This distinguished Roman has been identified, in recent years, with the owner of a princely establishment the remains of which were brought to light in 1878 by some chance excavations that were being made near the village of Oued-Atmenia, on the old Roman road between Setif and Constantine. At a depth of between five and seven feet from the surface, the walls of an extensive range of buildings, with detached pavilions and numerous enclosures, were revealed. So clearly were the buildings defined, and so perfect was the mosaic flooring, that M. Martin, an architect, was deputed to measure the ruins and prepare drawings of the mosaics. After careful examination it was found that these were the remains of the Baths attached to the country seat of Pompeianus, whose official residence was at Carthage. The arrangement of the Baths does not need any special description. The apartments were not large, but the fittings were of a sumptuous character, coloured marbles. and mosaics being freely used. The mosaic floors deserve special notice on account of their pictorial character, two of them representing the stables and racehorses of this princely governor, while others depict in a realistic manner the daily life and amusements of their owner and the costume of the period. The position of the stables represented in mosaic has been ascertained at a distance of 130 yards from the Baths. The breeding and training of Numidian horses were much encouraged by the Emperors, perhaps in painful recognition of the wonderful exploits of the wild cavalry, unbridled and unsaddled, that more than once secured victory to Hannibal during the second Punic war. To the Carthaginians, or rather to her Numidian mercenaries, Rome was indebted for all her knowledge of the horse and its rider; and the institution of various kinds of chariot races, not only in Rome but in every large town of the Empire, drew the attention of such wealthy men as Pompeianus to the pecuniary and other advantages of a breeding establishment. Some thirty years ago an inscribed stone bearing on this subject was unearthed in Rome. deciphered by M. Renan, and was the subject of a paper read Ann. de Const. 1878-80 for a graphic description of these remarkable mosaics by M. A. Poulle. The four drawings, prepared under the direction of M. Martin, have been admirably reproduced in chromolithography. These can be purchased in Paris and are well worthy of study. by him in Rome before the Société des Inscriptions et BellesLettres in November 1878. It commemorates the victories in the hippodrome at Rome, A D. 115-124, of one Crescens, a Moor aged twenty-two, and how during a period of ten years he succeeded, with four horses named Circus, Acceptus, Delicatus, and Cotynus, in gaining prizes of the value of 1,556,346 sesterces, equal to 12,500l. Crescens, the charioteer, was evidently the favourite of the day, occupying a position in the racing world similar to that acquired by so many successful jockeys of our own time, and running the horses of some great proprietor like Pompeianus of Oued-Atmenia. Were it not for the date of the inscription, one might be tempted to suggest that the charioteer referred to on the inscribed stone was identical with the personage represented in the pictorial mosaic. We have in the latter one Cresconius as the chief charioteer, and we have also the horse Delicatus tethered by himself as a favourite animal. The mosaic in the Calidarium is divided into four parts representing the horses and stables. In the first there is a pavilion within an enclosure; there are the stables and apartments for grooms and charioteers, the name of the proprietor being written above the central edifice; and below, in two divisions, are six horses covered with horsecloths and attached to four separate mangers. Altus, unequalled for strength, who can leap as high as the mountains, is tethered to the same manger as Pullentianus, the stallion; then comes Delicatus, the elegant one; and below are Polydoxus, the glorious one, who, whether he wins or loses, is still beloved, tethered with Titas, the giant; and in the corner stands Scholasticus, the learned one, apart and by himself as a philosopher should be. In the doorway leading to the Sudatorium is an inscription which is difficult to translate: Incredula Venila Benefica. In this latter chamber is a mosaic in two compartments. In the upper one three pavilions are represented, and in the foreground a lady is seated in a high-backed chair under a palm-tree, a fan in her right hand and a pet dog beside her, in charge of a servant who protects his mistress from the rays of the sun by an umbrella in his left hand. Above is written Filoso Filolocus, probably from filum, a thread, this part of the garden being reserved for ladies as a place for sewing. In the lower compartment is a representation of a park enclosed with a hedge and a fence supported by strong stakes. This is the Septum Venationis, as it is written, and, consequently, two hounds are represented giving chase to three gazelles. In the angles are circular basins in which are fish and aquatic plants, and in a corner appears the word Pecuarilocus, showing that Pompeianus, much as he loved horses and hunting, had tastes also for cattle and the products of the soil. The mosaic on the floor of the atrium is divided into three compartments by a rich framework of flowers, the central one giving a view of the house, having several stories and numerous windows. Attached to the house is a tower surmounted by a balcony or awning, designated in the mosaic as Saltuarii Janus. The roofs of the buildings are covered with square red tiles in patterns, and chimneys or pipes appear above the ridge. There are indications also of chimneys above the parapet of the principal pavilion. In the lower divisions Pompeianus himself is depicted as directing a stag-hunt, and the huntsmen, Cresconius, Argentium, Cessonius, and Neambas-the