Un specvlator al legiunii V Macedonica atestat recent în Colonia Avrelia Apvlensis
A speculator of the V Macedonica Legion recently attested in Colonia Avrelia Apvlensis

Summary/Abstract: The archaeological excavations begun in August this year in the richest Roman city of the province of Dacia, Apulum I / colonia Aurelia Apulensis, brings to light valuable information about the organization of urban life and the degree of Romanization. Numerous streets (cardines and decumani), a small square, and buildings with stone and brick walls have been uncovered over an area of more than 5,000 square meters. It is a unique opportunity to research the extent of Roman urbanism in Dacia and to preserve for forthcoming visitors the remains located in the north-eastern part of the Roman city. In this paper, we publish a votive altar bearing an inscription dedicated to the immortal gods and goddesses by an important figure, a member of the staff of the governor of the three Dacias (tres Daciae), who held the position of speculator. Aurelius Aquilinus came from those speculatores recruited among the soldiers of the V Macedonica legion, stationed in the legionary fortification at Potaissa (Turda). The consulrank governor of the three Dacias had two legions (XIII Gemina and V Macedonica) under his command, so that his staff (officium consularis) needed ten speculatores from each legion. Our speculator is the twelfth attested from the V Macedonica legion during its stay in Dacia. Chronologically, the absence of the praenomen and the nomen Aurelius leads us to a period after AD 212. According to the archaeological context, we are dealing with the last level of habitation, which can be framed in the last two or three decades of the province. Other 24 speculatores (twelve from the XIII Gemina legion, eleven from the V Macedonica legion, and one from the VII Claudia legion, but in Dacia Inferior) are attested so far in Roman Dacia.

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