Grave monument of Marcus Octavius Valens from Scupi

Monument IMSVI42

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Editor

Nikola Vulić, Borka Dragojević-Josifovska

Type of monument

stele

Material

marble

Findspot

Bardovci

Observed in

Origin

Scupi

Dimensions

height 185 cm., width 87 cm., length 30 cm.

Institution and inventory

Archaeological Museum of the Republic of North Macedonia
No 691

Hand description

The height of the letters in lines 7-11 is 2,5-3,5 cm.

Letter size

height 4.5-7 cm.

Layout description

The fronton and the relief field have been broken and are now lost.

Inscription field

height 87 cm., width 54 cm.

Decoration

Originally, the fronton was broken, and the relief field depicted three people lying on a kline, below them a tripod and to the right of the cline a smaller male figure holding the reins of a horse. Only the front part of the horse's body is shown. Below this is the inscription field framed by cyma recta. The frame is ornamented with grape leaves.

Audio

Text

Category of inscription

funerary inscription - prose

Date

End of the 1st c. AD

Dating criteria

lettering, nomenclature, textual-context

Images

Archives of the Archaeological Museum – Skopje

Vulić (1941-1948)

Archives of the Archaeological Museum – Skopje

copy_r_1 copy_r_2

txt

Рrose la
M(arcus) Octavius
M(arci) ((·)) f(ilius) ((·)) Aemil(ia) ((·)) Valens
Stobis ((·)) mil(es) ((·)) leg(ionis) ((·)) V ((·))
Macedo(nicae) ((·)) decu(rio) ((·))
5pontif(ex) ((·)) col(oniae) ((·)) F(laviae) ((·)) f(elicis) ((·)) D(ardanorum)
vivos (!) ((·)) fecit ((·)) sibi ((leaf))
Octaviae Marcellinae
filiae ((·)) suae ((·)) defunctae
vixit ((·)) annis XXVI((·)) et ((·)) Catiae
10Secundae ((·)) coniugi ((·)) suae
hic ((·)) se ((·)) vivo
f(aciendum) ((·)) c(uravit).

MOCTAVIVS
M · F · AEMIL · VALENS
STOBIS · MIL · LEG · V ·
MACEDO · DECV ·
5PONTIF · COL · F · F · D
VIVOS · FECIT · SIBI- leaf
OCTAVIAEMARCELLINAE
FILIAE · SVAE · DEFVNCTAE
VIXIT · ANNISXXVI · ET · CATIAE
10SECVNDAE · CONIVGI · SVAE
HIC · SE · VIVO
F · C

txt

Marcus Octavius Valens, son of Marcus, from the tribe Aemilia, from Stobi, soldier of the 5th Macedonian legion, decurion and pontifex of the colony Flavia felix Dardanorum (Scupi), made (the monument) for himself while still alive, for his deceased daughter Octavia Marcellina, who lived for 26 years, and for Catia Secunda, his wife.

Marcus Octavius Marci filius Aemilia Valens Stobis miles legionis V Macedonicae decurio pontifex coloniae Flaviae felicis Dardanorum vivos ! fecit sibi Octaviae Marcellinae filiae suae defunctae vixit annis XXVI et Catiae Secundae coniugi suae hic se vivo faciendum curavit.

