Find Spot record MLI98578 - Roman Altar Fragment from near Marton

Summary

A Roman stone inscription from an altar to Mars

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Full Description

A Roman stone inscription from an altar to Mars. The text reads: MARTI SANC TO SACRUM C. IVL ANTO NINUS MIL [LE]G XI CL [E]X VOTO POSV VIT The Latin abbreviations in the inscription can be expanded to give the Latin text Marti Sancto Sacrum Caius Iulius Antoninus miles legionis XI Claudiae ex voto posuuit, which translates as ‘Sacred to holy Mars, Caius Iulius Antoninus, a soldier in the legion XI Claudia, set this up in fulfilment of his vow’. This inscription is said to have been found in Marton parish in 2001. This find was recorded at Retford Museum [not Lincoln as stated in Source 1] in May 2001 but no further publication of the find was made at the time. It was recorded as having been found on the north side of the track that runs from Marton to the River Trent. This track follows the boundary of Marton and Gate Burton parishes This would suggest that the inscription was found on the site of the known Roman roadside settlement at Marton on Till Bridge Lane on the Lincolnshire side of the Roman ford that crossed the Trent to the Roman town of Segelocum on the western bank of the river. {1}{2} The legion XI Claudia Pia Fidelis was never stationed in Britain. It was one of the legions that guarded Rome’s northern frontier and, from the beginning of the second century onwards, served on the Danube. There are no other inscriptions mentioning this legion in Britain. There is an error in the text as ‘posuuit’ should read ‘posuit’, and it is also unusual that the full name of the legion is not given in the inscription. Consequently, this might be considered unlikely to be a Romano-British inscription and further research would be needed to establish its authenticity. {3}

Sources/Archives (3)

  •  Article in Serial: 2012. 'Auction round-up' in Treasure Hunting. Dec.2012, p.35.
  •  Index: Retford Museum. Retford Museum Identification Cards. Roman Altar Fragment, Marton, Lincs, 03/05/2001.
  •  Verbal Communication: Mark Bennet. 2012. Information from Mark Bennet. 12/11/2012.

Map

Location

Grid reference SK 8332 8225 (point) Estimated from sources
Civil Parish GATE BURTON, WEST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE
Civil Parish MARTON, WEST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Events/Activities (1)

External Links (0)

Record last edited

Mar 21 2021 8:35PM

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