Saldae
An inscription found in the Terme del Foro carries two inscriptions from the first half of the second century, both mentioning a procurator annonae in Ostia. The name of one of these has been preserved only partially, but must be Annius Postumus, which can be deduced from an inscription found in Saldae, modern Béjaïa (formerly Bougie) in Algeria. The latter inscription has an overlapping career.
[- Anni]O C(ai) FIL(io)
[Pos]TVMO
[procur(atori) P]ANNONIAE INFER(ioris)
[proc(uratori) a]NNONAE PROC(uratori)
[pro] MAGISTERI XX HEREDIT(atium)
PROC(uratori) BIBLIOTHECARVM DIVI
TRAIANI
COLLEG(ium) FABR(um)
TIGNVAR(iorum)[---] ANNIO POSTVM[o]
[p]ROC(uratori) AVG(usti) A BYBLIOTHE
CIS PROC(uratori) VICESIMA[e]
[promag]ISTRO PROC(uratori) AVG(usti)
[ad ann]ONA(m) OSTIS PROC(uratori)
[Au]G(usti) PANNONIAE I[n]
FERIORIS
[---] HORATIVS MARCIA
[nu]S AMICO INDVL
[gen]TIS[sim]O OB BE[ne]
[fi]CIA [qu]AE IN SE
CONT[ul]IT P(osuit) DEDI
CAVITQUEThe inscription from the Terme del Foro.
CIL XIV Suppl., 5352.The inscription from Saldae.
CIL VIII Suppl. 3, 20684.The inscription from the Terme del Foro. Annius Postumus is mentioned in the right half. The inscription from Algeria records the erection of a statue for Annius Postumus by his friend Horatius Marcianus. It has been argued that Annius Postumus must have been born in Saldae, and that suggestion makes perfect sense: nothing in the official career ties Postumus to Mauretania Caesariensis and Saldae, but it takes years to build up a friendship.
Tabula Peutingeriana: to the left Saldas Colonia, to the right Muslubio Horreta.
See also the atlas of Samuel Butler from 1907 and feuille 7 of the atlas of Stéphane Gsell.Saldae was a Roman port city. Pliny the Elder calls it a colonia Augusti (NH 5,20). It was founded by Augustus for veterans of the 7th legion, with the full name colonia Iulia Augusta Salditana. One inscription has the addition Ant(oniniana), a reference to an Emperor, perhaps Caracalla (CIL VIII.2, 8933). Many inscriptions have been found in the city, mentioning decuriones and the ordo, duumviri, an aedilis, a praefectus iure dicundo, and a pontifex. A bishop is attested in 484 AD.
Plan of Béjaïa. From Gsell 1911.
1. Traces of ramparts near the Fouka gate, visible in 1911.
2. Traces of ramparts demolished shortly before 1911.
3. Roman harbour.
4. Church built on top of the mosque of Sidi el Mohoub, built in turn on a Roman temple. During the construction of the church parts of granite columns were found from quarries at Cape Aokas, and an inscription recording the transfer of equestrian statues from the forum to the temple (CIL VIII.2, 8935). Four other inscriptions were found in the area: a religious dedication by a governor from the period of Diocletianus (284-305 AD; CIL VIII,2, 8924); a statue base with a dedication to Constantius Chlorus by the citizens of Saldae (293-306 AD; CIL VIII Suppl. 3, 20683); a statue base with a dedication to Constantius II by a governor (351-361 AD; CIL VIII.2, 8932); a statue base erected for a woman around 200 AD (CIL VIII.2, 8938).
5. Large ornamental mosaic in Rue Saint-Joseph, now partly in situ, partly on the floor of the church. There may have been baths here.
6. Statue base for Sextus Cornelius Dexter, patron of the colony, from the middle of the second century (CIL VIII.2, 8934). This inscription and those mentioned below may not be on their original spot.
7. Statue base for the deified Sabina, wife of Hadrian, erected by the colony (CIL VIII.2, 8929).
8. Base for a statue of Antoninus Pius (CIL VIII Suppl. 3, 20682) and a base with a dedication to the Numen of Mauretania and the Genius of baths, erected by an individual (CIL VIII.2, 8926).
9. The dedication to Annius Postumus (CIL VIII Suppl. 3, 20684).
10. Remains of cisterns. These could be filled easily because of the rainy climate.
11. Granite blocks and columns, perhaps belonging to a temple.
12. Two similar mosaics, perhaps from baths, with the head of Oceanus flanked by Nereids. One is in the town hall, the other in the museum at Algiers.