tag: ab

⤦ n: 1

tag: lb

Marcus Octavius Marci filius Aemilia Valens

type: official
nymRef: Marcus Octavius Valens Marci filius Aemilia
tag: persName

Marcus

nymRef: Marcus
tag: name

Octavius

nymRef: Octavius
tag: name

⤦ n: 2

tag: lb

Marci

nymRef: Marcus
tag: name

type: dot
tag: g

filius

lemma: filius
tag: w

type: dot
tag: g

Aemilia

nymRef: Aemilia
type: tribus
tag: name

type: dot
tag: g

Valens

nymRef: Valens
tag: name

⤦ n: 3

tag: lb

Stobis

tag: placeName

type: dot
tag: g

miles

lemma: miles
tag: w

type: dot
tag: g

legionis V Macedonicae

type: military
tag: orgName

legionis

lemma: legio
tag: w

type: dot
tag: g

value: 5
tag: num

type: dot
tag: g

⤦ n: 4

tag: lb

Macedonicae

lemma: Macedonicus
tag: w

type: dot
tag: g

decurio

lemma: decurio
tag: w

type: dot
tag: g

⤦ n: 5

tag: lb

pontifex

lemma: pontifex
tag: w

type: dot
tag: g

coloniae Flaviae felicis Dardanorum

tag: placeName

coloniae

lemma: colonia
tag: w

type: dot
tag: g

Flaviae

lemma: Flavius
tag: w

type: dot
tag: g

felicis

lemma: felix
tag: w

type: dot
tag: g

Dardanorum

tag: expan

tag: abbr

ardanorum

tag: ex

⤦ n: 6

tag: lb

vivos

lemma: vivus
tag: w

tag: note

type: dot
tag: g

fecit

lemma: facio
tag: w

type: dot
tag: g

sibi

tag: w

type: leaf
tag: g

⤦ n: 7

tag: lb

Octaviae Marcellinae

type: attested
nymRef: Octavia Marcellina
tag: persName

Octaviae

nymRef: Octavia
tag: name

Marcellinae

nymRef: Marcellina
tag: name

⤦ n: 8

tag: lb

filiae

lemma: filia
tag: w

type: dot
tag: g

suae

lemma: suus
tag: w

type: dot
tag: g

defunctae

lemma: defunctus
tag: w

⤦ n: 9

tag: lb

vixit

lemma: vivo
tag: w

type: dot
tag: g

annis

lemma: annus
tag: w

XXVI

value: 26
tag: num

type: dot
tag: g

tag: w

type: dot
tag: g

Catiae Secundae

type: attested
nymRef: Catia Secunda
tag: persName

Catiae

nymRef: Catia
tag: name

⤦ n: 10

tag: lb

Secundae

nymRef: Secunda
tag: name

type: dot
tag: g

coniugi

lemma: coniunx
tag: w

type: dot
tag: g

suae

lemma: suus
tag: w

⤦ n: 11

tag: lb

hic

lemma: hic
tag: w

type: dot
tag: g

lemma: sui
tag: w

type: dot
tag: g

vivo

lemma: vivus
tag: w

⤦ n: 12

tag: lb

faciendum

lemma: facio
tag: w

type: dot
tag: g

curavit

lemma: curo
tag: w

tag: #text

 
<div type="edition" xml:space="preserve" xml:lang="la">
                <ab>
<lb n="1"/><persName type="official" nymRef="Marcus Octavius Valens Marci filius Aemilia" ref="official.xml#MarcusOctaviusValens"><name nymRef="Marcus" ref="Onom.xml#Marcus"><expan><abbr>M</abbr><ex>arcus</ex></expan></name> <name nymRef="Octavius" ref="Onom.xml#Octavius">Octavius</name>
<lb n="2"/><name nymRef="Marcus" ref="Onom.xml#Marcus"><expan><abbr>M</abbr><ex>arci</ex></expan></name> <g type="dot"/> <w lemma="filius"><expan><abbr>f</abbr><ex>ilius</ex></expan></w> <g type="dot"/> <name nymRef="Aemilia" type="tribus" ref="Onom.xml#Aemilia"><expan><abbr>Aemil</abbr><ex>ia</ex></expan></name> <g type="dot"/> <name nymRef="Valens" ref="Onom.xml#Valens">Valens</name></persName>
<lb n="3"/><placeName ref="listPlaces.xml#Stobi">Stobis</placeName> <g type="dot"/> <w lemma="miles"><expan><abbr>mil</abbr><ex>es</ex></expan></w> <g type="dot"/> <orgName type="military" ref="organisation.xml#VMacedonica"><w lemma="legio"><expan><abbr>leg</abbr><ex>ionis</ex></expan></w> <g type="dot"/> <num value="5">V</num> <g type="dot"/>
<lb n="4"/><w lemma="Macedonicus"><expan><abbr>Macedo</abbr><ex>nicae</ex></expan></w></orgName> <g type="dot"/> <w lemma="decurio"><expan><abbr>decu</abbr><ex>rio</ex></expan></w> <g type="dot"/>
