Ecgfrith's Battle Against the Picts in the Vita Sancti Wilfrithi (with a Note on Nechtansmere)

"The Battle of Two Rivers was fought between the Picts and Northumbrians in the year 671. The exact battle site is unknown. It marked the end of the Pictish rebellion early in the reign of Ecgfrith, with a decisive victory for the Northumbrians. Attestation of the battle is limited to the account in Stephen of Ripon's Vita Sancti Wilfrithi."

That from Wikipedia - and it is really all that can be said about this mysterious battle-site location.

Well, almost.  There is another very important detail found in the Vita which I have not seen discussed before.  The following are the Latin and English text passages on the battle from the Vita itself:

Note the agger the Picts are said to build to protect their homeland/country (a better translation than 'house').  We all know what an agger is:

From the Lewis and Smith Latin Dictionary -

agger, ĕris, m. [ad-gero].

I. Things brought to a place in order to form an elevation above a surface or plain, as rubbish, stone, earth, sand, brushwood, materials for a rampart, etc. (in the histt., esp. Cæs., freq.; sometimes in the poets): ab opere revocandi milites, qui paulo longius aggeris petendi causā processerant, Caes. B. G. 2, 20: aggere paludem explere, id. ib. 7, 58; cf. id. ib. 7, 86: longius erat agger petendus, id. B. C. 1, 42; 2, 15 al.: superjecto aggere terreno, Suet. Calig. 19; cf. id. ib. 37: implere cavernas aggere, Curt. 8, 10, 27: fossas aggere complent, Verg. A. 9, 567: avis e medio aggere exit, from the midst of the pile of wood, Ov. M. 12, 524.

But far oftener,

II. Esp.

A. The pile formed by masses of rubbish, stone, earth, brushwood, etc., collected together; acc. to its destination, a dam, dike, mole, pier; a hillock, mound, wall, bulwark, rampart, etc.; esp. freq. in the histt. of artificial elevations for military purposes

The odd thing about the agger construction is that it seems precisely this which so angers the English king.  Yet to the best of our knowledge, the Picts did not build such things.  The various dykes found across Scotland, although sometimes colloquially called Picts Dykes, have been shown by the archaeologists to belong to other periods.

However, it is not at all impossible that at the time the Life of St. Wilfrid was written, or at the time of the actual event itself, an impressive dyke had been used by the Picts as an ad hoc defensive structure.  Such a structure would have predated the Picts themselves.

With this possibility in mind, I went looking for a major dyke adjacent to two rivers in Pictish territory or on the border of that territory.  These features were not hard to find.

I began by assuming that the English of Northumbria would have likely headed north into Pictland along the old Roman route, which led across the Forth and thence followed the Gask Ridge.  When I got to the one-time Roman legionary fortress at Inchtuthil, I noticed something called the Cleaven Dyke.  This massive earthwork was near the Roman fort, the Roman road and literally spanned much of the space between the Rivers Tay and Isla. It has been dated around 6,000 B.C.

Research on the site soon bore fruit.

https://scarf.scot/regional/pkarf/perth-and-kinross-archaeological-research-framework-case-studies/the-cleaven-dyke/

https://www.academia.edu/25082288/The_Cleaven_Dyke_and_Littleour_Monuments_in_the_Neolithic_of_Tayside_Society_of_Antiquaries_of_Scotland_Edinburgh_1998_Monograph_Series_13

https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/apex/f?p=1505:300:::::VIEWTYPE,VIEWREF:designation,SM1602

Most helpful were the various maps I could find of the dyke.

In my opinion, as a "best guess", this location at the Cleaven Dyke and the Rivers Tay and Isla (although note also the Lunan Burn hard by) very nicely fits the duo fluminum battle of Ecgfrith. 

A NOTE ON NECHTANSMERE

Two main theories have been proposed for the Battle of Nechtansmere, in which Ecgfrith later fell: a lake at Dunnichen or Loch Insh at Dunachton. The latter has been favored lately because Bede's description of the wild, mountainous Scottish landscape seems to fit Dunachton better.

