A Roman Bronze Measure (sextarium) with Military Inscription and Comments on Similar Inscriptions

Abstract

Starting point of this contribution is the reconstruction of the fragmentary inscription on a damaged small bronze vessel. It can be shown that it is a Roman measure, a probed sextarium of a 3rd legion. Its volume is nearly equivalent to the theoretical Roman sextarius (546 cl). As there are only very few other sextarium-bronze cups preserved, this item remains of great significance. We can assume that it was used within the 3rd legion for the allocation of food, especially wine and grain.Furthermore, the author suggests new readings of the inscriptions on a 4th century sextarium from Naissus (modern Niš) and on a sextarium from Cyrene in North Africa.

Keywords

• roman measures
• sextarius
• legio iii
• inscriptions on measures
• naissus
• cyrene
• roma ölçüleri
• sextarius
• iii. legio
• ölçümler hakkında yazıtlar
• naissus
• kyrene