Funerary inscription of Indus, a bodyguard of Nero
AE 1952, 148.
54—68 C.E.
Travertine.
Height 2.15 m, width 0.79 m, depth 0.31 m. Height of the letters 3,5—7,5 sm. Inv. No. 125660.Rome, Roman National Museum, Baths of DiocletianPhoto by Ilya Shurygin

Funerary inscription of Indus, a bodyguard of Nero.

AE 1952, 148.
54—68 C.E.
Travertine.
Height 2.15 m, width 0.79 m, depth 0.31 m. Height of the letters 3,5—7,5 sm.
Inv. No. 125660.

Rome, Roman National Museum, Baths of Diocletian
(Roma, Museo nazionale romano, Terme di Diocleziano).

Origin:
Rome, Via Portuense, 2 km from Porta Portese.
Description:
AE 1952, 148

Indus,
Neronis Claudi
Caesaris Aug(usti)
corpor(is) custos,
5dec(uria) Secundi,
natione Batavus,
vix(it) ann(os) XXXVI. H(ic) s(itus) e(st).
Posuit
Eumenes frater
10et heres eius ex collegio
Germanorum.

Indus, a bodyguard of Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus, of Secundus’ decuria, of the the nation of Bataves, lived for 36 years. He lies here. Eumenes, his brother and heir from the association of Germans, erected (this gravestone).

Funerary steles of soldiers and bodyguards of Nero

The funerary steles are dedicated to soldiers of different corps stationed in Rome: the Praetorian Guard «the imperial guard» and the urbaniciani or cohortes urbanae troops of the police force. The series ends with the steles of Nero’s Imperial German Bodyguard — Germani corporis custodes — who were so called because they were originally recruited from the robust northern populations. Slaves at the time of Augustus, during the Neronian period the custodes were classed as free foreigners with a military-style organisation but without ever attaining the status of a real military force.

Involved in the death of Nero, they were dissolved by Galba.

Travertine from various areas of Rome and suburbs and the Via Portuensis. Neronian period (54—68 AD).

Museum label
Literature:
Scerrato U. XVIII. Roma (Via Portuense). — Cippi sepolcrali di «corporis custodes» // NSA. №4. 1950. P. 88.
AE 1952, 148
Gordon A. E. Album of Dated Latin Inscriptions. Vol. 1. Berkeley; Los Angeles, 1958. Nr. 121.
Helbig W., Speier H. Führer durch die öffentlichen Sammlungen klassischer Altertümer in Rom. Bd. 3. Tübingen, 1969. S. 100—101, № 2179.
Priuli S. Museo Nazionale Romano. I. Le sculture. Vol. 7. 1. Roma, 1984. P. 115—116, nr. 29a.
Kolb A., Fugmann J. Tod in Rom. Grabinschriften als Spiegel roemischen Lebens. Mainz am Rhein, 2008. S. 83—85. № 17.
Credits:
© 2015. Photo: Ilya Shurygin.
© Text of the inscription: Epigraphic Database Roma.
© Commentary: Museum label.
© 2017. Translation: Olga Lyubimova.
THE GALLERY OF ANCIENT ART
Keywords: epigraphia epigraphy inscription iscrizione epigrafia epigraphik epigrafik inschrift épigraphie roman romano romana romani römisch römische romaine gravestone funerary inscriptions epitaph in pietra tombale epitaffio grabstein-inschrift de pierre épitaphe indus neronis claudi caesaris augusti corporis custos decuria secundi natione batavus vixit annos xxxvi hic situs est posuit eumenes frater et heres eius ex collegio germanorum emperor nero bodyguard decurio secundus heir brother germans travertine ae 1952 148 inv no 125660
History of Ancient Rome