The Roman Army, 31 BC–AD 337: A Sourcebook

The officers 53
94 Pflaum, Carrières 50=MW 372, inscription, Heliopolis (Baalbek),
Syria, late 1st C.AD
To Gaius Velius Rufus, son of Salvius, chief centurion of Legion XII
Fulminata, prefect of detachments of nine legions: I Adiutrix, II Adiutrix,
II Augusta, VIII Augusta, IX Hispana, XIV Gemina, XX Victrix, XXI
Rapax, tribune of the thirteenth urban cohort, commander of the army of
Africa and Mauretania sent to crush the peoples which are in Mauretania,
decorated by Emperor Vespasian and Emperor Titus in the Judaean War
with a Rampart Crown, Necklaces, Ornaments, and Armbands, also
decorated with a Wall Crown, two Spears, and two Standards, and in the
war involving the Marcomanni, Quadi, and Sarmatians, against whom he
took part in an expedition through the kingdom of Decebalus, king of the
Dacians, also decorated with a Wall Crown, two Spears, and two Standards,
procurator of Emperor Caesar Augustus, Conqueror of the Germans (i.e.
Domitian) of the province of Pannonia and Dalmatia, also procurator of
the province of Raetia with the right of capital punishment. He was
despatched to Parthia and conveyed Epiphanes and Callinicus, sons of
king Antiochus, back to Emperor Vespasian along with a considerable
body of men who were liable for the payment of tribute. Marcus Alfius
Olympiacus, son of Marcus, of the tribe Fabia, eagle-bearer, veteran of
Legion XV Apollinaris (set this up).
The mason has made a mistake either by carving VIIII instead of VIII or, if nine
is correct, by omitting the name of a legion from the list. It was possibly while he
was chief centurion of XII Fulminata that Rufus was sent on a special mission to
Parthia to escort into Roman custody the sons of Antiochus of Commagene who
had allegedly been intriguing with the Parthians against Rome (Josephus, Jewish
War 7. 219–43). Thereafter Rufus was given charge of a detachment of legionaries
for Domitian’s German war in AD 83; as tribune of the urban cohort stationed
at Carthage he was chosen to command a force against a revolt in Mauretania,
before returning to the Danube to fight in two further campaigns, around AD 86
and 92. His distinguished war record perhaps facilitated his direct advancement
to important procuratorships without the tenure of any more tribunates or the
post of chief centurion for a second time (Dobson 1978:216–17).
95 ILS 9199=Pflaum, Carrières 36, inscription, Heliopolis (Baalbek),
1st C.AD
To [Lucius] Antonius Naso, son of Marcus, of the tribe Fabia,
[centurion] of Legion III Cyrenaica, [centurion] of Legion XIII Gemina,
honoured by the emperor in the white drill (?), [prefect ?] of the
community of the Colapiani, [chief] centurion of Legion XIII Gemina,
tribune of Legion I Italica, [tribune] of the fourth cohort of vigiles,