Tombstone of 44 year Roman Veteran Imaginifer Found

[guy]

 

‘SAD’ STORY OF ROMAN VETERAN WHO SERVED 44 YEARS IN MILITARY REVEALED BY TOMBSTONE FROM ALMUS IN BULGARIA’S DANUBE TOWN LOM

 

 

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A tombstone inscription in Latin revealing the “sad" life story of a Roman military veteran who served a total of 44 years in the Roman military, an untypically long period, has been discovered during the excavations of the Ancient Roman city of Almus, today the town of Lom on the Danube River in Northwest Bulgaria.

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The prominent Roman man, the military veteran honored by the tombstone, served a total of 44 years in the Roman military – whereas the normal term of military service in the Roman Empire was 25 years.

The Roman military veteran in question was buried by his slave since he did not create a family and did not have any other heirs.

The Roman military veteran thus most probably left all of his belongings to his freed slave. In gratitude for his freedom and the inheritance, the slave erected the tombstone as a monument to his former master, the lead archaeologist explains.

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According to the first line of the Latin inscription, which is partially preserved, the deceased Roman military veteran occupied the position of imaginifer – the person who carried the imago, the image of the emperor.

http://archaeologyinbulgaria.com/2020/11/07/sad-story-of-roman-veteran-who-served-44-years-in-military-revealed-by-tombstone-from-almus-in-bulgarias-danube-town-lom/

 

Summary: I'm not sure why this is considered a "sad" story. The veteran, named Amarantus, survived 44 years of service, achieving prestigious rank of imaginifer. Although he possibly never married, having either a family or heirs, he did have a devoted slave who honored him with a tombstone of high-quality marble dating back to the second half of the first century AD. Not a tragic life, indeed.

 

 

 

Edited November 2, 2021 by guy