03-05-2007, 05:44 PM
Quote:Most probably Abinneus was christian, anyway don't forget the Solar monoteism of Deus Sol Inuictus/Helios/Mithra was still very diffused and confused with the christian worship,
True, but in this circumstance the approach is typically Christian.
More, the first surviving line of the letter :
"[...] a drink of water to one of these little ones shall not lose his reward"
is from Mark's Gospel (ix 41-42), quite an unusual reference to New Testament.
Quote: I read this in a more private way - the referral to the family relation and the religious connection makes me think that the writer knew the commander in one way or another
Very good point.
The author of this letter is unknown, but the editors of the collection suggest that this might come from Mios, author of 3 more letters to Abinnaeus from the archive.
In all his 3 other letters Mios treats Abinnaeus as an equal, and he is one of the two only authors to address Abinnaeus as "beloved brother", a Christian type of greeting.
Since the other one is a priest, it is quite likely that this Mios is a local ecclesiastical dignitary too.
It is clear from the other letters they exchanged, that Abinnaeus and Mios had to deal with each other about many different issues, so they certainly knew each other well, at least at an official level, and it sounds plausible that Mios at a certain point decides to ask Abinnaeus for such a personal favour.
Valete
Iuppiter Optimus Maximus resistere atque iterare pugnam iubet
(Liv. I.12)
Tiberius Claudius Nero
a.k.a. Carlo Sansilvestri
CONTUBERNIUM
SISMA - Società Italiana per gli Studi Militari Antichi
(Liv. I.12)
Tiberius Claudius Nero
a.k.a. Carlo Sansilvestri
CONTUBERNIUM
SISMA - Società Italiana per gli Studi Militari Antichi