Caerleon Roman Legion Museum

Caerleon, South Wales.

From the legate's residence. Probably a dining room floor. Found in Caerleon churchyard. 1st to 3rd century. IMG 8584a

On his retirement from the legion, Julius Valens started a new life close to the fortress, possibly because he had formed an attachment with a local woman. He allegedly survived to the age of 100 (see next photo). His wife died aged 75, and is commemorated on this stone, set up by their son Gaius Julius Martinus. D(is) M(anibus) et memoriae Iuliae Secundi/nae matri pi/issime vixit an/nis LXXV G(aius) Iul(ius) Martinus fil(ius) f(aciendum) c(uravit) ‘To the spirits of the departed and the memory of Julia Secundina, his devoted mother, (who) lived 75 years, Gaius Julius Martinus, her son, had this set up. IMG 8565a

On his retirement from the legion, Julius Valens started a new life close to the fortress, possibly because he had formed an attachment with a local woman. He allegedly survived to the age of 100. His wife died aged 75, and is commemorated on a second stone, set up by their son Gaius Julius Martinus (see previous photo). D(is) M(anibus) Iul(ius) Valens vet(eranus) leg(ionis) II Aug(ustae) vixit annis C Iul(ia) Secundina coniunx et Iul(ius) Martinus filius f(aciendum) c(uraverunt) ‘To the spirits of the departed; Julius Valens, veteran of the Second Augustan Legion, lived 100 years; Julia Secundina, his wife, and Julius Martinus, his son, had this set up.’ IMG 8566a

Looking at the bones of the occupant, the objects placed with him and coffin itself a picture of the person himself has slowly been created. Studying the bones it is possible to tell that they belonged to a man who died at about 40 years of age. Evidence from his teeth have shown that he grew up in this area and the stone coffin tells us that in life he wanted to be seen as a wealthy man. IMG 8596a

Funerary head of Attis from the cemetery to the west of the fortress. These heads probably adorned tombs, as finials. The god Attis frequently appears in funerary contexts, as a symbol both of death and life to come. IMG 8569a

This stone is important, it names the commanding officer of the legion. Titus Flavius Postumius Varus was of senatorial status and legate of the Leg II AVG (Second Augustan Legion). He commanded the legion some time after AD 235, but probably before AD 258. The inscription tells us that Varus restored a temple of Diana at Caerleon. We do not know where this was, but it was probably near the amphitheatre. We know that Varus had at least one African great-grandfather. He was probably of north-African origin himself. IMG 8571a

This is the 'Geta stone' sketched by Bishop Godwin: This inscription originally honoured the emperor Septimius Severus and his two sons, Caracalla (officially called Antoninus) and Geta. After their father's death in York, Caracalla murdered Geta. Geta's name, images and memory were erased across the whole empire. This act of obliteration is called damnatio memoriae . It was considered a crime to mention Geta's name. In this example from Caerleon, Geta's name and title have been chiselled off, leaving a gap. Bishop Godwin's Latin note states that 'Geta's name has been erased'. Caracalla cunningly cemented his position within the army by raising their pay and giving them honours - this was expensive! He also extended Roman citizenship to all free inhabitants of the empire in AD 212. This may have been to enable him to collect more inheritance taxes in order to pay the army. IMG 8576a

This stone records a soldier’s family brought up in the shadow of the fortress. Tadius Exuperatus died while serving with a detachment of the legion on an expedition in Germany. His father too had probably been a serving soldier in his time. Found at Pil-bach, 1km to the west of the fortress, before 1849. D(is) M(anibus) Tadia Vallaun[i]us vixit ann(os) LXV et Tadius Exuper(a)tus filius vixit ann(os) XXXVII defun(c)/tus expeditione Germanica Tadia Exuperata filia matri et fratri piiss(i)ma secus tumulum patris posuit ‘To the spirits of the departed; Tadia Vallaunius lived 65 years and Tadius Exuper(a)tus, her son, lived 37 years, having died on the German expedition; Tadia Exuperata, the devoted daughter, set this up to her mother and brother beside her father’s tomb.’ IMG 8587a