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INSCRIBED SLING-BULLETS.
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sieged, [1]PET CVLVM OCTAVIA, i. e. pete culum Octaviani; and another, thrown by the besiegers, bears [2]LA CALVE FVLVIA CVLVM PAN, i. e. Luci Antoni calve, Fulvia, culum pandite.

6. The legionary inscriptions appear on glandes found in Picenum and also in Perusia, such as LEG·XX, L·XV, Legio vicesima, Legio quinta decima, L·V·M P·FEL, Legio quinta Macedonicæ pia felix. It is especially worthy of observation, that amongst this class are noticed some bearing epithets, which were certainly not used before the time of the Emperors—e. gr.,

L·XII
FVL

Legio duodecima fulminata, and

LEG·XXX
VV

Legio tricesima Ulpia victrix. Suspicions are at once excited as to the genuineness of glandes of this class, especially those regarding which Mommsen observes, “non reperiri apud scriptores antiquiores, eas que nuper demum emersisse omnes et maxime insinuasse se in museum Minicianum.” And yet there are some, regarding which there can be no reasonable doubt.

From the foregoing pages it appears that many of the inscriptions on the Greek and Latin sling-bullets may be read and explained without much difficulty. There are a few, however, particularly those consisting of merely initial letters, of which no probable interpretation can be offered. Of those, which are doubtful, the most remarkable is one that has frequently been found at Perusia. It is given by Mommsen, n. 657, as LVFVIASIA, or, rather, LVFVLASIA; but on comparing Ritschl’s, Pl. ix. nn. 40, 41, 42, 43, 40b, and 42b, it seems certain that the true letters are LVFINASIA, as they are clearly written in n. 41. From a reading of the portion after LV as INEMASA, De Minicis ingeniously suggested sine maza, with reference to the want of provisions in Perusia. This is, however, undoubtedly incorrect. Mommsen can offer no other explanation than that LV stands for Lucius, scil. Lucius Antonius, and


  1. Mommsen, nn. 682, 684. It is extremely difficult to decipher this inscription. The reading given above is believed to have been suggested by the accomplished epigraphist, Borghesi.
  2. See Kellerman, Virgil. Rom. n. 249.