FUNERARY INSCRIPTION OF CORNELIA FRONTINA, C. 110 CE. BATHS OF DIOCLETIAN Dis Manibus. / Corneliae Frontinae, / vixit annis XVI, mensibus) VII; / M(arcus) Ulpius Aug(usti) lib(ertus) Callistus / pater, praepositus armamentario / Ludi Magni, et Flavia Nice coniuxs / sanctissima fecerunt sibi, / libertis libertabusque) posterisque) eor(um). "To the departed shades. To Cornelia Frontina, who lived 16 years, 7 months. Marcus Ulpius Callistus, freedman of the emperor, her father, the weapons master of the Ludus Magnus, and Flavia Nike his wife made this for their most holy (daughter), and for their freedmen and freedwomen and their descendants." This beautiful early C2 CE inscription was found in 1738 along the first mile of the via Appia. This was a fairly high-level union of two imperial families' freed slaves, the Flavian freedwoman Nice (Nike) and the Ulpian freedman Callistus, both of Greek origin. Callistus had the role of præpositus armamentario Ludi Magni, the official in charge of the armoury of the main gladiatorial school of Rome, right beside the Colosseum. A bit odd that the couple's daughter Cornelia Frontina is called "sanctissima", most holy, which is probably to be interpreted as "most sacred to us as parents".
For a late #EpigraphyTuesday, we're admiring the impeccable #epigraphy of this early C2 CE tomb #inscription of young #Cornelia #Frontina, whose freedman father held a role only attested to in this sole epitaph, arms master of the #LudusMagnus in #Rome next to the #Colosseum. #AncientBluesky 🏺
