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

Roman veterans and the city institutions of Philippopolis... 573
of the veteran C. Scentius Celer, he undoubtedly belonged to that group of
veterans mentioned in an inscription dedicated to Julia Domna. 162
Fig. 3.
these examples, which are numerous, show that the unwillingness
of the veterans to take part massively in governing the institutions of
philippopolis might not be of fitting the financial requirements. It seems
that the prestige and respect they got in a province and city that was not so
heavily romanized was good enough and no participation for such in the
administrative system was required. the fact that the veterans were treated
as an ordo equal to ordo decurionum and their belonging to the elite of
the society, did not necessitate a role in local government. And when it
happened, the connection with the veterans was underlined.
As for the priests, it seems that the romans preferred here members
of the local aristocracy, loyal to the regime, and whose gentes were
romanized in the very beginning of establishing the roman rule in thrace.
It seems that this office was necessary in the cursus honorum, but the lack
of any evidence for a veteran leads to the conclusion that this office was not
available for the former military.
162 Ae 1939, 115 - Imp(eratori) M(arco) A[ur(elio) Se]vero Antonin[o] et Iuliae
Domn(a)e matri castror(um) et Aug(ustae) vet(erani) eor(u)m