maymaybebebut
but
a type
a typeand
andnot
noa
character-is
character-is impossible.
impossible.
ESTHER BOISE VAN DEMAN.
ROME, June, 1907.

1Gli Studi in Italia, 1883, II, p. 6oi, desc. della casa delle vestali, p. 7
2 Peristeph. 2, 527.

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