first mounted on the horse Vernacel-with lances in hand, are in full pursuit, preceded by the dogs Fidelis and Castus. In attendance are Liber and Diaz, the latter from Iberia, but both having their mantles thrown back, Spanish fashion, over the left shoulder. The two end compartments of the design seem to indicate a representation of the close of the day's sport. The chase is over, and the huntsmen are invited to repose, conjuring up visions of attendant houris clothed in gorgeous raiment. Such might have been the intention of the artist in delineating the forms and features of six Asiatic ladies with bejewelled arms and necks, quaintly attired, and with an extravagance of head-dress that would puzzle a coiffeur of our own times. According to M. Tissot, these indescribable females may have been pictorial representations of Numidian female divinities. This remarkable series of mosaics gives some insight into Roman life and customs in North Africa at the close of the fourth century, and bears striking testimony to the peaceful condition of the country in the declining years of the Empire. Sixteen centuries have passed since Pompeianus presided over this lordly retreat, as a patron of the turf and a lover of sport in all its aspects. A few years after his decease the disturbing influence of the invading Vandals must have rendered the maintenance of such an establishment an absolute impossibility, and one can picture the lifework of this distinguished Roman neglected, abandoned, and finally becoming a mere hunting-ground for Vandal or Byzantine, Arab or Moor. Honorius takes rank as a long-ruling Emperor, sharing the distinction with Augustus and Constantine. For the last fourteen years of his reign he was associated with the youthful son of his brother Arcadius, bearing the name of Theodosius II. Their joint rule was not marked by any disturbing events in North Africa, except the slight rising already referred to, and consequently the inscriptions bearing their names are mostly of a complimentary character. At Kalama, for instance, a dedication commences with the customary phraseology, Beatissimis temporibus dominorum nostrorum Honori et Theodosi semper et ubique vincentium,' and at Bisica the wording of an inscription bears testimony to a sense of tranquillity and contentment during their reign.2 POLLENTES IN FINE IMPERIO D D N N HONORI ET THEODOSI PPS IMP AVG Pollente sine fine imperio dominorum nostrorum Honori et Theodosi perpetuorum semper imperatorum Augustorum administrante feliciter Innodio, viro clarissimo, amplissimo proconsule provincia Africa vice sacra judicante cum Firmo viro clarissimo legato suo permittente Hilario vices agente prætorio Africæ . . . . cum straturis. Theodosius II., as the successor of his father, who ruled over the Eastern provinces of the Empire, took no part in African affairs, although he may be credited with the postponement of the invasion of the country by Vandals. This was effected by bribes and promises. When the former failed and the latter had no prospect of fulfilment, Theodosius was powerless. The invaders crossed the Straits, crept along the southern shores of the Mediterranean, and before twelve years had passed by, Genseric their king was firmly established on the throne at Carthage. With Valentinian III., son-in-law of Theodosius, the family of Theodosius came to an end, and with the fall of the 'C.I.L. No. 5341. 2 C.I.L. No. 1358. given is by Wilmanns. De la Mare, Explor. tab. 181. This inscription is not very legible. The interpretation dynasty the Empire fell too. North Africa has no record of the career of this last of Roman princes, although his name appears on two imperfect inscriptions in the form of dedications to the joint Emperors. Inscriptions terminate also, bringing to a close the series of historic memorials which had continued uninterruptedly to mark the development and success of the colony of North Africa during a period of nearly 600 years. A century elapses before these faithful records of national life begin to appear again in somewhat consecutive form. In the interval the Vandals have been swept away, leaving behind them nothing but marks of ruin and destruction. Petty kings, or rather chiefs of the more powerful native tribes, aided by bands of mercenary adventurers, have established themselves in the mountain strongholds, much in the same way as the Kabyles of our own day have acquired a semblance of authority over large tracts of fertile country not easy of access. These little kings have left a record of their presence on several slabs that have been brought to light. The inscription given on page 281, relating to Masuna rex gentium Maurorum et Romanorum, may be cited as the most perfect, the date being A.D. 468. Any reference to later memorials is beyond the scope of this outline of Roman African history, but inscriptions commence once more in the renowned days of Justinian and Theodora (A.D. 534-565), when the Byzantine dynasty was asserting its supremacy, and they terminate for ever under Constans II., who closed an uneventful career A.D. 668. The last of the imperial dedications in Africa appears on a large block of white marble, which served as a lintel to the entrance-door of a Christian basilica at Thamugas, and is of the reign of Heraclius II. or Constans II. The wording runs thus: In temporibus Constantini (i.e. Heraclii II. or Constantis II.) Imperatoris Bel Gregorio patricio, Joannis, dux de Tigisi, offeret domum Dei Armenus. Gregorius was the exarch or governor of Africa, whose remarkable career has been already referred to in the description of Sufetula on page 124. 1 C.I.L. No. 2389. Some doubt has been expressed as to the meaning of the word Bel. Wilmanns is of opinion that it is an abbreviation of Bellicio. Renier and others read the letters Fl. (Flavio), I.R.A. No. 1518. Tigisis was on the slopes of the Aurès mountains, not far from Lambesis and Thamugas. |