Our Earliest Ancestor Found So Far!

During my research of the CorZ/CorCilius ancestry, I ran across a website on the Internet from a museum in Fossombrone, Italy. On the website was a reference to a stele in their collection bearing the inscription of C. Corcilius Spica on it.

A link to the museum in Fossombrone, Italy:
Vernarecci Civic Museum; Fossombrone, Italy -- Regarding the stele, see the last para; C. Corcilius Spica, citizen of Berua in Retia, ~2 AD.

 

In speaking with Rudolf Corzilius (Westerwald region, Germany), he was intrigued and attempted to make contact with the museum. Below is the response, along with a photograph of the stele!

 

Dear Sir,

The information that you have found in the article about the Fossombrone Civic Museum is correct. The text of the burial inscription of C. Corcilius Spica is the following: C(aio) CORCILIO L(uci) F(ilio) CLA(udia tribu) SPICAE IIIIVIR(o) I(ure) D(icundo) Q(uinquennali) BERVAE LOCVS SEPVLT(urae) PVBLICE D(ecreto) D(ecurionum). I hope that this could help you to find the origin of your name.

Very sincerly
Giancarlo Gori
(Fossombrone Civic Museum Director)

The photograph provided by Mr. Gori is below:

 

Burial Inscription
C(aio) CORCILIO L(uci) F(ilio) CLA(udia tribu) SPICAE IIIIVIR(o) I(ure) D(icundo) Q(uinquennali) BERVAE LOCVS SEPVLT(urae) PVBLICE D(ecreto) D(ecurionum).

 

Rudolf Corzilius consulted with a latin expert in Germany regarding the inscription. The analysis was, that one should use a more free translation rather than a literal one. They provided the following information:

The sequence of the names follows according to the rules: Praenomen (first name), Gentiliz (clan), Filiation (child of), Tribus (town or region), Cognomen (last or surname, 3rd name in Roman). Gentiliz = Corcilius. Tribus Claudia belongs to the old rural Tribus, this meaning that the person was a fully acknowledged citizen of the town.

IIIIviri = IVviri iure dicundo qinquennalis = correspond to the Censors in a municipal government (a Censor was something like a lawyer; Rome always had 2 Censors).

(D) D D = (Datus) Decreto Decurionum. The third D is probably missing due to the missing piece of the stone.

From this basis, the following is the 'free translation' provided:

 

Free Translation
For Caius Corcilius Spica, son of Licius, member of the tribus Claudia (a certain group of fully acknowledged roman citizens - in this case named Claudia) and of the 4-man committee of Berua, (quattuorvir iure dicundo quinquennalis - which has to be elected every five years according to the local law - iure dicundo - law of the mayor) this place of burial was dedicated. The place of burial (breave locus sepulturae - register of graves) has been assigned by a public (publice) resolution (decreto) of the town council (decorionum - 10 town councillors)

 

-- Thank you Rudolf Corzilius, I am indebted to you!

 

Home Page