<lb n="5"/><w lemma="pontifex"><expan><abbr>pontif</abbr><ex>ex</ex></expan></w> <g type="dot"/> <placeName ref="listPlaces.xml#ColoniaFlaviaFelixDardanorum"><w lemma="colonia"><expan><abbr>col</abbr><ex>oniae</ex></expan></w> <g type="dot"/> <w lemma="Flavius"><expan><abbr>F</abbr><ex>laviae</ex></expan></w> <g type="dot"/> <w lemma="felix"><expan><abbr>f</abbr><ex>elicis</ex></expan></w> <g type="dot"/> <expan><abbr>D</abbr><ex>ardanorum</ex></expan></placeName>
<lb n="6"/><w lemma="vivus">vivos</w> <note>!</note> <g type="dot"/> <w lemma="facio">fecit</w> <g type="dot"/> <w>sibi</w> <g type="leaf"/>
<lb n="7"/><persName type="attested" nymRef=" Octavia Marcellina" ref="attested.xml#OctaviaMarcellina"><name nymRef="Octavia" ref="Onom.xml#Octavia">Octaviae</name> <name nymRef="Marcellina" ref="Onom.xml#Marcellina">Marcellinae</name></persName>
<lb n="8"/><w lemma="filia">filiae</w> <g type="dot"/> <w lemma="suus">suae</w> <g type="dot"/> <w lemma="defunctus">defunctae</w>
<lb n="9"/><w lemma="vivo">vixit</w> <g type="dot"/> <w lemma="annus">annis</w> <num value="26">XXVI</num><g type="dot"/> <w>et</w> <g type="dot"/> <persName type="attested" nymRef="Catia Secunda" ref="attested.xml#CatiaSecunda"><name nymRef="Catia" ref="Onom.xml#Catia">Catiae</name>
<lb n="10"/><name nymRef="Secunda" ref="Onom.xml#Secunda">Secundae</name></persName> <g type="dot"/> <w lemma="coniunx">coniugi</w> <g type="dot"/> <w lemma="suus">suae</w>
<lb n="11"/><w lemma="hic">hic</w> <g type="dot"/> <w lemma="sui">se</w> <g type="dot"/> <w lemma="vivus">vivo</w>
<lb n="12"/><w lemma="facio"><expan><abbr>f</abbr><ex>aciendum</ex></expan></w> <g type="dot"/> <w lemma="curo"><expan><abbr>c</abbr><ex>uravit</ex></expan></w>.
                </ab>
            </div>

Apparatus

Letters in ligature:

Readings:

5 ) Vulić F(laviae) f(elicis) D(omitianae);

6 ) vivos = vivus.

Commentary

The inscription was discovered as a surface find near the village of Bardovci and was transferred to Kuršumli An in 1933. Marcus Octavius Valens was a native of Stobi, and his affiliation with the tribus Aemilia indicates that the inhabitants of Stobi who obtained Roman citizenship were enrolled in this tribe, as confirmed by several inscriptions from Stobi. The inscription also provides evidence that recruitment for Legio V Macedonica took place in Stobi, which is further supported by a funerary inscription from Stobi (IG X 2, 2, 536). Another funerary inscription of a veteran attesting to the same legion has been found in Scupi (IMS VI, 43). The Fifth Macedonian Legion, together with the Fourth Scythian, formed part of the Moesian army between 6 and 9 AD, and in 33/34 AD both constituted the first Roman garrison on the Danube. In 45 AD, the legion took part in suppressing the revolt in Thrace, and in 62 AD it was transferred to Syria, only to be brought back in 71 AD following the division of the province. From 86 AD onward, it was stationed in Oescus in Lower Moesia. These details suggest that Marcus Octavius Valens arrived in Scupi either before 62 AD or after 71 AD.

Bibliography

Вулић Никола, Споменик 47, 1909, бр. 67, фот.

Vulić Nikola, Jahreshefte des österreichischen archäologischen Institutes in Wien 13, 1910, Beiblatt 216, no. 29

Вулић Никола, Споменик 98, 1941-48, бр. 69, фот.

Inscriptions de la Mésie Supérieure, vol. VI: Scupi et la région de Kumanovo, par B. Dragojević–Josifovska sous la direction de F. Papazoglou, Beograd, 1982, no. 42 (photo)

Inscriptiones Graecae X 2, 2, 612

resources

current_version: 1 / 24.12.2025

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Sarcophagus of Aelia from Nikopol

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Funerary Inscription of Aurelia Theodote from Viminacium