Newly discovered Roman inscription slab from Celeia in light of there previously attested Greek names
Authors: Visočnik Julijana 
Published: September 2022

At the end of 2016, archaeological surveillance at Miklošičeva ulica 1 in Celje revealed a tombstone with an inscription broken into several pieces, which is today assembled of four larger fragments. Due to these fractures the inscription has not been completely preserved or cannot be completely reconstructed. However, even the first reading makes it clear that the slab most probably includes Greek names, which makes the inscription all the more intriguing: throughout the Roman Empire, Greek names have certain specifics and are generally more associated with the social background of the name’s owner than with their origin (origo). Greek names were popular among and for slaves and were also retained by freedmen upon their liberation. Thus, they transform from idionyms for slaves into personal names (cognomina) as a part of the tria nomina name formula for freedmen.

Hence, the discussed inscription slab becomes the starting point for the analysis of previously known Greek names in the area of the town of Celeia and its ager. In the rural hinterland of Celeia, mostly Greek idionyms are documented that can be connected to work at the Trojane customs station (statio Atrantina). In fact, lower grade official jobs there were as a rule reserved for slaves and freedmen (vilici, vicarii, contrascriptiores, scrutatores, etc.). There is only one example from the ager involving the so-called duo nomina, but which also originates from Trojane (Aurelius Asclepiodotus).

The situation is somewhat different in the town itself; there are not significantly less idionyms (there are three), but there are many more names of the tria (duo) nomina type with a Greek personal name (15 examples). Naturally, this fact brings no surprises; without doubt, the town had many more wealthy and influential families that had a larger number of slaves, whom they also freed. In the majority of such names, we can discern either from the actual inscription on the tombstone or from the context that they do indeed name freedmen. Examples such as Caius Iunius Nicander and Caius Iunius Isaeus, in which we cannot presume the status of freedmen due to their connection with the army, are merely an exception.

On the newly found tombstone, two Greek names can be discerned despite its fragmentary preservation: these are most probably Hierocles and Heracles, but what needs to be emphasised is that other names (which were certainly present) cannot be reconstructed. It seems that the first one was not an idionym (considering that it was supposedly preceded by the name Tiberius), while the other was probably indeed independent, since it was preceded and followed by the letters FI (for filius) and ET, respectively. In the penultimate line, it seems that in addition to the name in –MUS the word libertus was incised, since the letters LIB can still be seen. This way, the content of the inscription on the tombstone is nicely rounded off and reconfirms the several-times-mentioned fact that Greek names are rarely a reflection of the origin but are rather an indicator of social class.