Non coinage objects with Gaius
Caligula 's nomen are very
rare, I know of a lead pipe at the Nemi Museum. Photo 2. (Lead Pipe from
Caligula 's Nemi Ship) In 40, the emperor
Caligula visited Fectio when he was travelling to
Lugdunum. The remains of a wine barrel from his personal vinyard have been found. Some thirty years later, the fortress was destroyed during the Batavian revolt and rebuilt as base of a cavalry squadron. The river Rhine had already started to silt up, and was later to change its course.
Pottery from the kilns of the Twenty-second legion
Primigenia at Xanten belongs to this period. [i]livius.org under guidelines.[/i]
In my research for
Julio Claudian lead pipes with dates from
Tiberius to
Nero I ran across this wonderful item. It is a panel from a wine barrel with Caligulan
epigraphy!! Photo 1. Under Livius.org for photos as - "from Livius.Org, with permission". A little more about the region and the Tweny-second legion
Primigenia at Xanten belongs to this period.
This legion (and its twin XV
Primigenia) was founded by the emperor
Caligula in 39, who needed extra forces for his campaigns in
Germania. The numbers are perhaps a bit odd. Why fifteen and twenty-two? A possible explanation is that XV
Primigenia was to support the Fourteenth legion Gemina in
Germania Superior, and that XXII
Primigenia was to support XXI Rapax at Xanten in
Germania Inferior. Some sort of confirmation of this hypothesis is to be found in the fact that
Caligula was indeed interested in
Germania Inferior. He visited the Lower Rhine
area in 40, where he fortified several towns (e.g.,
Praetorium Agrippinae, Flevum, Fectio) and visited the beach of
Lugdunum with many soldiers. What happened next, is told by his biographer Suetonius: Finally, as if resolved to make war in earnest, he drew up a line of battle on the
shore of the ocean, placed his ballistas and other artillery, and, no one knowing or able to imagine what he was going to do, he all of a sudden commanded they gather sea shells and fill their helmets and pockets with them [...]. As a monument of this
victory, he erected a lofty tower, from which lights were to shine at night to guide the course of ships, as from the lighthouse of
Alexandria.
tr. J. Gavorse]
Finally, as if resolved to make war in earnest, he drew up a line of battle on the
shore of the ocean, placed his ballistas and other artillery, and, no one knowing or able to imagine what he was going to do, he all of a sudden commanded they gather sea shells and fill their helmets and pockets with them [...]. As a monument of this
victory, he erected a lofty tower, from which lights were to shine at night to guide the course of ships, as from the lighthouse of
Alexandria.
tr. J. Gavorse]
After the emperor had returned to
Rome, there was a lot of fighting in the Rhineland. The governor of
Germania Inferior, Aulus Gabinius Secundus, overcame the Chauci and recovered one of the
eagle standards that had remained in the
hands of the enemies after the battle in the Teutoburg Forest. At the same time, Servius Sulpicius
Galba (the future emperor) overcame the Chatti, who lived near Mainz. XXII
Primigenia must have been involved in one of or even both campaigns, which are dated to the
winter of 40/41.
However, the soldiers (almost all Italians) had already seen their first action before, in the neighborhood of Wiesbaden, in 39. According to our sources,
Caligula 's campaigns on the east bank of the Rhine were not really important, but archaeological finds suggest that this is not true.
On returning from the Lower Rhine
area (assuming that the new legion did indeed make the trip to the
north) in 43, the Twenty-second was stationed at Mainz in
Germania Superior, where it was to share the fortress with IIII Macedonica, which arrived from
Hispania. As XXII
Primigenia was the younger unit, it occupied the less honorable left-hand
side in the fortress, whereas the Fourth was living on the right-hand
side. The two legions also shared a production center for tiles and
pottery at Rheinzabern in the Palatinate. For full history of
Primigenia see- http://www.livius.org/le-lh/legio/xxii_primigenia.html
This can not be excavated because the Rhine has changed its course and has destroyed the castle. However, sometimes, ancient objects are found in the river. The presence of a large cemetery and a sanctuary of Hludana are ascertained. The products of the legion 's nearby kilns have been found in
Cologne, Dormagen, Neuss, the civil town of Xanten, Rindern, Nijmegen, and Vechten.
In 40, the emperor
Caligula visited Fectio when he was travelling to
Lugdunum. The remains of a wine barrel from his personal vinyard have been found. Some thirty years later, the fortress was destroyed during the Batavian revolt and rebuilt as base of a cavalry squadron. The nearby Rhine had already started to silt up, and was later to change its course.
Pottery from the kilns of the Tweny-second legion
Primigenia at Xanten belongs to this period.
For more on the Batavian Revolt by Jona Lendering see: http://www.ancient.eu.com/article/286/
Joe Geranio
NOTES AND DESCRIPTIONS
1. livius.org, with permission photo and descrpitions
2.
Caligula Lead Pipe photo from
Caligula 's ship at Lake Nemi and notes on pipe
The Romans produced suction force pumps in all types for all sea and land necessities. One of the archeological discoveries which most contributed to on/ knowledge of Roman metallurgy was the recovery of two ships of lake Nemi... These ships contained lead pipe (in the ship plumbing system), valves, pieces of equipment including a rotating table on ball bearings and several metallic objects made from various alloys of iron, copper and bronze which vary according to their intended use. The lead pipe conforms to the dimensions and norms set in Frontinus ' text... The inscriptions on the lead pipe found on the Nemi ships have done more to date the ships than the masonry trademarks... But the precise dating of the Nemi Ships based on the name of
Caligula (37 to 41 A.D.) has been established by the for fstulae found three inside the first ship and the fourth nearby with their seal G. CAESARIS AVG GERMANIC all stamped with the same die (evidenced by the imperfect impression of the C on the various pieces of pipe)... The valve found on board is according to the standards a vicenaria in perfect working condition... The rotating platform found on the Nemi ship establishes that the Romans were acquainted with and used ball-bearings. Bronze bearings fixed in place by pins were positioned around the circumference of the platform at regular intervals to permit the rotary movement scythe load. Photo and text used with permission from (by Nacleben)
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