The <i>Centenaria</i> of Roman Tripolitania

Elmayer, A. F.

doi:10.1017/s0263718900007305

Cited by 11 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…7, in addition to its late palaeographic features, the dedicator bears the name Flavius, which may indicate a Constantinian or post-Constantinian date (see 1.3). More generally, the gasr -type structures of the pre-desert area are considered to be not earlier than the mid-third century AD (Elmayer 1985; Munzi 2010). A rather late appearance of the neuter word centenarium is not at odds with literary records: the Tabula Peutingeriana dates from the fourth century, while the presence of centenarium in the Itinerarium Antonini can be explained as a later, maybe Tetrarchic, addition (see Leschi 1941, 172 n. 1; 1943, 18 n. 44).…”

Section: Evidence Concerning Centenaria and Their Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Both inscriptions and archaeology show that centenaria were conceived as defensive, fortified structures. It is important to note that their foundation can either be linked to regular army programmes, or to private, unofficial initiative (especially Elmayer 1985, 79).…”

Section: Evidence Concerning Centenaria and Their Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This interpretation has been largely endorsed and repeated in highly authoritative works, such as Cagnat's book on L'armée romaine d'Afrique , Grosse's Römische Militärgeschichte von Gallienus bis zum Beginn der Byzantinischen Themenverfassung (both make reference to Gauckler's explanation without further discussion), Leschi's article on the centenarium Aqua Viva and the pioneering research of Goodchild and Ward-Perkins in the eastern Tripolitanian pre-desert 17 . The possibility of a derivation from centuria , that is from the strength of the garrison, already taken into account by Gauckler (1903, 129), was not completely discarded (especially Elmayer 1985; Smith 1968). This, despite that it was early on observed that a considerable difference in size exists between structures such as Aqua Viva (no.…”

Section: Origin Of the Namementioning

confidence: 99%

“…IRT 889 = Elmayer 1983, 90–91= Elmayer 1984, 149–50 = Elmayer 1985, 82–83 = KAI 5 179 = Jongeling and Kerr 2005, 62–63 = Kerr 2010, 185–89.…”

Section: Catalogue Of Inscriptions (It) and Related Archaeological Rementioning

confidence: 99%

“…“Flavius Dasama and his son Macrinus, landowners, have made (this) centenarium to guard and protect the whole zone” (Elmayer 1985)…”

Section: Catalogue Of Inscriptions (It) and Related Archaeological Rementioning

confidence: 99%

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Centenarium

Munzi¹,

Schirru

Tantillo

2014

Libyan Stud

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The neuter substantivecentenariumappears in a series of documents to designate a particular type of building. The etymology and precise meaning of this word have long been debated by scholars, who have proposed a wide range of explanations, none of which appears to be entirely satisfactory. In this paper, we put forward a different solution, taking into account textual, archaeological and linguistic evidence. In our opinion, the wordcentenariumcomes fromcentenum, which means a kind of a cereal; thus,centenariumindicates a ‘fortified grain-house’. It seems probable that originalcentenariawere military structures of varying shape and size, first created in the third century and then spreading in the Tetrarchic period. They appear to be distinctive of the African provinces, from which comes most of the evidence, but one cannot exclude that the same name was applied to similar structures in other parts of the Empire (such as in the Iberian Peninsula, for instance). The militarycentenariawere later imitated by private landlords – maybe even indigenous chieftains in charge of the defence of sectors of the frontier – who transferred the name to their unofficial or para-official defensive structures. This process of emulation was already advanced in Constantinian age.

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Section: Evidence Concerning Centenaria and Their Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Evidence Concerning Centenaria and Their Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Origin Of the Namementioning

confidence: 99%

“…IRT 889 = Elmayer 1983, 90–91= Elmayer 1984, 149–50 = Elmayer 1985, 82–83 = KAI 5 179 = Jongeling and Kerr 2005, 62–63 = Kerr 2010, 185–89.…”

Section: Catalogue Of Inscriptions (It) and Related Archaeological Rementioning

confidence: 99%

“…“Flavius Dasama and his son Macrinus, landowners, have made (this) centenarium to guard and protect the whole zone” (Elmayer 1985)…”

Section: Catalogue Of Inscriptions (It) and Related Archaeological Rementioning

confidence: 99%

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Centenarium

Munzi¹,

Schirru

Tantillo

2014

Libyan Stud

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New Roman milestones and other Latin inscriptions from Bani Walid, Tripolitania

Elmayer

Salway²

2022

Libyan Stud

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This paper publishes the texts of three new Roman milestones and two other Latin texts from the vicinity of Bani Walid. These stones were found lying on the ground in the western suburbs of the city, apparently having been collected up and put aside by the landowners in clearing their fields to grow crops on their farms. Although previously postulated, these milestones are the first confirmation that a Roman road ran through Bani Walid. As a group these new texts offer new insight into the development of the transport infrastructure and agricultural economy of this Pre-Desert zone in the third century AD.

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Roman Africa: An Archaeological Review

Mattingly

Hitchner

1995

J. Rom. Stud.

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The Centenaria of Roman Tripolitania

Cited by 11 publications

References 7 publications

Centenarium

Centenarium

New Roman milestones and other Latin inscriptions from Bani Walid, Tripolitania

Roman Africa: An Archaeological Review

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