Hippo Regius
One of the statues that were erected on the Piazzale delle Corporazioni was of Publius Aufidius Fortis. The inscribed base informs us that he was a member of the city council of Hippo Regius, in North Africa. Fortis is documented in a few more inscriptions from Ostia. He may have been a native of Hippo Regius, but was surely a grain merchant importing from North Africa: he was president of the guild of the grain merchants in Ostia.
P(ublio) AVFIDIO P(ubli) F(ilio) QVIRINA
FORTI
[D(ecurionum) D(ecreto) DECV]RIONI ADLECTO IIVIRO
[QVAESTO]RI AERARI OSTIENSIVM IIII
[PRAEFE]CTO FABRVM
[TIGNVARIORVM] OSTIS PATRONO
CORPORVM MENSORVM
FRVMENTARIORVM
ET VRINATORVM DECVRIONI ADLECTO
AFRICAE HIPPONE REGIO
CORPVS MERCATORVM
FRVMENTARIORVM
Q(uin)Q(uennali) PERPETVO
To Publius Aufidius, son of Publius, of the Quirina tribe,
Fortis.
Adlected to the city council by decree of the decurions, mayor,
four times quaestor of the treasury of Ostia,
prefect of the builders
of Ostia, patron
of the guild of grain
measurers
and of the divers, co-opted decurion
of Hippo Regius in Africa.
The guild of the grain
merchants
to their president for life.Marble base for a statue of Publius Aufidius Fortis. The upper left part is lost. Found on the west part of the Piazzale.
Date: c. 130-146 AD. EDR072620. Photo: Jan Theo Bakker.Hippo Regius, modern Annaba, is a harbour city in the north-east part of Algeria. The ruins are extensive. An excellent introduction was created by Roberto Piperno, on two pages: page 1, page 2. In 387 AD Ostia was visited by Augustinus and his mother Monica, who died in Ostia. In 395 AD Augustinus would become bishop of Hippo Regius.
Excavations of Hippo Regius. Photo: Wikimedia, Dan Sloan.From the city comes a dedication to the Genius and Numen of the horrea ("Genius and Divine Majesty of the warehouse"), erected by Sabinus, Imperial freedman (EDCS-16200992). The Corpus Iuris Civilis ("Body of Civil Law") seems to mention the city, in relation to Ostia (Hippo without Regius, but the city was more important than Hippo Diarrhytus):
Navis adversa tempestate depressa ictu fulminis deustis armamentis et arbore et antemna Hipponem delata est ibique tumultuariis armamentis ad praesens comparatis Ostiam navigavit et onus integrum pertulit. Quaesitum est, an hi, quorum onus fuit, nautae pro damno conferre debeant. Respondit non debere. Hic enim sumptus instruendae magis navis, quam conservandarum mercium gratia factus est. A ship beaten by a storm and with her rigging, mast, and yards burned by lightning, was carried into Hippo. Having been provided while there with a hasty and temporary equipment, she sailed for Ostia, and discharged her cargo uninjured. The question was asked whether those to whom the cargo belonged were obliged to contribute to the master of the ship in proportion to the loss? The answer was that they were not obliged to do so, as the expense was incurred rather for the purpose of equipping the ship, than to preserve the cargo. Digesta 14.2.6. Translation Samuel P. Scott. It has been argued that a harbour mosaic found in a seaside villa shows the city of Hippo Regius.
Harbour mosaic from Hippo Regius. Third century AD.
Annaba, Museum of Hippo Regius. Photo: livius.org.
Literature:
- C. Boulinguez - J. Napoli, "Hippone, port de l'annone: la contribution de l'iconographie", L'Africa romana XVII, Roma 2008, 703-732.
- M. Christol, "Le blé africain et Rome. Remarques sur quelques documents", Le Ravitaillement en blé de Rome et des centres urbains des débuts de la République jusqu'au Haut-Empire, Rome 1994, 295-304.