However, if I'm right about locating the Two Rivers Battle at the Cleaven Dyke near the Tay and the Isla, then Dunnichen is surely the right place.  If we continue NE along the Roman road from Inchtuthil, along the line of the forts, we see that Dunnichen is hard by and a likely location for Nechtansmere.

Positive Scholarly Feedback on New Arthur Book

First scholarly reception of my new Arthur theory, this from a professor I met while attending the 2019 Croatian symposium on L. Artorius Castus with my wife Hillarie Hunt:

"I"ve read some passages of your book (with a week of an intense field work and exams and everything else asking my attention, and unfortunately poor health on my side as well, that such a partial insight into the book was the most I could do at the moment). Science, i.e. scholarly work, can advance solely with the constant critical re-evaluating so I find your contribution a valuable contribution to the Arthurian topics. It is not a classical scholarly work (such as a journal article), obviously, but methodological scrutiny is of a very high level. You may be proud of the final product.

All the best, 

Anamarija

--

Prof. dr. sc. Anamarija Kurilić

Sveučilište u Zadru / University of Zadar

Odjel za povijest / Department of History

Armatos Vs. Armatas Gentes for the L. Artorius Castus Inscription

I only just recently engaged in a very frustrating and ultimately totally unsatisfactory debate with the proponents of the ARMATOS theory for the lacuna in the L. Artorius Castus inscription.

So that I will no longer find myself having to counter the ARMATOS theory or defend my own proposed reading from attacks based on erroneous assumptions, false evidence or duplicitous or specious argument, I've decided to put down here - in as simple a form as possible - why one reading works and the other does not. This is to be (probably to everyone's great relief!) my last word on the subject.

To begin first with my opponents' ARMATOS...

PREFECT OF THE SIXTH VICTORIOUS LEGION, COMMANDER OF THE THREE BRITISH LEGIONS AGAINST ARMATOS

For the purposes of this discussion, I will ignore the so-called controversy that has sprung up over the claim that dux ("commander, general, leader") means in this context that Castus had somehow become the unknown 'Governor of the Gap' (c. 187-91) in Roman Britain. I say "so-called" because this idea only has currency among its handful of proponents. No one else (including all the top Roman military historians in the world, as well as the top Roman epigraphers) takes it seriously. Instead, dux is interpreted as meaning only that Castus as prefect of the Sixth was given a military command of a purely temporary nature.

ARMATOS means armed men and, on occasion, soldiers (yes, even Roman soldiers). But as I long ago demonstrated in a comprehensive rebuttal of Antonio Trinchese's listing of armatos examples from the literature and inscriptions, the word was only used in contexts that described exactly who the armed men in question were.

ARMATOS in the Castus inscription lacks such a context.

Yes, we can assume the armed men in question were in Britain. Otherwise, Castus would have provided us with a location outside the province. 

But who were these armed men? Well, we don't know.

Dr. Linda A. Malcor and her colleagues, the originators of the ARMATOS theory, will tell you that they do know who the armed men were. 

How do they know?

Well, they start with that blank period in the history of Roman Britain, c. 187-191 A.D. Because we know nothing of what happened during the unknown governor's tenure (NOTE: we don't even know for sure if there actually was a missing governor), the ARMATOS theorists are able to imaginatively concoct any scenario they wish to fill the gap. I'm not opposed to reasonable speculation replete with the necessary caveats. But I do strenuously object to fictional reconstructions. 

And that is what the ARMATOS theorists produce. In fact, they cannot possibly do anything else. As "armed men" can denote any group or groups of enemy combatants, if we need to describe these combatants we must either decide they represent one group or contrive to generate a marvelous mix of native, nonnative and Roman adversaries - or any combination thereof.

In this light, we may view the reading ARMATOS as the perfect element for a formula that demands we apply magical thinking to the problem posed by the lacuna inscription. The goal of such magical thinking is the creation of a pseudo-historical account of Castus' dux command in Britain.

