2^6 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1747. 



served in Britain as auxiliaries. Tlie 1 others are printed in Horsley's Britannia 

 Romana, Northumb. N° xcivi?. Durh. xxvi. We find troops of several nations 

 to have been here on the same occasion, as Cohors prima, secunda, &c. Bata- 

 vorum, Dacomm, Nerviorum, Tungrorum, Delmatarum, Thracum, &c. 



This cohort of the Vardul is entitled fida, a very common appellation ; and 

 moreover creo®anonnana ; the last letters of which he separates, and reads 

 without inserting a singe letter antoniniana, thus, aktoiIiIana. Nothing is 

 so frequent in inscriptions, as this compendiary way of writing antoninvs, and 

 its derivatives. 



On l^is hint therefore he is persuaded, that when the stone is next inspected, 

 these little apices will appear, which are easily overlooked, when this brief man- 

 ner of writing is not expected or attended to. 



In regard to the appellation Antoniniana, it is observable of the ancient mi- 

 litia, that several of their cohorts and legions, as well Roman as provincial, com- 

 plimented themselves with the imperial surname, of which Dr. T. produces some 

 instances. 



But the imperatorial addition antoniniana is perhaps the most frequent of 

 any, as the name of Antoninus was assumed by a long series of emperors ; as in 

 several instances here produced. 



What remains to be accounted for, is creo®. Which letters if any one 

 should compare with Horsley's Durham inscription, N° xxvi., where mention is 

 made of the same Varduli, he will find a very strong resemblance ; and be apt 

 to conclude, that what explains the one, will bid very fair to explain the other. 



CR then he takes to be distinct marks, and expressive of Civium Romanorum. 

 And of this he finds little room to doubt, when he observed the same marks ap- 

 plied to several corps, who were as strictly provincial as our Varduli, such as 

 Afri, Asturienses, &c. 



The freedom of the city had been for some time before this a regular reward 

 for the fidelity of the provinces, or any other military or civil merit. The famous 

 oration of the emperor Claudius, or the act for incorporating the people of Vienne 

 in Gaul (a large fragment of which is preserved in Gruter, p. dii.) is a remark- 

 able instance of what is advanced, avio. ergo. non. italicvs. senator, 



PROVINCIALI. potior? EST. lAM. VOBIS. CVM. HANC. PARTEM. CENSURE. 

 MEiE. APPROBARE. CCEPERO. aVID. DE. EA. RE. SENTIAM. REBVS. OSTENDAM. 

 SED. NE. PROVINCIALES. ftVIDEM. SI. MODO. ORNARE. CVRIAM. POTERINT. RE- 



piciENDOS. pvTo. For SO the last words must be emended, as they have been 

 restored by Reinesius and Graevius. 



Afterwards, probably a little before the date of our inscription, which is near 

 the end of the reign of Caracalla, came the general constitution of that em- 

 peror; the memoiy of which being fresh, might probably occasion the insertion 



