stirling-1963-vol-1/05_140

Transcription

No. 117 -- ROMAN MONUMENTS -- No. 117
of Castlecary that a "Roman colony" must have existed
under the protection of the fort. ¹
The majority of the relics from the excavations of 1902
were deposited in the National Museum of Antiquities
in Edinburgh, which also houses a few earlier finds,
including a number of inscribed and sculptured stones
described below. Three more inscribed stones and a
number of other relics from the site are in the Hunterian
Museum, Glasgow. Although the great majority of the
relics are Antonine in date, there is, as Macdonald noted, ²
a sufficient number of 1st-century sherds, including not
only Samian and coarse wares, but also examples of the
so-called "Belgic" ware, to make it quite certain that
Castlecary was the site of one of the praesidia established
by Agricola between the Forth and Clyde in A.D. 80 or
81. But the excavations furnished no clue as to the
precise location or nature of this early fort.

INSCRIBED AND SCULPTURED STONES. The fort has
produced the following inscribed and sculptures stones:
(i) An altar (Fig. 42) found inside the bath-house of

[Illustration Inserted]
Fig. 42. Roman fort, Castlecary (No. 117); inscribed altar i
(1/10)

the fort about 1769, and now in the Hunterian Museum,
Glasgow. It reads Fortunae vexillationes leg(ionis)
II Aug(ustae) leg(ionis) VI Vic(tricis) p( -- ) s( -- )
p( -- ) l( -- ) l( -- ). "To Fortune, detachments of
the Second Legion Augusta, and the Sixth Legion
Victrix [set this up] --" It is not certain how the
contractions p s l p l l in the last line should be expanded,
but they clearly indicate nothing more than a mere
formula of dedication: p(ecunia) s(ua) p(osuerunt)
l(ibentes) l(aeti) or p(ro) s(alute) p(osuerunt) l(ibentes)
l(aeti) are the likeliest readings, and it is impossible to
decide between them. The goddess Fortune was the
tutelary deity of Roman bathing-establishments, and her
altar always seems to have stood in the dressing-room.
A little statuette of the same goddess (Pl. 9 D), standing
in a niche and holding a rudder and cornucopia, was
also found in the bath-house at Castlecary, and is now
in the Hunterian Museum, Glasgow. See C.I.L., vii,
No. 1093 and p. 313; R.W.S., 419 and pl. lxxiv, 2.
(ii) A small altar (Fig. 43) found between the fort
and the Red Burn, and now in the National Museum
of Antiquities, Edinburgh. It reads Deo Mercurio
milites leg(ionis) VI Victricis Pie F(idelis) (a)ed(iculam)
et sigillum cives Italici et Norici v(otum) s(olverunt)
l(ibentes) l(aeti) m(erito). "Soldiers of the Sixth Legion

[Illustration Inserted]
Fig. 43. Roman fort, Castlecary (No. 117); inscribed altar ii
(1/10)

Victrix, the Dutiful, the Loyal, citizens from Italy and
from Noricum [dedicated] a shrine and a statuette to
the god Mercury. Willingly, gladly, and deservedly have
they performed their vow." E. Birley, Festschrift für
Rudolf Egger, I Beiträge zur älteren Europäischen
Kulturgeschichte, Band I (Klagenfurt, 1952), "Noricum,
Britain and the Roman army", comments on the
recruiting area of the drafts here revealed. See C.I.L.,
vii, No. 1095; R.W.S., 420 and pl. lxxiv, 3.
(iii) An altar found not far from number (ii) above,
and now in the National Museum of Antiquities,
Edinburgh. The inscription is difficult to decipher, but
the following version has generally been accepted.
Deo Neptuno cohors I Fid(a) Vardul(lorum) C(ivium)
R(omanorum) Eq(uitatae) ꚙ (milliariae) cui prae(e)st
Trebius Verus praef(ectus). "The First loyal Cohort of
Vardulli, Roman citizens, 1,000 strong with a contingent
of cavalry, under the command of Trebius Verus,
prefect, [set this up] to the god Neptune." See C.I.L.,
vii, No. 1096; R.W.S., 421-2.
(iv) A building inscription (Fig. 44) found in 1764
and now in the Hunterian Museum, Glasgow. It reads
Imp(eratori) Caes(ari) T(ito) Ael(io) Ant(onino) Aug(usto)
Pio P(atri) P(atriae) coh(ors) I Tungrorum fecit ꚙ

1 Caledonia Romana, 2nd ed., 344.
2 R.W.S., 250-2.

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