13. Cistern, fed by the Toudja aqueduct, which brought water from springs located 21 kilometers to the west. The aqueduct was built around 150 AD. A very long inscription found in Lambaesis (Tazoult, Algeria) provides much information about the construction by Nonius Datus (CIL VIII.2, 2728 with VIII Suppl. 2, 18122; English translation in Cuomo 2011). It was built partly by soldiers of a fleet (classici milites), but this should not be taken as evidence that Saldae was a naval base.
14. Depression in the terrain that has been interpreted as a circus, an amphitheatre, and a theatre. An inscription mentions ludi circenses (CIL VIII.2, 8938, see nr. 4).
15. Stacked basins fed by the aqueduct, probably post-Roman.
16. Two large cisterns.
17. Necropolis.
18. Tombs carved in the rock (one has the inscription CIL VIII.2, 8936). Burials have also been discovered near the Fouka gate (CIL VIII.2, 8940, 8966) and the Clauzel gate.
19. Demolished ruin, perhaps Roman.The local clay was very suitable for the fabrication of bricks, and these were used extensively. However, brick stamps known from Rome and Portus have also been found, from Imperial figlinae and dated to the second half of the second century (CIL VIII.2, 10475,22-23; the Imperial clay-yard of Caius Cominius Sabinianus). Apparently commodities were transported from Saldae to Ostia-Portus, and these bricks were then used as ballast for the return trip. Most likely olive oil and fish sauce were exported (for more information see the discussion of statio 48 on the Piazzale delle Corporazioni).
Porte Fouka, part of the Roman ramparts.
Photo: Wikimedia, wikinm.
The mosaic of Oceanus flanked by Nereids in the town hall.
Photo: Wikimedia, Assemblée populaire communale de Béjaïa.
SEX(to) CORNELIO
SEX(ti) F(ilio) ARN(ensi) DEXTRO
PROC(uratori) ASIAE IVRIDICO ALE
XANDREAE PROC(uratori) NEASPO
LEOS ET MAUSOLEI PRAEF(ecto)
CLASSIS SYR(iacae) DONIS MILITA
RIB(us) DONATO A DIVO HADRI
ANO OB BELLVM IVDAICVM
HASTA PVRA ET VEXILLO
PRAEF(ecto) ALAE I AVG(ustae) GEM(inae) CO
LONORVM TRIB(uno) LEG(ionis) VIII AVG(ustae)
PRAEF(ecto) COH(ortis) V RAETORVM
PRAEF(ecto) FABRVM III PATRONO
COLONIAE
P(ublius) BLAESIVS FELIX (centurio) LEG(ionis) II TRAI
{I}AN(ae) FORT(is) ADFINI PIISSIMO
OB MERITAThe statue base for Sextus Cornelius Dexter, patron of the colony.
CIL VIII.2, 8934. Louvre, inv. nr. MA2108. Photo: musée du Louvre.
The hexagonal cippus of Nonius Datus (h. 1.75), opposite the town hall of Béjaïa.
It was taken to Béjaïa in 1896 and now decorates a fountain.
Photo: Wikimedia, Alexlast1.
Drawing of the hexagonal cippus of Nonius Datus.
Image: Laporte 1994, fig. 7.
Literature:
- CIL VIII.1, 2728; VIII,2, 8923-8983; VIII.2, 10475,22-23; VIII Suppl. 2, 18122; VIII Suppl. 3, 20680-20705, 21032, 21112, 21558.
- S. Gsell, Atlas archéologique de l'Algerie, texte, Alger-Paris 1911, feuille 7, 12.
- A.E.R. Boak, "The Roman Magistri in the Civil and Military Service of the Empire", Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 26 (1915), 73-164: 76.
- J.-P. Laporte, "Les amphores de Tubusuctu et l'huile de Maurétanie césarienne", Bulletin Archéologique du Comité des Travaux Historiques et Scientifiques, NS 12-14 (1976-1978), 131-157.
- J.-P. Laporte, "Notes sur l'aqueduc de Saldae (Bougie)", L'Africa romana, 1994, 711-762.
- J.-P. Laporte, "Une inscription de Saldae (CIL VIII 8924) et la date de séparation des Maurétanies césarienne et sitifienne", L'Africa romana, 1996, 1111-1121.
- J.-P. Laporte, "Un patrimoine immatériel a redécouvrir: l'histoire antique de Saldae (Béjaia, Vgayet, Bougie)", Le patrimoine culturel immatériel amazigh: le processus d'inventaire, Béjaïa 2005, 18-45.
- S. Cuomo, "A Roman Engineer's Tales", JRS 101 (2011), 143-165.
- H. Djermoune, "Le Librator Nonius Datus et l'aqueduc de Saldae", Traces 2016.
- J.-P. Laporte, "De Cissi à Choba: ports antiques de Kabylie", Dellys, une ville des patrimoines, 2017, 17-40.