Included in this conjured account is a pronounced preference for associating Castus with the Sarmatians in Britain. Everything Malcor and her colleagues write on this subject is wholly lacking from Castus' inscription. We are told only that he led legionary troops. The Sarmatians were auxiliaries, not legionaries. Of course, auxiliaries could be attached to legions and deployed for various special purposes, so we can infer the Sarmatians were undoubtedly used by Severus for the northern campaigns.

In summation, the ARMATOS theorists utilize a misinterpretation of the dux rank to magnify Castus' greatness by making him the unknown governor of 187-191. The historical gap permits them to insert their own manufactured events. 'Armed men', in turn, provides them with the freedom to designate Castus' enemies as anyone they choose.

PREFECT OF THE SIXTH VICTORIOUS LEGION, COMMANDER OF THE THREE BRITISH LEGIONS AGAINST ARMATAS GENTES

ARMATAS GENTES (ARM.GENTES on the stone [1]) means 'armed tribes' or, if you wish, 'armed peoples.' The last may, superficially at least, seem no less vague than 'armed men.' But in fact gentes is used of the people of a place or region. Thus from the get-go its meaning when combined with armatas, 'armed', is a great deal more specific than armatos. When applied to a province occupied by tribal groups, gentes would have been understood as referring to those groups or to a collection of them.

The use of armatas [2] would indicate that the tribes/peoples being spoken of, the indigenous inhabitants, were not in a peaceful state. Rather, they had risen up in arms against Rome. 

There are quite a few examples of armatas gentes or similar armatas phrases in the literature and in the inscriptions. These can be turned up even without an exhaustive search. [3]

Like armatos, armed tribes would be an enemy within the province of Britain. Unlike armatos, we can identify the tribes (or peoples): they are the indigenous population or a portion of it. 

As the best, recent age estimates for the Castus inscription see it as Severan (https://mistshadows.blogspot.com/2025/09/chapter-1-of-my-new-arthur-book.html?m=1) , the Arthurian battles of the HISTORIA BRITTONUM appear to represent a Roman campaign in the North  (https://mistshadows.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-castus-battles-chapter-3-and.html?m=1) and as Castus' Sixth Legion had as its principal task the defense of the northern frontier, it is reasonable to identify the armed tribes in question with Severus' enemies, the Caledonii and Maeatae confederations.

I hope this helps my readers better understand the difference between the proposed readings of ARMATOS and ARMATAS GENTES. One allows for a decent identification of historically attested entities. The other does not.

[1]

From my book LET NOT ANYONE ESCAPE FROM SHEER DESTRUCTION: A NEW ARGUMENT FOR A ROMAN KING ARTHUR

(https://a.co/d/3xvMPME):

Whether armatas could be rendered in an epigraphic context as ARM was proven easily enough.

Firstly, the database TRISMEGISTOS shows the following instances of ARM words abbreviated in extant inscriptions. There are, in fact, dozens of Arm- words abbreviated ARM on stones. 

Abbreviated word Frequency

ARM armorum 54

ARM Armini 26

ARM Armeniaco 16

ARM Armeniaci 12

ARM Arma 6

ARM Armilustrium 5

ARM Armeniae 4

ARM Armenico 4

ARM Arm 3

ARM armatura 3

ARM Armeniacus 3

ARM armamentarii 2

ARM armamentarius 2

ARM armillis 2

ARM Armato 1

ARM Armemiaco 1

ARM Armeni 1

ARM Armenicus 1

ARM armillae 1

ARM armis 1

ARM Armogio 1

ARM armorum 1 

But what of armatas? I found that rather quickly.

