Titus Eppius Latinus (fl. during the reign of Trajan) was the first known Pannonian Roman member of the ordo equester.
Titus Eppius Latinus | |
|---|---|
 Inscription in honor of Latinus | |
| Born | Neviodunum (modern-day Drnovo) |
| Citizenship | Roman |
| Era | Rule of Emperor Trajan |
| Title | duumvir iure dicundo municipii Latobicorum procurator ad census accipiendos procurator familiarum gladiatoriarum provinciarum Hispaniarum trium procurator IIII publicorum Africae |
| Father | Titus |
| Family | gens Eppia |
Origin
editLatinus was born in Neviodunum (officially municipium Flavium Latobicorum, modern-day Drnovo) in the province of Pannonia. He was in the Quirina tribe and his father was called Titus.[1] There are multiple theories on his ethnic origin. He may have come from a Northern Italic family moving from Aquileia[1][2]—or a Dalmatian.[1] Inscriptions set up by southern Gauls in the vicinity of his birthplace suggest that his ancestors lived in Southern Gaul.[3] Another possibility is that—like the majority of provincial equites—he was a member of the local aristocracy that gained citizenship.[1]
His nomen gentilicum could've been the Latinized version of the native Pannonian Epo or Eppo name present around Emona (modern-day Ljubljana) and Neviodunum,[4] however, Eppius was very rare in Pannonia. It was also rare but present in Northern Italy,[4][5] including Aquileia,[5] and much more common in Southern Gaul.[4][5] In Noricum it appears as Eppaeus.[4] On the other, his cognomen was widespread in Northern Italy and Noricum.[5] It asserts that he was of Roman origin but that may suggest he actually wasn't.[1]
Service
editUnlike most equites, Latinus didn't start as a military officer.[1] Before getting admitted into the ordo equester, he was duumvir of Neviodunum.[1][6] Afterwards, he occupied multiple procurator posts under Trajan.[1] He was procurator ad census accipiendos of a province with the job of carrying out a census, then procurator familiarum gladiatoriarum provinciarum Hispaniarum trium charged with administrating the companies that recruit gladiators from Hispania.[1][6] Added up, these positions paid him 60,000 sestertii yearly.[6] Later, Latinus worked as procurator IIII publicorum Africae overseeing the finances of Africa.[1][6]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Agócs 2017, p. 49.
- ^ Sólyom 2021, p. 276.
- ^ Mócsy 2014, p. 136.
- ^ a b c d Szabó 2003, p. 24.
- ^ a b c d Agócs 2014, p. 70.
- ^ a b c d Abascal 2011.
Sources
edit- Agócs, Nándor (2017). 'Dignitas, Auctoritas, Maiestas és Potestas' Pannoniában ['Dignitas, Auctorias, Maiestas and Potestas' in Pannonia] (PDF). Pécs: L'Harmattan. ISBN 9789634145745.
- Sólyom, Márk (2021). "Ki kicsoda az ókori Pannonia elitjében? Agócs Nándor: Dignitas, Auctoritas, Maiestas és Potestas Pannoniában. A politikai, vallási és gazdasági hatalom ismert pannoniai származású és helyi birtokosai Pannonia térségében Augustustól Iustinianus koráig" [Who's who in the elite of ancient Pannonia? Nándor Agócs: Dignitas, Auctoritas, Maiestas and Potestas in Pannonia. The known Pannonian and local holders of political, religious and economic power in the region of Pannonia from Augustus to the age of Justinian] (PDF). Polymatheia. 18 (3–4). doi:10.51455/Polymatheia.2021.3-4.15. S2CID 244567454.
- Agócs, Nándor (2014). Pannoniaiak a Principatus kori Birodalomban [Pannonians in the Empire at the age of the Principate]. Pécs.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Mócsy, András (2014). Pannonia and Upper Moesia (Routledge Revivals): A History of the Middle Danube Provinces of the Roman Empire. Routledge. ISBN 9781317754244.
- Szabó, Edit (2003). A pannoniai városok igazgatása. Urbanizáció, önkormányzat és városi elit a Kr. u. 1–3. században a feliratok tükrében [Management of the Pannonian cities. Urbanization, self-governance and urban elite in the 1–3rd centuries AD from the inscriptions' perspective]. Debrecen.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Abascal, Juan Manuel (2011). "Eppius Latinus, Titus". Diccionario biográfico español [Spanish biographical dictionary]. Spain: Real Academia de la Historia.