LE SYMPOSIUM INTERNATIONAL LE LIVRE. LA ROUMANIE. L ...

564 IVO TOPALILOV
Gemina, M. Aur. Septimius Flavianus etc. 127 these changes, however, are
noted mostly among the soldiers who were add Aurelius to their existing
gentilicium. 128 In our cases the Greek cognomen and the Greek name of the
father of Μ(άρκος) Αὐρ(ηλίος) Στάνοσονος Εἰάσονοῦ show that Μ(άρκος)
Αὐρ(ηλίος) Στάνοσονος belong to the local elite. They might be of Greek
origin and he may have gained his romanization and roman names after
the Constitutio Antoniniana.
The case of Μ(άρκος) Αὐρηλιος Εὐστόχιος Κέλερ is similar, with
the addition of M. Aurelius name, but here the roman cognomen Κέλερ
(Celer) raises questions.
It is well established that this cognomen was quite popular among the
roman soldiers of peregrine origin, since it belongs to the group of roman
cognomina derived from physical and other features. the preserving of
the Greek gentilicium here shows that Μ(άρκος) Αὐρηλιος Εὐστόχιος
Κέλερ also belonged to the elite of Philippopolis and received his roman
citizenship and names after the Constitutio Antoniniana. It is not surprising,
therefore, to find some inscriptions of Μ(άρκος) Αὐρηλιος Εὐστόχιος
Κέλερ attested only as Εὐστόχιος Κέλερ. 129 on official occasions, however,
such as erecting a statue of the empress, his full name in tria nomina was
put. 130 In this and other cases the local aristocracy accepted the roman
name, which is in contrary to the suggestion that the Greek names were
preferred. 131
Among the thracarchoi, one could find also representatives with only
roman names which are as follow: [Β]αιβίος Ἀπολιναρίος, [Λ(ούκιος)
Αὐρ(ήλιος)?] Ῥοῦφος, Πό(πλιος) Οὐίδιος Βάσσος, Τί(τος) Φλ(άβιος)
Οὐάριος Λοῦππος and Μ(άρκος) Αὐρ(ηλίος) Φρόντωνος.
of special interest for our study are only [Β]αιβίος Ἀπολ(λ)ιναρίος
and [Λ(ούκιος) Αὐρ(ήλιος)?] Ῥοῦφος, since Τί(τος) Φλ(άβιος) Οὐάριος
Λοῦππος and Μ(άρκος) Αὐρ(ηλίος) Φρόντωνος are dated to the time when
the name Flavius and Aurelius were sign of status designation. 132 thus, it
is not surprising to find that Τί(τος) Φλ(άβιος) Οὐάριος Λοῦππος held the
office of ἀρχινεωκόρος and κράτιστος δουκηνάριος, i.e. financial governor
of thrace being vir egregious in the second half of the third century, 133
127 See GIllIAM 1965, 81 sqq; WolFF 1976, 15 sqq; FornI 1979, 206-207.
128 GIllIAM 1965, 88.
129 IGBulg. III, 1, 1449; 1537 = IGBulg. V, 5553; IGBulg. V, 5591.
130 the inscription is published in GerASIMoVA 2003, 200-203.
131 See BeŠeVlIeV 1965, 46.
132 See KeenAn 1974, 283-304.
133 GerASIMoVA 2003, 203-204.