publication: CIL 03, 14320,02 (p 2328,159) = AHB p 605

dating: 201 to 300 EDCS-ID: EDCS-32300027

province: Dalmatia place: Tomislavgrad / Duvno / Zupanjac / Delminium

Arm(ato) Aug(usto) s(acrum) / Mattonia / Tertia li/be(n)s posuit

inscription genus / personal status: mulieres; tituli sacri; tria nomina

material: lapis

https://lupa.at/24204

We may compare this inscription with another found dedicated to the same god in Dalmatia:

publication: CIL 03, 14320,01 (p 2328,159) = D 04880 = AHB p 604

dating: 101 to 250 EDCS-ID: EDCS-31300289

province: Dalmatia place: Tomislavgrad / Duvno / Zupanjac / Delminium

Armato s(acrum) / Sest(ia) One/sime ex / voto pos(uit) / l(ibens)

inscription genus / personal status: mulieres; tituli sacri; tria nomina

material: lapis

Armatus is discussed in detail in željka pandža - Sveučilište u Mostaru, Filozofski fakultet, Odjel za arheologiju, University of Mostar, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Archaeology - BOG ARMATUS NA NATPISIMA S DUVANJSKOG POLJA/GOD ARMATUS IN THE INSCRIPTIONS FROM DUVANJSKO POLJE.

Yes, this is a proper name or epithet, and of a deity in Dalmatia who they think was originally a native "Mars".

But... armatus, just the word itself, means 'armed', of course, and a person or

deity named such would be 'the armed one' or ‘one who is armed’.

So here we do have an instance of ARM being used for 'armed.'

[2]

From the Lewis and Short Dictionary:

Hence, armātus, a, um, P. a., armed, equipped, fitted with armor (opp. inermis, togatus, q. v.); also subst.: armātus, i, m., an armed man, a solier, = miles.

A. Adj.

1. Lit.: armatos, si Latine loqui volumus, quos appellare vere possumus? opinor eos, qui scutis telisque parati ornatique sunt, Cic. Caecin. 21, 60: cum animatus iero satis armatus sum, Att. ap. Non. p. 233, 18; p. 495, 23: armati pergemus, Vulg. Num. 32, 32; ib. Judith, 9, 6: ab dracontis stirpe armatā exortus, Att. ap. Non. p. 426, 2: armata manus, Lucr. 2, 629; so id. 2, 636; 2, 640; 5, 1297; cf. id. 5, 1292: saepe ipsa plebes armata a patribus secessit, Sall. C. 33, 4: contra injurias armatus ire, id. J. 31, 6: facibus armatus, Liv. 5, 7: armatus falce, Tib. 1, 4, 8: classes armatae, Verg. G. 1, 255: armatus cornu, Plin. 11, 37, 45, § 128.

2. Meton.: armati anni, i. e. years spent in war, Sil. 11, 591.

Trop.: excitati, erecti, armati animis, armed, furnished, etc., Cic. Phil. 7, 9, 26.

In the sup. only twice, and referring to the pos. armatus in connection with it (comp. and adv. never used), Cic. Caecin. 21, 61 (v. the passage in its connection): tam tibi par sum quam multis armatissimis nudi aut leviter armati, Sen. Ben. 5, 4.

B. Subst.: gravidus armatis equus (sc. Trojanus), Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 2 (Trag. v. 97 Müll.): armatos educere, id. ap. Non. p. 355, 16: navem triremem armatis ornat, Nep. Dion, 9, 2: decem milia armatorum, id. Milt. 5, 1; so Vulg. Exod. 38, 25: armatis in litora expositis, Liv. 37, 28; 42, 51; 9, 24; Suet. Caes. 30.

[3]

From my book LET NOT ANYONE ESCAPE FROM SHEER DESTRUCTION: A NEW ARGUMENT FOR A ROMAN KING ARTHUR

(https://a.co/d/3xvMPME):

And what about the final epigraphic evidence required to demonstrate that the formation ARMATAS GENTES was allowable?

Well, there turned out to be a considerable body of material available to prove that point.

Firstly, I have found a phrase, armato milites, 'armed soldiers', in Virgil's Aeneid (ii.20). However, as Benet Salway has pointed out, "As verse Virgil's is not probative." But it does show again the adjective in front of the noun, as in my proposed armatas gentes for the LAC lacuna "ARM[...]S." 'armatis militibus', "armed soldiers", occurs in HISTORIA AUGUSTA Septimius Severus 7 and in the same source's Antoninus Caracalla 2. HA Maximus and Balbinus 8 has 'armatos hostes', "armed enemies".

