Statue base from the Baths of Caracalla in honour of the emperor Valentinian I by the former praet. prefect C. Ceionius Rufius Volusianus signo Lampadius
source date: 365 AD
edition published: 2020-03-27
availability: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)

Florentissimo et piissimo domino nostro Valentiniano maximo principi semper Augusto, Caius Ceionius Rufius Volusianus, vir clarissimus, praefectus praetorio, praefectus urbi, iterum vice sacra iudicans, devotus numini maiestatique eius.

Edition based on CIL 06, 01173a.

“To the most powerful and pious, our master Valentinian, Maximus Prince, always Augustus, Caius Caeionius Rufius Volusianus, of clarissimus rank, praetorian prefect, urban prefect, judge with the faculty to institute sacred trials in lieu of the emperor for the second time, devoted to his divine spirit and majesty.”

“Au très puissant et très pieux, notre seigneur Valentinien, prince suprême, toujours Auguste, Caius Caeionius Rufius Volusianus, clarissime préfet du prétoire, préfet urbain, juge ayant le pouvoir d’instituer des procès à la place de l’empereur pour la deuxième fois, dévoué à sa divinité et à sa majesté.”

“Al potentissimo e piissimo, il nostro signore Valentiniano, Massimo Principe, sempre Augusto, il chiarissimo Caius Caeionius Rufius Volusianus, prefetto del pretorio, prefetto urbano, giudice con la facoltà di istituire processi in vece dell’imperatore per la seconda volta, devoto al nume e alla maestà sue.”

This marble base was discovered in 1546 during excavations of the Baths of Caracalla carried out by the pope Paul III (Lanciani 1903 = 1990, p. 197). Three inscriptions were carved on three different faces (a-c). Although the monument is currently lost, the above-mentioned texts have been preserved by the 16th Century antiquarians and humanists Pirrus Ligorius and Martinus Smetius (see CIL 06, 01173).

The earliest inscription is carved on the rear side (CIL 06, 01173c: [Dedicata] pr(idie) K(alendas) Ian[uarias] / Q(uinto) Sossio [Falcone] C(aio) Erucio Cl[aro co(n)s(ulibus)], / isdem IIII [---] C(aio) Bellico Marcelli[no], / cura(m) agente Turellio Felicissimo. / Ob dedicationem eius ded(it) decurion(ibus) / ((denarios)) XXV et Augustalibus sing(ulis) ((denarios)) XXV et municipibus ((denarios)) V) dates back to 192 AD and came from an unknown city outside Rome. From there, it was moved in 285 AD to the Baths of Caracalla, where the support was re-used for a second time on the right side (CIL 06, 01173b: Maxim(o) Aug(usto) / n̅(ostro) Diocletiano II co(n)s(ule), / sub Felice proc(uratore) Aug(usti) n̅(ostri) / therm(arum) Antoninianarum). According to C. Machado (LSA 1289) this inscription may relate to a statue in honour of Diocletian Augustus, but it is likely that the extant inscription CIL 06, 01173b is simply the date carved on one lateral side of the base shortly after the battle of Margum, in which the emperor Carinus, who was the consul of 285 AD, died (CLRE, pp. 104-105). The principal inscribed face, which was carved on 285 AD, was later erased (Caldelli 1992, p. 81; CIL 06, p. 4332; Stefan 2017, pp. 272-273). The third and latest inscription, carved on this surface previously erased, coincides with the text examined herein, in which the former praetorian prefect and urban prefect Volusianus (for his career see PPRET 36) celebrated the emperor Valentinian I as ‘the most powerful and pious prince’.

Besides this one, Volusianus Lampadius was also responsible for another four inscribed bases in the Thermae Antoninianae, all of which celebrated the victories of Valentinian and Valens over the Alamanni and the usurper Procopius. The senator ordered two statues to be placed in the baths, one for Valentinian (CIL 06, 01171: Victoriis triumfisq(ue) / magnifico / d(omino) n(ostro) Valentiniano / inclyto principi / (5) semper Aug(usto), / Rufius Volusia/nus, v(ir) c(larissimus), praef(ectus) / urbi, iterum / iudex sacrarum / (10) cognitionum, / clementiae eius / dicatus), the other one for his brother Valens (CIL 06, 01172: Victoriis triumfisque / magnifico / d(omino) n(ostro) Valenti inclyto / principi semper Aug(usto), / (5) Rufius Volusianus v(ir) c(larissimus), / praefectus urbi, / iterum iudex sacrarum, / cognitionum clemen / tiae eius dicatus). He also commissioned a monument in honour of their victories, even if the emperors were unnamed (CIL 06, 00794: Victoriis / dd(omini) nn(ostri) / Rufius Volusianus / v(ir) c(larissimus) praef(ectus) urbi iterum / (5) iudex sacrarum / cognitionum). Lastly, Volusianus was also requested by the emperors to restore the dedications on a group of statues (CIL 06, 01170, see PPRET 37) in the same thermal area. At least five inscriptions were thus found at the Baths of Caracalla that the prefect Volusianus had had a hand in (Lanciani 1903 = 1990, p. 197):indeed «Roman baths were important centres for social life, and as such an appropriate focus for the celebration of emperors as victorious rulers as well as benefactors» (Machado 2019, p. 130).

