ΚΑΙΣΑΡ Ο ΤΟΤΕ in the Encomium from Panticapaeum: Domitian or Commodus? (On Dating and Interpretation of an Epigraphic Encomium of a Bosporan Military Commander)

Parfenov Viktor N., Saprykin Sergey Yu.

The authors analyse and comment on the arguments used by G. Bowersock and C. Jones for dating and interpreting an encomium of a Bosporan military commander and statesman whose name has not been preserved. The encomium was found at the necropolis of Panticapaeum and dated to the late 1st century AD or to the first years of the reign of Sauromates I. The main argument for this was the expression used in the inscription: «the then emperor» (ΚΑΙΣΑΡ Ο ΤΟΤΕ). The authors of the first publication of the monument believed that the words refer to Domitian, who after his death received a damnatio memoriae and thus could not be mentioned by name. However, according to the version of the American scholars, the encomium should be dated to the reign of Sauromates II (173–210 AD) and the expression in question must refer to Commodus, who was also subjected to damnatio memoriae in 192 AD. They put forward some arguments confirming this conclusion and refuting the arguments used by the authors of the first publication. The authors of the present paper critically review the commentaries made by the American colleagues and suggest a number of new variants of reconstruction. They come to the conclusion that there are no sufficient grounds for revising the date suggested earlier and that some obvious facts (paleography of the document, the political situation at the north-eastern borders of the Roman Empire, the terminology used in the text, etc.) speak strongly against the date of 194–195 AD.