In this source, from M. Lollius (https://www.proquest.com/openview/7b05c38fafed83474edb23a8e641b789/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y):

 

armati duces "armed leaders"

 

In Suetonius's Twelve Caesers, I found 'armata praesidii' (Julius), "armed guard." Also 'armatis cohortibus', "armed cohorts" (Nero).

 

This as well -

 

armatum concilium "armed council"

 

armatum tribunum "armed tribunes" Cic. Pis. 77

 

armatus hostis armed enemy Sallust Bellum Catilinae

 

armatis hominibus armed men Sallust BC

 

armata milia armed thousands Caeser Gallic Wars 2

 

armatum hostem an armed enemy Caeser Gallic Wars 5

 

armata civitas an armed city Caeser Civil Wars 3

 

armatos castris "armed camp" Tacitus Annals 2

 

armatis cohortibus "armed cohorts" Tacitus Annals 3

 

armatorum milia "armed thousands" Tacitus History 3

 

armati exercitus "armed army" Tacitus History 3

 

armatorum Romanorum "armed Romans" History 4

 

And even in later historical sources, like Ammianus Marcellinus (Book XX; V):

 

armatarum cohortium "armed cohorts"

 

Or here:

 

https://www.notitiadignitatum.org/extracod.pdf

 

armatos hostes "armed enemies"

 

And here:

 

https://www.notitiadignitatum.org/21a-mast.pdf

 

armatae militiae "armed forces"

 

As well as here:

 

https://www.thelatinlibrary.com/gregorytours/gregorytours6.shtml

 

armatorum turbae "armed crowd"

 

I'm sure other examples could be found - perhaps many such.

Prior to this I had located armatas gentes in two instances from the historian Livy.

I have also found a use of armatus as an adjective fronting another noun IN THE INSCRIPTIONS, 'armatam statuam', "armed statue":

publication: CIL 06, 41142 = CIL 06, 01377 (p 3141, 3805, 4948) = CIL 06, 31640 = D 01098 = IDRE-01, 00010 = AE 2013, +00013

dating: 171 to 180 EDCS-ID: EDCS-01000261

province: Roma place: Roma

M(arco) Claudio [Ti(beri)] f(ilio) Q[uir(ina)] / Frontoni co(n)s(uli) / leg(ato) Aug(usti) pr(o) pr(aetore) provinciarum Daciarum et [Moesiae] / super(ioris) simul leg(ato) Aug(usti) pr(o) pr(aetore) provincia[rum III] / Daciar(um) leg(ato) Augg(ustorum) pr(o) pr(aetore) Moesiae super(ioris) [et] / Daciae Apule(n)sis simul leg(ato) Augg(ustorum) pr(o) pr(aetore) pro/vinciae Moesiae super(ioris) comiti divi Veri / Aug(usti) donato donis militarib(us) bello Ar/meniaco et Parthico ab Imperatore An/tonino Aug(usto) et a divo Vero Aug(usto) corona / murali item vallari item classica item / aurea item hastis puris IIII item vexillis / IIII curatori operum locorumq(ue) publicor(um) / misso ad iuventutem per Italiam legen/dam leg(ato) Augg(ustorum) pr(o) pr(aetore) exercitus legionarii / et auxilior(um) per Orientem in Armeniam / et Osrhoenam et Anthemusiam ducto/rum leg(ato) Augg(ustorum) legioni(s) primae Minervi/ae in ex{s}peditionem Parthicam deducen/dae leg(ato) divi Antonini Aug(usti) leg(ionis) XI Cl(audiae) prae/tori aedili curuli ab actis senatus quaes/tori urbano Xviro stlitibus iudicandis / huic senatus auctore Imperatore M(arco) Au/relio Antonino Aug(usto) Armeniaco Medico / Parthico maximo quod post aliquo<d=T> se/cunda proelia adversus Germanos / et Iazyges ad postremum pro r(e) p(ublica) fortiter / pugnans ceciderit armatam statuam [poni] / in foro divi Traiani pecunia publica cen[suit]

inscription genus / personal status: Augusti/Augustae; milites; ordo senatorius; tituli honorarii; tituli sacri; tria nomina; viri

material: lapis

 

