THE FRAGMENTARY 'ARM[...]S' OF THE L. ARTORIUS CASTUS MEMORIAL STONE AND DALMATIA: A STUDY OF RELATIONSHIPS

Sword in the Stone at Podstrana, Croatia

When trying to make a final decision on whether to support ARMENIOS or ARMORICOS for the correct reading of the LAC memorial stone, I went back to some earlier studies I had done on Dalmatian ties for both LAC and Statius Priscus.  The results of that research can be found here:

https://mistshadows.blogspot.com/2020/10/lucius-artorius-castus-birth-and-death.html

https://mistshadows.blogspot.com/2021/11/statius-priscus-from-anthony-birleys.html

Now, given that Julius Severus, who appears to have hand-picked Statius Priscus, was from Dalmatia, and given that Priscus himself may well have been from there (Tomlin thinks so, and Birley thought it quite possible), and given that even LAC himself may have been born there (it's about 50-50 as to whether he was born in Italy or in Dalmatia), the possible reading of ARMENIOS for ARM[...]S becomes more attractive.

Why?

Well, it is probable that Julius Severus took Statius Priscus (earlier in the latter's career) from Britain to Syria to fight in the Jewish War:

https://mistshadows.blogspot.com/2023/12/statius-priscus-from-britain-to-syria.html

While Priscus may or may not have taken a cohort with him (he may have been assigned to a new one in Syria), we are allowed to see in a possible later transference of LAC from Britain to Cappadocia by the same Statius Priscus to fight in Armenia.  The distance argument is no longer valid, as we have evidence of an entire legion being sent to the East at this time from Bonn on the Rhine.  Birley also discussed the strong possibility that we have other precedents for men being taken by their commanders from Britain to the East:

https://mistshadows.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-legion-from-rhine-goes-to-armenia.html

https://mistshadows.blogspot.com/2023/11/anthony-birley-on-officers-and-troops.html

It is reasonable to propose that LAC was rewarded with the Liburnian procuratorship on an emergency basis c. 168 because of his Dalmatian connections.

In my opinion, it is precisely these apparent Dalmatian connections which lend weight to the proposed ARMENIOS reading on the LAC stone.