As regards our monument, Lanciani argued that, in rededicating the statue to Valentinian, Volusianus had to have had it removed from the baths. Actually, the numerous monuments related to the urban prefect and the emperors in this area, mentioned above (CIL 06, 00794; CIL 06, 01170a = PPRET 37; CIL 06, 01171; CIL 06, 01172), suggests on the contrary that, in all likelihood, the base, which had already been employed in the 2nd Century AD (CIL 06, 01173b; Lanciani 1899, p. 33) had remained in the baths. Volusianus had also moved a number of other statues here (see PPRET 37) and dedicated at least other three monuments. The monument was seen for the last time in the 16th Century (CIL 06, 01173).

The anomaly of having two dedications to Valentinian and only one to Valens might be explained by the loss of a specular dedication to Valens that Volusianus had mostly likely made, as he had done for the other two inscriptions (CIL 06, 01171; CIL 06, 01172; cf. CIL 06, 03866 = CIL 06, 31693 = ILS 5791).

The numerous surviving inscriptions of Volusianus Lampadius (relating to the baths, the city infrastructure and the Tiber) confirm Ammianus Marcellinus’ negative judgement of him (Amm. 27, 03, 07; Amm. 27, 03, 10). In his portrait of the urban prefect, the historian emphasises his eagerness to place his name on virtually anything he had simply restored (see PPRET 36 and PPRET 37).

Our inscription in honour of Valentinian I from the Baths of Caracalla carries two anomalies in the title of the dedicator: usually Volusianus Lampadius is called ex praefecto praetorio (five times) and iterum iudex sacrarum cognitionum or iudex iterum sacrarum cognitionum (eight times); only in the present inscription (ll. 7-9) is he referred to as prae[f(ectus) praetorio], praef(ectus) urb[i, iterum vice sacra] iudic(ans). Perhaps the ‘formula’ which testifies his assignment to judge in the emperor’s stead is a normal variation of the wording (vice sacra iudicans instead of iudex sacrarum cognitionum). On the contrary, it seems highly probable that a preposition "ex" fell before the abbreviation praef(ectus) praet(orio). Since the inscription is known only in the manuscript tradition, the stone being lost, it is impossible to verify, but it is likely that the first copyist of the text may have overlooked the preposition "ex". It is unlikely that such a proud and powerful urban prefect would have tolerated an error in his title, especially in a monument dedicated to the emperor and located in such a public place. Fortunately, we already know that Lampadius was appointed praetorian prefect by Constantius II in 355 AD and that he was made urban prefect ten years later by Valentinian I, and that he honoured the emperor several times in the baths (see PLRE I, p. 979 and PPRET 36). There is thus no doubt that at the time of the inscription’s composition Lampadius was already ex praefecto praetorio. The transcription of Smetius and Ligorius is therefore inaccurate.

CIL 06, 01173a (p. 4332)

EDCS 17600811 EDR 129600 LSA 1288 TM 754589

Caldelli M.L., Curia athletarum, iera xystike synodos e organizzazione delle terme a Roma, ZPE 93, 1992, 75-87 DeLaine J., The Baths of Caracalla: A Study in the Design, Construction, and Economics of Large-scale Building Projects in Imperial Rome, Portsmouth 1997 DeLaine J., Bathing and Society, in DeLaine J., Johnston D.E. (eds), Roman Baths and Bathing. Part I: Bathing and Society, Portsmouth 1999, 7-16 Lanciani R., The Destruction of the Ancient Rome, New York 1899 Lanciani R., Storia degli scavi di Roma e notizie intorno le collezioni romane di antichità, II. Gli ultimi anni di Clemente VII e il pontificato di Paolo III (A. 1531-1549), Roma 1903 (repr. Roma 1990) Machado C., Urban Space and Aristocratic Power in Late Antique Rome, AD 270-535, Oxford 2019 Stefan A., Dioclétien à l’été 285: son deuxième consulat, les sanctions contre la "memoria" de Carin et l’amnistie générale, ZPE, 204, 2017, 265-279

v(ir) c(larissimus)

prae[f(ectus) praetorio]