Nations (gentibus) found fronted by an adjective, diversis, 'different':

 

publication: CIL 13, 05954 (4, p 77) = CLE 01942 = AE 2013, 01106 = Vipard-2013, 00014

dating: 1 to 300 EDCS-ID: EDCS-10801366

province: Belgica | Germania superior place: Grand / Grannum / Leuci

[In co]nubio iuncti diversis gentibu[s orti(?)] / Gallae cum Parthis mon<u=I>me[ntum 3] / [3]um statuerunt Basilidae [3] / [3 n]unc(?) et sibi non dubitantes / [n]omina noscentur satum c[

inscription genus / personal status: carmina; mulieres; tituli operum; tituli sepulcrales; viri

material: lapis

 

And nations fronted by another adjective, bellicosissimis, "warlike":

 

publication: CIL 06, 01014 (p 842, 3070, 3777, 4316, 4340) = CIL 06, 31225 = D 00374

dating: 176 to 176 EDCS-ID: EDCS-17400014

province: Roma place: Roma

S(enatus) p(opulus)q(ue) R(omanus) / Imp(eratori) Caes(ari) divi Antonini f[i]l(io) divi Veri Parth(ici) max(imi) fratr(i) / divi Hadriani nep(oti) divi Traiani Parth(ici) [pro]nep(oti) divi Nervae abnep(oti) / M(arco) Aurelio Antonino Aug(usto) Germ(anico) Sarm(atico) / pontif(ici) maxim(o) tribunic(ia) pot(estate) XXX imp(eratori) VIII co(n)s(uli) III p(atri) p(atriae) / quod omnes omnium ante se maximorum Imperatorum glorias / supergressus bellicosissimis gentibus deletis et subactis / [

inscription genus / personal status: Augusti/Augustae; tituli honorarii; viri

material: lapis

 

And still more nations fronted by adjectives, in these two cases devictarum and maxsimis:

 

publication: CILA-02-03, 00927 = IUtrera 00001 = TabSiar = Espectaculos-01, 00004 = Crawford-1996, 00037 = HEp 1995, 00734 = HEp 1999, 00524 = HEp 2011, 00447 = AE 1983, +00515 = AE 1984, 00508 = AE 1986, 00275 = AE 1986, 00308 = AE 1988, 00703 = AE 1989, +00358 = AE 1989, 00408 = AE 1991, 00020 = AE 1999, 00031 = AE 1999, 00891 = AE 2001, +00033 = AE 2001, +00039 = AE 2001, +00087 = AE 2002, +00043 = AE 2002, +00044 = AE 2002, +00045 = AE 2002, +00046 = AE 2003, +00047 = AE 2003, +00048 = AE 2003, +00049 = AE 2003, +00050 = AE 2008, +00651 = AE 2014, +00070

dating: 19 to 20 EDCS-ID: EDCS-45500034

province: Baetica place: La Canada / Siarum

[Quod M(arcus) Silanus L(ucius)] Nor[banus Balbus co(n)s(ules) v(erba) f(ecerunt) de memoria honoranda Germanici Caesaris qui] / [mortem obire nu]<m=N>quam debuit [3 uti de] / [honoribus m]eritis Germanici Caesar[is 3 ageretur] /[atque de] ea re consilio Ti(beri) Caesaris Aug(usti) prin[cipis nostri ageretur et cognoscendarum] / copia sententiarum ipsi fieret atque is adsu[e]ta sibi [moderatione ex omnibus iis] / honoribus quos habendos esse censebat senatus legerit eo[s quos ipse vellet et Iulia] / Augusta mater eius et Drusus Caesar materque Germanici Ca[esaris Antonia consilio] / adhibita ab eis et deliberationi satis apte posse haberi exist<i=U>[marent d(e) e(a) r(e) i(ta) c(ensuere)] / placere uti ianus marmoreus extrueretur in circo Flaminio pe[cunia publica posi]/tus ad eum locum in quo statuae divo Augusto domuique Augus[tae publice positae es]/sent ab C(aio) Norbano Flacco cum signis devictarum gentium

