Ancient Greek Inscriptions

Letters in ligature:
1 πο;
5 τρ;
8 ου (ΚΕΝΘΟΥ);
9 με, με;
10 ων, ντ.
Apparatus:
The text of the inscription follows the edition of Sharankov.
1-2 For the lost beginning of the text, Sharankov suggests [Ἀγαθῆι τύχηι. | Τὸν ἀγωνοθέτην | τῶν πρώτων Πυθί]|ων or [... τῶν πρώτων Πυθί|ων Κενδρεισί]|ων.
2 The abbreviated praenomen Πό(πλιον) is placed between dots.
3 The initial Ι in Ἰουλιανόν is larger.
7 The diaeresis in Κεν|δρεισηΐς is marked with two dots above the iota: ΣΗΪΣ.
8 The abbreviated nomen Αὐρ(ηλίου) is marked with a curved line above the rho and a dot after it.
9 The abbreviated nomen Αὐρ(ηλίου) is placed between dots.
10 The abbreviated nomen Αἰλ(ίου) is marked with a dot after it.

Publius Virdius Iulianus belonged to the equestrian family of the Virdii (cf. IGBulg 1144+1170, IGBulg 1174, and IGBulg 1454). His early career was as a lower officer, described with the phrase ἀπὸ στρατείας, corresponding to the Latin "a militiis", apparently without reaching to the military tribunate. His two sons had longer military careers and both reached the rank of military tribune (tribunus militum, χ(ε)ιλίαρχος in Greek). They could be identified with Publius Virdius Iulianus Junior (Πόπλιος Οὐίρδιος Ἰουλιανὸς νέος, χειλίαρχος), a military tribune also honoured with a statue in the theatre, IGBulg V, 5468; and Publius Virdius Bassus, "a militiis" (Πόπλιος Οὐίρδιος Βάσσος, ἀπὸ στρατείαν), in IGBulg 1144+1170.

Publius Virdius Iulianus was probably honoured as agonothete, since the statue base was placed next to another statue base for an agonothete of the games organized by the Thracian Common Council in Philippopolis (AE 2005, 1383). This suggestion is supported by the inscription IGBulg 1040, where the name of one of the agonothetes can be restored as that of Virdius Iulianus: [ἀγωνο]θετού[ντων Πο. Οὐι]ρδίου Ἰου[λιανοῦ] καὶ Αὔλου [---], "when Publius Virdius Iulianus and Aulus --- were agonothetes".

Cendriseis is one of the ten tribes (phylai) of Roman Philippopolis; its name is attested also in an inscription on a seat in the theatre (IGBulg 5412) as well as on another statue base (IGBulg 886). The name of the Cendriseis tribe is connected with the main deity of Philippopolis Apollo Cendrisus/Cendrisenus. On the tribes of Philippopolis and their officials, see the comments to the honorary inscription IGBulg 5397 erected by the Artemisias tribe. For other honorary inscriptions by the tribes of Philippopolis see IGBulg 888 and IGBulg 5468.

Τhe inscription is dated by the name of the legal representative (ἔκδικος) of the tribe. The same means of dating was used in IGBulg 902, IGBulg 903, IGBulg 5433 (Artemisias tribe) and IGBulg 5468 (Eumolpeis tribe).

The cognomen Rhebucenthus suggests the Thracian origin of the ἔκδικος, while the nomen Aurelius indicates that he probably became Roman citizenship in AD 212 with the constitutio Antoniniana. The curator Apollonides also bears the nomen Aurelius (and a cognomen of Greek origin), but the nomen of his father Aelius Valens indicates that the latter (or one of his predecessors) was apparently granted Roman citizenship under Emperor Hadrian or Antoninus Pius (117-161 AD); the Roman cognomen Valens, which was rather frequent among soldiers, could point to a veteran.

Sharankov, Nicolay. Statue-bases with Honorific Inscriptions from Philippopolis. In: Archaeologia Bulgarica Vol. 9/2, 2005, p. 55-71, Vol.. 62-63, Nr. 3, .