GALLIA ROMANA

Database of texts and images
Of Gallo-Roman antiquities (15th-17th centuries)

Notice

Ville Grenoble (Isère, 38)
Subject(s) Porte Viennoise
 
Author(s) Gölnitz, Abraham
  Geographer and cartographer from Danzig (15.. ?–16.. ?)
Resource type Printed book
Date 1631
Inscription
References Gölnitz 1631, pp. 422-423
Bibliography

Macé 1858 ; Chatel 1990, pp. 17-24 ; Michel 1999, p. 53 n° 15, 110-115 ; Lemerle 2005, pp. 34-35, 84
Remarks

The two city gates constructed by Diocletian and Maximian carried identical inscriptions, with the exception of the names of the gates, indicated at the end, which corresponded with the the two emperors' agnomens: 'Jovia' (Jupiter) was Diocletian's agnomen, 'Herculea' (Hercules) was Maximian's: DN IMP CAES CAIVS AVREL VALERIVS DIOCLETIANVS P F INVICTVS AVGVSTVS ET IMP CAESAR MARCVS AVREL VALERIVS MAXIMIANVS PIVS FELIX INVICTVS AVG MVRIS CVLARONENSIBVS CVM INTERIORIBVS AEDIFICIIS PROVIDENTIA SVA INSTITVTIS ADQVE PERFECTIS PORTAM VIENNENSEM HERCVLEAM VOCARI IVSSERVNT (CIL, XII, n° 2229) = “Our masters the Emperor Caesar Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, pious, lucky, invincible august, and the Emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius Maximianus, pious, lucky, invincible, august, thanks to whose foresight the walls of Cularo and the buildings within them were constructed, ordained that the Roman gate should be called 'Herculea'”.
Transcription 

« Altera dicta Viennensis Herculana, Maxi[423]miano dedicata, qui Hercule se non inferiorem existimabat : Ejus hæc inscriptio :
DD. NN. Impp. Cæs. Cajus Aurel. Valerius Diocletianus P. P. invictus, Aug. & Imp. Cæsar Marc. Aurel. Valerius Maximianus, pius, felix, invictus, Aug. muris Cularonensibus cum interioribus ædificiis providentia sua institutis atque perfectis, portam Viennensem, Herculeam vocari jusserunt. »
= “The other [gate] is called 'Viennensis Herculana'. It is dedicated to Maximian, who did not esteem himself inferior to Hercules. It bears the following inscription:
DD. NN. Impp. Cæs. Cajus Aurel. Valerius Diocletianus P. P. invictus, Aug. & Imp. Cæsar Marc. Aurel. Valerius Maximianus, pius, felix, invictus, Aug. Muris Cularonensibus cum interioribus ædificiis providentia sua institutis atque perfectis, portam Viennensem, Herculeam vocari jusserunt.”