 

publication: CIL 11, 01421 (p 1263) = InscrIt-07-01, 00007 = D 00140 = DecretaPisana 00002 = Freis 00017 = Questori 00328 = Segenni = Bergemann 00036 = Epigraphica-2007-99 = AE 1991, +00021 = AE 2000, +00037 = AE 2002, +00451 = AE 2003, +00626 = AE 2007, +00070 = AE 2007, +00539 = AE 2009, +00014 = AE 2010, +00037

dating: 4 to 14 EDCS-ID: EDCS-20402891

province: Etruria / Regio VII place: Pisa / Pisae

scrib(endo) ad]/fu[e]r(unt) Q(uintus) Sertorius Q(uinti) f(ilius) Atilius Tacitus P(ublius) Rasinius L(uci) f(ilius) Bassus L(ucius) Lappius / P(ubli) [f(ilius) G]allus Q(uintus) Sertorius Q(uinti) f(ilius) Alpius Pica C(aius) Vettius L(uci) f(ilius) Virgula M(arcus) Herius / M(arci) [f(ilius) P]riscus A(ulus) Albius A(uli) f(ilius) Gutta Ti(berius) Petronius Ti(beri) f(ilius) Pollio L(ucius) Fabius L(uci) f(ilius) Bassus / Sex(tus) [A]ponius Sex(ti) f(ilius) Creticus C(aius) Canius C(ai) <f=E>(ilius) Saturninus L(ucius) Otacilius Q(uinti) f(ilius) Panthera / quod [v(erba) f(acta)] sunt cum in colonia nostra propter contentiones candidato/ru[m m]agistratuus non essent ea acta essent quae infra scripta sunt / cum a(nte) [d(iem) II]II Nonas Apriles allatus esset nuntius C(aium) Caesarem Augusti patris patri/ae [po]ntif(icis) max{s}<i=U>mi custodis imperi(i) Romani totiusque orbis terrarum prae/si[dis f]ilium divi nepotem post consulatum quem ultra finis extremas popu/li [Ro]mani bellum gerens feliciter peregerat bene gesta re publica devicteis aut / in [fid]em receptis bellicosissimis ac max{s}imis gentibus

 

Some examples of gentis/gentes used with adjectives in inscriptions. This is NOT an exhaustive list by any means, as if one searches for merely gent there are thousands of hits in the database to look at. Frankly, I lacked the patience for that exercise!

 

publication: CIL 03, 00247 = D 00754 = IIulian 00020 = BritRom-14, 00017 = AE 2019, +01631 = GLIA-02, 00332

dating: 362 to 362 EDCS-ID: EDCS-22300504

province: Galatia place: Ankara / Ancyra

Domino totius orbis / Iuliano Augusto / ex Oceano Bri/tannico vi(i)s per / barbaras gentes / strage resistenti/um patefactis adus/que Tigridem una / aestate transvec/to Saturninius / Secundus v(ir) c(larissimus) praef(ectus) / praet(orio) [d(evotus)] N(umini) m(aiestati)q(ue) [ei(us)]

inscription genus / personal status: Augusti/Augustae; ordo senatorius; tituli honorarii; tituli sacri; tria nomina; viri

material: lapis

 

publication: CIL 03, p 0774 (p 1054, 2328,57) = IGRRP-03, 00159 = IDRE-02, 00394 = Scheid = Cooley-2012a = GLIA-01, 00001 = AE 2007, +00036 = AE 2007, +00037 = AE 2009, +00035 = AE 2013, +00004 = AE 2013, +00005 = AE 2014, +00010 = ZPE-220-281 = AE 2021, 012097

