A LEGION FROM THE RHINE GOES TO ARMENIA: ANOTHER REASON WHY WE CAN ALLOW L. ARTORIUS CASTUS TO HAVE GONE TO THE SAME PLACE

Map Showing Roman Bonna on the Rhine in Relationship to Armenia

The opponents of the ARMENIOS reading for the fragmentary ARM[...]S on the L. Artorius Castus memorial inscription continue to insist that Castus couldn't have taken British legionary vexillations to Armenia, as that country was simply too far away.  And they are still saying this even though the Roman governor Statius Priscus most certainly went from Britain to Armenia, and there is some evidence for men who followed commanders from Britain to the East (see https://mistshadows.blogspot.com/2023/11/anthony-birley-on-officers-and-troops.html).

So, it would appear a more concrete example is needed in order to convince them that he movement of some detachments from Britain to Armenia was, indeed, possible.

The following is from p. 84, LUCIUS VERUS AND THE ROMAN DEFENCE OF THE EAST by

M.C. Bishop:

"M. Claudius Fronto is described as a comes of Lucius on an honorific inscription from Sarmizegetusa, noting that he was awarded for his services in both the Armenian and Parthian wars. Having already commanded one legion (XI Claudia), it was he who brought legio I Minervia out from the Rhine, a long march of over 3,500 km (2,365 miles)."

For more on the legion in question, and the Roman town of Bonna where it was stationed, see https://www.livius.org/articles/legion/legio-i-minervia/ and https://www.livius.org/articles/place/bonna-bonn/.

The two inscriptions for Fronto are pasted below.  For now let me say only that any statement that seeks to deny the very real possibility of some British forces attending Statius Priscus to Armenia needs to be ignored. 

That such a journey would have taken too long, I urge readers to calculate this for themselves at

 https://orbis.stanford.edu/?fbclid=IwAR0vneB9zip28d4lwbaR7eEA9LNT5KgZhrTm2wEC3XiVdOE_rNCM7Qu8J9k.  [Thank you Tony Sullivan for making this Website known to me.  Sullivan, in utilizing different routes on ORBIS, determined the trip would take anywhere from 2 to 5 months.]  

Note also the phrase "bello Armeniaco et Parthico" in both inscriptions.  The literal rendering of this Latin phrase is "the Armenian and Parthian War."  The opponents continue to deny that there was an Armenian phase to the war, despite bountiful evidence to the contrary in literary, epigraphic and numismatic sources.  I have treated of all of these instances elsewhere in separate blog articles.  

https://db.edcs.eu/epigr/epi_url.php?s_sprache=en&p_publication=CIL+03%2C+01457&r_sortierung=Belegstelle

publication: CIL 03, 01457 = IDR-03-02, 00090 = D 01097

dating: 169 to 170         EDCS-ID: EDCS-26600893

province: Dacia         place: Sarmizegetusa / Sarmizegethusa / Burgort / Varhely

M(arco) Cl(audio) Ti(beri) filio Quirin(a) / Frontoni co(n)s(uli) leg(ato) Aug(usti) / pr(o) pr(aetore) trium Dac(iarum) et Moes(iae) sup(erioris) / comiti divi Veri Aug(usti) donato / donis milit(aribus) bello Armen(iaco) et Parth(ico) ab / Imp(eratore) Antonin(o) Aug(usto) et a divo Vero Augus(to) / coron(a) mural(i) item vallar(i) item classic(a) / item aurea item hast(is) puris IIII item vexill(is) / curator(i) oper(um) locorumq(ue) public(orum) leg(ato) leg(ionis) I Min(erviae) / leg(ato) leg(ionis) XI Cl(audiae) praetori aedili curuli ab actis / senatus quaestori urbano decemviro / stlitibus iudicandis / col(onia) Ulp(ia) Traian(a) Aug(usta) Dac(ica) / Sarmiz(egetusa) patrono / fortissimo duci amplissim(o) / praesidi

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

material: lapis

https://db.edcs.eu/epigr/epi_url.php?s_sprache=en&p_publication=CIL+06%2C+41142&r_sortierung=Belegstelle

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