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Introduction The inscriptions The funerary church |
Quite a few inscriptions have emerged in Sion. One inscription, from 8-7 BC, mentions the civitas Sedunorum, the "tribe of the Seduni". On a fragment from the third century the word Sedunensis has been preserved, perhaps preceded by civitas
[Im]P(eratori) CAESARI DIVI F(ilio)
[A]VGVSTO CO(n)s(uli) XI
[t]RIBVNICIA POTESTATE XVI
[patri] PATRIAE
[ponti]FICI MAXIMO
[civ]ITAS SEDVNORUM
PATRONOTo Emperor Caesar, son of (the) deified (Iulius),
Augustus, consul for the 11th time,
with the tribunician power for the 16th time,
father of the fatherland,
pontifex maximus.
The tribe of the Seduni,
to their patron.Limestone slab. W. 0.65, h. 0.75. 8-7 BC. EDCS-08400714. Photo: Andenmatten 2014, fig. 4.
[civita?]S SEDVNENSIS SE[---]
[--- Co]NSTITVTVS PRAES(es) [prov(inciae)][The tribe?] of the Seduni [---]
Constitutus, governor of the province.Limestone relief with a laurel wreath and a vessel. W. 0.60, h. 0.70.
Third century. EDCS-08400717. Photo: Andenmatten 2014, fig. 10.A few inscriptions document people who had worked for the administration. One man had been aedile and mayor (duovir), presumably in Forum Claudii Vallensium (Martigny). Another former mayor had also been priest, with his wife as priestess.
L(ucio) SENTIO SECVN
DO AEDILICIO
IIVIRALI
ET GELLIAE TINDAE
PARENTIBVS
ET SEIIO FRATRI
SENTI(i)
SENECIO ET TERTIVS
F(aciendum) C(uraverunt)For Lucius Sentius Secundus,
former aedile,
former mayor,
and for Gellia Tinda,
their parents,
and for their brother Seiius,
the Sentii
Senecio and Tertius
took care of this.Funerary inscription. Limestone. W. 0.74, h. 2.40, d. 0.19.
EDCS-07000724. Photo: Andenmatten 2014, figs. 35, 36.
V(ivus) F(ecit)
M(arcus) FLOREIVS IN
GENVVS IIVIRAL(is)
FLAMINICVS ET
FLAMINICAE CO
NIVGI VINIAE FVSCAEIn his lifetime made by
Marcus Floreius
Ingenuus, former mayor,
former priest, and
for the priestess,
his wife, Vinia Fusca.Funerary inscription. Limestone. W. 0.66, h. 0.73. EDCS-08400718. Photo: Andenmatten 2014, fig. 6. In the late third or early fourth century a man was buried who had held many positions in Rome. His mother dedicated the monument "while yet under the trowel", a phrase that probably served to protect the empty sepulchre from injury, suggesting that the remains were still being transported from Rome to Sion.
TITI CAMPANI
PRISCI MAXIMI
ANI VIRI CONS(ularis)
OMNIBVS HON
ORIBVS IN VRBE
SACRA FVNCTI Q(u)I
VIXIT AN(nos) XXXXIII
MENS(e)S V NVMIDI
A[---] OPENDA
VALERIANA C(larissima) F(emina) M
ATER INFELIX FILIO
CARISSIMO FIERI
CVRAV(it) SVB ASCIA
D(e)D(icavit)Of Titus Campanius
Priscus Maximianus,
man of consular rank,
who performed all
offices in the sacred
city, who
lived years 43,
months 5. Numidia
[---] Openda
Valeriana, woman of senatorial rank,
his unhappy mother, for her son,
most beloved, made sure
it got done. She dedicated it
while yet under the trowel.Funerary inscription. Below the text are two carpenter's axes (asciae).
Limestone. W. 0.46, h. 1.17. EDCS-08400715. Photo: Andenmatten 2014, fig. 8.Another inhabitant of Sion had become a military commander at a young age. He died when he was 22 years old. He was depicted below the funerary inscription, which was erected by his father.
TITO EXOMNIO MAN
SVETO EQVITI R(omano)
PRAEFECTO COHORTIS
SECVNDAE HISPANO
RVM DEFVN(c)TO IN ANNO
XXII TITVS EXOMNIVS VERVS
PATERFor Titus Exomnius
Mansuetus, Roman knight,
prefect of the second
cohort of the Spanish,
deceased in his 22nd
year. Titus Exomnius Verus,
his father.Funerary inscription and relief. Limestone. W. 0.83, h. 2.30, d. 0.43.
EDCS-07000722. Photo: Andenmatten 2014, figs. 32, 33.The cult of Cybele, the Magna Mater, is documented by an undated inscription.
MATRI MAGNAE
Q(uintus) CAECIL(ius) SECVNDVS
[t(estamento) l(egavit)] h(eredes) f(aciendum) c(uraverunt)To the Great Mother.
Quintus Caecilius Secundus
bequeathed by will, the heirs took care of it.Limestone slab. W. 0.76, h. 0.53. EDCS-08400713. Photo: Andenmatten 2014, fig. 31.
The letters n and a in MAGNAE were written with tiny letters.In 377 AD a building that was in some way related to the Emperor was restored by a governor. At the end of the second line are the chi-rho symbol and the alpha and omega.
DEVOTIONE VIGENS
AVGVSTAS PONTIVS AEDIS
RESTITVIT PRAETOR
LONGE PRAESTANTIVS ILLIS
QVAE PRISCAE STETERANT
TALIS RES PVBLICA QV(a)ERE
D(omino) N(ostro) GRATIANO AVG(usto) IIII ET MER(obaude) CO(n)S(ulibus)
PONTIVS ASCLEPIODOTVS V(ir) P(erfectissimus) P(raeses) D(onum) D(edit)Exemplary in his devotion,
this Imperial building Pontius,
praetor, restored,
much more prestigious than
what was standing before.
Look for such men, Republic!
Under the 4th consulate of our lord Augustus Gratianus and that of Merobaudes
Pontius Asclepiodotus, most perfect man, governor, made the donation.Limestone slab. W. 0.47, h. 0.77. 377 AD. EDCS-08400716. Photo: Andenmatten 2014, fig. 12.
Introduction
The inscriptions
The funerary church
[27-Jan-2024]