dating: 14 to 14 EDCS-ID: EDCS-20200013

province: Galatia place: Ankara / Ancyra

Rerum gestarum divi Augusti quibus orbem terra[rum] imperio populi Rom(ani) / subiecit et i<m=N>pensarum quas in rem publicam populumque Romanum fecit incisarum / in duabus aheneis pilis quae su[n]t Romae positae exemplar sub[i]ectum // [1] Annos undeviginti natus exercitum privato consilio et privata impensa / comparavi per quem rem publicam a dominatione factionis oppressam / in libertatem vindicavi eo [nomi]ne senatus decretis honorif[i]ci(i)s in / ordinem suum m[e adlegit C(aio) Pansa et C(aio) Hirt]io consulibus consula/rem locum s[ententiae dicendae simu]l [dans et i]mperium mihi dedit / res publica n[e quid detrimenti caperet] me pro praetore simul cum / consulibus pro[videre iussit p]opulus autem eodem anno me / consulem cum [consul uterqu]e in bel[lo ceci]disset et triumvirum rei publi/cae constituend[ae creavit] / [2] qui parentem meum [trucidaver]un[t eo]s in exilium expuli iudiciis legi/timis ultus eorum [fa]cin[us] et postea bellum inferentis rei publicae / vici b[is a]cie / [3] [b]ella terra et mari c[ivilia ex]ternaque toto in orbe terrarum s[aepe gessi] / victorque omnibus v[eniam petentib]us civibus peperci exter[nas] / gentes

 

 publication: CIL 03, p 0774 (p 1054, 2328,57) = IGRRP-03, 00159 = IDRE-02, 00394 = Scheid = Cooley-2012a = GLIA-01, 00001 = AE 2007, +00036 = AE 2007, +00037 = AE 2009, +00035 = AE 2013, +00004 = AE 2013, +00005 = AE 2014, +00010 = ZPE-220-281 = AE 2021, 012097

dating: 14 to 14 EDCS-ID: EDCS-20200013

province: Galatia place: Ankara / Ancyra

 

exter[nas] / gentes

 

 publication: D 09351 = CLE 01916 = ILCV 00779 (add) = BCTH-1976/78-152 = BCTH-1990/92-160 = CLEAfr-01, p 120 = CLENuovo p 138 = Hamdoune-2016, p 169 = AfrRom-19-1000 = AE 1901, 00150 = AE 1993, +01780 = AE 2016, +01832

dating: 370 to 370 EDCS-ID: EDCS-16800401

province: Mauretania Caesariensis place: Ighzer Amokrane / Fundus Petrensis

Praesidium aeternae firmat prudentia pacis / rem quoque Romanam fida tutat undique dextra / amni praepositum firmans munimine montem / e cuius nomen vocitavit nomine Petram / denique finitimae gentes

 

publication: ASAE-1934-22,2

dating: 308 to 310 EDCS-ID: EDCS-72000104

province: Aegyptus place: Luxor / Al Uqsur / Karnak / Al Karnak / Theben / Thebai / Thebae / Iounou-Shema / Diospolis Magna

Pietatis auctor[e]m et barbara/rum gentium extinctorem / d(ominum) n(ostrum) Val(erium) Licinium P(ium) F(elicem) Invictum / Aug(ustum) Aur(elius) Maximinus v(ir) p(erfectissimus) du[x] / Aeg(ypti) et Theb(aidos) utrarumq(ue) Libb(yarum) / devotus N(umini) m(aiestati)q(ue) eorum(!)

inscription genus / personal status: Augusti/Augustae; ordo equester; tituli honorarii; tituli sacri; tria nomina; viri

 

publication: IK-12, 00313a = IIulian 00026

dating: 361 to 363 EDCS-ID: EDCS-00400018

province: Asia place: Ephesus

D(omino) n(ostro) Fl(avio) Cl(audio) Iuliano / virtutum omnium magistro / philosophiae principi / venerando et / Piissimo Imperatori / victoriosissimo Augusto / omnium barbararum / gentium debellatori / Ael(ius) Cl(audius) Dulcitius / v(ir) c(larissimus) procons(ul) Asiae / vice sacra cog(noscens) / d(evotus) N(umini) maiestatiq(ue) eius

inscription genus / personal status: Augusti/Augustae; ordo senatorius; tituli honorarii; tituli sacri; tria nomina; viri

material: lapis