§47 Flavius Ulpianus

Flavius Ulpianus

(0047) Text: Flavi(i) | Ulpiani | dec(urionis) | alae Antian(a)e

Translation: Flavius Ulpianus, decurion of ala Antiana. (Trans. Christopher B. Zeichmann)

Commentary: The name Ulpianus was rare before Trajan, whose gentilicum was Ulpius. Last and Stein suggest that -ianus ending indicates inheritor, commonly the third generation of a given name, so they date the inscription after 150 CE – roughly three generations after Trajan popularized the name Ulpius. Ala Antiana is well attested in Syria Palaestina starting 139 CE and in Syria until 88 CE. Consequently, it is difficult to date the inscription precisely.

Provenience: Scythopolis, Decapolis (Beth Shean) 150-250 CE

Bibliography: AE 1990.101; Rosa Last and Alla Stein, “Ala Antiana in Scythopolis: A New Inscription from Beth-Shean,” Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 81 (1990): 224-228.