Inscribed funerary monuments of Legio VII and the emergence of military communities in 1st century AD Dalmatia

Abstract

The Imperial Roman military consisted of a vast collection of armies and overlapping sub-communities, causing it to be a multi-layered entity. Scholars have explored its social dynamics since the 1980s, with epigraphic material – particularly of a funerary nature – providing valuable insight. The provinces of southeastern Europe, such as Dalmatia, are home to a great deal of well-catalogued archaeological and epigraphical material which could contribute to these studies, however, they are often left unconsidered in scholarship from outside the region. This paper conducts an epigraphical and archaeological analysis of the Romano-Dalmatian inscribed funerary monuments of the Seventh Legion (Legio VII Claudia pia fidelis) to study the construction of identity and community. It is demonstrated that Legio VII was home to a complex network of servicemen intersected by various social, familial, legal, and military roles, relations, and symbols, which was rejuvenated and negotiated through the textual, sculptural, and spatial dimensions of funerary monuments. Moreover, these very funerary monuments were a significant part of this network, acting as media of identity and community (re)construction and (re)negotiation. Not only does this shed light on the social dynamics of Roman military communities, but it also reinforces the image which has emerged in recent scholarship of funerary monuments as socially constructive media. Finally, this paper demonstrates the value of theoretically engaged analyses of material from, and scholarship concerning, Romano-Dalmatia.