Keywords: Bosporus, Panticapaeum, Roman Emperors
References:
  1. Berlizov N.E. 1990: Rannie alany Severnogo Kavkaza ( po materialam katakombnyh pogrebenij III v. do n.je. – III v. n.je.): Avtoref. dis. … kand. ist. nauk. L.
  2. Boltunova A.I., Knipovich T.N. 1962: Ocherk istorii grecheskogo lapidarnogo pis'ma na Bospore // NJe. 3, 3–31.
  3. Vinogradov Ju.G. 1994: Ocherk voenno-politicheskoj istorii sarmatov v I v. n.je. // VDI. 2, 151–170.
  4. Vinogradov Ju.G., Shestakov S.A. 2005:Laudatio funebris iz Pantikapeja // VDI. 2, 42–44.
  5. Gabuev T.A. 1999: Rannjaja istorija alan. Vladikavkaz.  
  6. Goroncharovskij V.A. 2010: K voprosu o rimskom voennom prisutstvii na Bospore // MNEMON. 9. SPb., 289–298.  
  7. Zhdanovskij A.M., Marchenko I.I. 1988: Sarmaty v Prikuban'e // Problemy sarmatskoj arheologii i istorii. Azov, 42–56.
  8. Zubar' V.M. 1998: Severnyj Pont i Rimskaja imperija. Kiev.  
  9. Zubar' V.M. 2003: Po povodu datirovki nadpisi iz Preslava s upominaniem Bosporskoj vojny // BI. 3, 198–203.
  10. Kuznecov V.D. 2006: Novye nadpisi iz Fanagorii // VDI.1, 155–172.
  11. Kuznecov V.D. 2007: Novye nadpisi iz Fanagorii // VDI. 1, 227–243.  
  12. Mahlajuk A.V. 2006: Soldaty Rimskoj imperii. Tradicii voinskoj sluzhby i voinskaja mental'nost'. SPb.
  13. Podosinov A.V. 2002: Vostochnaja Evropa v rimskoj kartograficheskoj tradicii. M.  
  14. Rostovcev M.I. 2003: Jellinstvo i iranstvo na juge Rossii. 2-e izd. M.
  15. Saprykin S.Ju. 1986: Iz jepigrafiki Gorgippii // VDI. 1, 62–75.
  16. Saprykin S.Ju. 2002: Aspurg, car' Bospora // DB. 5, 207–223.  
  17. Saprykin S.Ju. 2005: Jenkomij iz Pantikapeja i polozhenie Bosporskogo carstva v konce I – nachale II v. n.je. // VDI. 2, 45–81.
  18. Saprykin S.Ju. 2006: Jetjudy po social'noj i jekonomicheskoj istorii Bosporskogo carstva // Antichnaja civilizacija i varvary / L.P. Marinovich (red.). M., 171–242.
  19. Saprykin S.Ju. 2009: Savromat II i fiasy Bospora // DB.13, 328–347.
  20. Saprykin S.Ju., Ermolin S.A. 2010: Rimskij flot na Bospore: novaja latinskaja nadpis' iz Pantikapeja // VDI. 3, 72–84.  
  21. Saprykin S.Ju., 2011: Bosporskie sjuzhety v traktate Lukiana «Toksarid» // Bospor Kimmerijskij i varvarskij mir v period antichnosti i srednevekov'ja. Vzaimovlijanie kul'tur. Kerch', 324–330.    
  22. Sarnovski T. 2005: Bosporskaja vojna perioda pravlenija Septimija Severa v Rime i Savromata II na Bospore. Problema s nizhnemezijskoj perspektivoj // Centre d’archéologie méditerranéenne de l’Academie polonaise des sciences. Études et travaux. XX, 235–246.
  23. Sidorenko V.A. 1996: Fragment dekreta rimskogo vremeni iz srednevekovoj baziliki pod Mangupom // «Materialy po arheologii, istorii, jetnografii Tavrii». V, 35–59.
  24. Simonenko A.V. 1993: Sarmaty Tavrii. Kiev.    
  25. Smirnova N.V. 2001: Namestniki Gorgippii // DB. 4, 350–363.
  26. Sokolov G.I. 1973: Antichnoe Prichernomor'e. L.  
  27. Tohtasyev S.R. 2010: Psessy i psehany // Gaudeamus igitur. Sbornik statej k 60-letiju A.V. Podosinova / T.N. Dzhakson, I.G. Konovalova, G.R. Cechladze (red.). M., 364–372.
  28. Tuallagov A.A. 2002: Sarmaty i alany v IV v. do n.je. – I v. n.je. (osnovnye problemy jetnogeneza i jetnopoliticheskoj istorii). Avtoref. dis. …d-ra ist. nauk. Vladikavkaz.
  29. Hajnen H. 2000: Dva pis'ma bosporskogo carja Aspurga (AE. 1994, 1538). Nezamechennye popravki, predlozhennye Gjunterom Klaffenbahom, i dal'nejshie nabljudenija // Mezhgosudarstvennye otnoshenija i diplomatija v antichnosti. Ch. I. Kazan', 278–291.
  30. Shhukin M.B. 1994: Na rubezhe jer. SPb.
  31. Jajlenko V.P. 1990: Pohod Savromata I na aziatskij Bospor // Jepigraficheskie pamjatniki i jazyki drevnej Anatolii, Kipra i antichnogo Severnogo Prichernomor'ja / T.V. Blavatskaja (red.). M., 216–228.    
  32. Jajlenko V.P. 2010: Tysjacheletnij Bosporskij rejh. Istorija i jepigrafika Bospora VI v. do n.je. – V v. n.je. M.    
  33. Jacenko S.A. 1992: Alany i Rim v Severnom Prichernomor'e v nachale II v. n.je. // Mezhdunarodnye otnoshenija v bassejne Chernogo morja v drevnosti i v srednie veka. Rostov-na-Donu, 48–50.
  34. Jacenko S.A. 1993: Alany v Vostochnoj Evrope v seredine I – seredine IV v. n.je. (lokalizacija i politicheskaja istorija) // PAV. 6, 83–88.
  35. Bowersock G.W., Jones C.P. 2006: A New Inscription from Panticapaeum // ZPE. 156, 117–128.
  36. Brandis C. 1897: Buri // RE. 5, 1067.
  37. Brandis С. 1899: Chiliarchos // RE. 3, 2275–2277.
  38. Cary E. 1955 (repr.): Dio’s Roman History with an English translation by  E. Cary. Vol. IX. L.–Cambr. (Mass.).
  39. Cohen H. 1883: Description historique des monnaies frappeés sous l’Empire Romain communemént appelées medailles imperiales. 2me éd. T. 3. P.–L.
  40. Danoff Chr. 1964: Alani // KP. 1, 229.
  41. Heinen H. 2006: Antike am Rande der Steppe. Der nördliche Schwarzmeerraum als Forschungsaufgabe. Meinz–Stuttgart.
  42. Halfmann H. 1986: Itinera principum. Geschichte und Typologie der Kaiserreisen im Römischen Reich. Stuttgart.
  43. Mattingly H., Sydenham E.A. 1936: The Roman Imperial Coinage. Vol. IV. Part I. Pertinax to Geta. L.
  44. Maxfield V.A. 1981: The Military Decorations of the Roman Army. L.
  45. Potter David S. 2004: The Roman Empire at Bay. A.D. 180–395. L.–N.Y.
  46. Riemer U. 2006: Die Römische Germanienpolitik. Von Caesar bis Commodus. Darmstadt.
  47. Rohden P., von. 1896: Aurelius Commodus // RE. 2, 2476–2480.
  48. Rostovtzeff M. 1936: The Sarmatae and Parthians // CAH. XI, 90–130.
  49. Strobel K. 1989: Die Donaukriege Domitians. Bonn.
  50. Tischow A. 2005: Аd laudationem funebrem in Panticapaeo repertam observationes quaedam // Hyperboreus. 11, 2, 275–279.
  51. Tomaschek W.T. 1894: Alani // RE. 1, 1282 f.