Archaeological Journal/Volume 2/Notices of New Publications: Roman antiquities found at Caerleon, (the ancient Isca Silurum,)

 

Roman antiquities found at Caerleon, (the ancient Isca Silurum,) By John Edward Lee. London, 1845.

At Caerleon in Monmouthshire was, as is well known, one of the most important of the Roman stations in this country, it was occupied by the 2nd legion, and called Isca Augusta, or Isca Silurum, the term Isca being preserved in the modern name of the river Usk. The ruins of the Roman city were considerable enough in the twelfth century to attract the notice of Giraldus Cambrensis, who speaks of the walls of temples, palaces, theatres, and hypbcausts, as yet remaining in his time. These great architectural features have nearly all disappeared, but the plan of the ancient city may still be traced, and within the walls, in the suburbs, and in the neighbourhood, many very interesting objects have of late years been found.

In the work before us these antiquities have been delineated by Mr. Lee with the most praiseworthy care and fidelity. The first six plates contain fragments of the so called Samian ware. These pieces are drawn on such a scale as to enable us to discern the character and motive of the figures and ornaments with which the surfaces are relieved; in his preface the author fears that what he has here copied may be thought of insignificant interest, but we do not think such remains are things to be overlooked, or slightingly examined. From the careful comparison of the specimens of this kind of ware in different parts of the Roman empire, of their fashion and fabric, and of the potters' names found on them, the question as to their age and place of manufacture will be more nearly ascertained, while the compositions represented on them will be found to illustrate that later mythology which we trace in all its strange combinations on the sarcophagi, tesselated pavements and coins of imperial times. The materials for a work on Roman pottery are abundant; many fragments found in different provinces occupied by the Romans have been of late years published, see Dr. Joseph Emele, Beschreibung Römischer und Deutscher Alterthümer in dem Gebiete der Provinz Rheinhessen, Mainz, 1825. Tabb. 1, 2, 3, 31, 32, for vessels of this ware, and also for potters' names, Artis, Durobrivæ of Antoninus, Pl. 46, 48, 50, 52, and the works we have quoted in the notice of Mr. Well-beloved's York. Plates xv, and xvi. contain a number of ornaments and implements, among which may be particularly noted, Plate xv. fig. 5, a fibula of very late time, which has been covered with blue glass, and is pierced with four apertures, in form something like the late representations of the pelta, or Amazonian shield; Plate xvi. figs. 6, 8, two other specimens of enamel, one a fibula with a cruciform pattern, the other a stud with a flower of several colours; and fig. 21, a perforated oval bead, formed of a tube of concentric coatings of glass, the colours of the coatings being successively purple, white, red, white and green, and the ends of the tube having been bevelled off in facettes, so as to shew the colours. Another of these beads is engraved in Douglas, Nenia Britannica, Plate xxxi. fig. 7; the reliefs on the Portland vase were, it is well known, produced by grinding away the upper coating of glass in a similar manner.

Several other beads are engraved in this plate, figg. 17, 18, 19, and 20, which are generally found only with British remains, but which are met with among Roman antiquities, and in Roman stations, at Caerleon as Mr. Lee here records, and at Castor in Northamptonshire, as is stated by Mr. Artis, Durobrivæ, Plate xli. figg. 20, 23. A great number of Roman coins have been found at Caerleon, a very full list of which is given in the work before us: they are chiefly in silver and third brass, and range through the whole period of Roman occupation from Vespasian to Arcadius, when the legions were finally withdrawn. The most interesting among them is a silver Carausius, with the type of Venus Victrix, and the legend, Venvs VI. . . .

In Pl. XVIII is represented an inscribed monument with an arched niche, in which two figures are standing, one nearly effaced, the other pouring a libation from a patera on an altar: this figure is an interesting specimen of late costume, part of the drapery is folded in a belt-like form and brought twice round the body, its arrangement is analogous to that of the garment which has been variously called læna, lorum, and subarmale. See the instances cited, Ancient Marbles in the British Museum, Pt. X., in the description of a bust of Gordianus Africanus, and particularly the full length statue of a youth, engraved, Leplat, Marbres de Dresde, Pl. xi. Below the arched niche in this monument, is an inscription stating that Cornelius Castus and Julius Belisimnus and their wives erected it to Fortuna and Bonus Eventus.

We regret that our space does not here permit us to do more than glance at the contents of this volume, and that we must defer till our next number the notice of the unedited inscriptions, published by Mr. Lee, which have been copied with the greatest accuracy, and are some of them very interesting, not only from their contents but as specimens of late palæography.