Marcus Caelius

Not to be confused with Marcus Caelius Rufus.

Marcus Caelius
Marcus Caelius (center) as portrayed in his cenotaph
Bornc. March 45 BC
Bononia (Bologna, Italy)
Diedc. September AD 9 (aged 52–53+1⁄2)
Kalkriese, Germania
AllegianceRoman Empire
BranchRoman Army
RankPrimus pilus
UnitXVIII Roman Legion
Battles / warsRoman campaigns in Germania (12 BC – AD 16)
RelationsTitus Caelius (father)
Publius Caelius (brother)
Thiaminus Caelius (freedman)
Privatus Caelius (freedman)

Marcus Caelius (c. March 45 BC – c. September AD 9) was the senior centurion (Primus pilus) in XVIII Roman Legion who was killed in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest.[1] He is known from his cenotaph, which was discovered in 1620 in Birten (now a part of Xanten), Germany.[2] Caelius is depicted wearing his military uniform, with phalerae (a type of military decoration), armillae (a type of bracelet), and a corona civica (an award for saving a fellow citizen's life), while in his right hand, he holds a vitis (carried by all centurions). On either side of his image are his freedmen (non-combatant servants), Privatus and Thiaminus; both of whom perished in the battle.

The tombstone's lower left corner is damaged, but enough survives to determine that the text below the image once read:

M[ARCO] CAELIO T[ITI] F[ILIO] LEM[ONIA TRIBV] BON[ONIA]

P[RIMVS] O[RDO] LEG[IONIS] XIIX ANN[ORVM] LIII S[EMISSIS]

[CE]CIDIT BELLO VARIANO OSSA

[HVC] INFERRE LICEBIT P[UBLIVS] CAELIVS T[ITI] F[ILIVS]

LEM[ONIA TRIBV] FRATER FECIT

English translation:

To Marcus Caelius, son of Titus, of the Lemonian district, from Bologna,

first centurion of the eighteenth legion. 53+1⁄2 years old.

He fell in the Varian War.

His freedman's bones may be interred here. Publius Caelius, son of Titus,

of the Lemonian district, his brother, erected (this monument)."[2]

The tombstone can today be found in the Rheinisches Landesmuseum in Bonn.[3]

References

  1. ^ Goldsworthy, Adrian (2003). The Complete Roman Army. London: Thames & Hudson. p. 49. ISBN 0-500-05124-0.
  2. ^ a b "Marcus Caelius". livius.org. September 2010. Archived from the original on 8 March 2010.
  3. ^ "The battle in the Teutoburg Forest". Livius.org. Retrieved 5 March 2015.