The great Gallic league. J Dassié. Page11.

MILESTONE OF "ROM" C.I.L. N° 8928 / 433

Localities indicated
LIMONNUUM
FINES
Position limits
Modern name
Poitiers (bridge on Clain)
Aulnay
Rom
Displayed units: L(eugas)
XVI
XX

Distance if LR = 2222 m
35,6 km
44,4 km
0 km
Distance if LG = 2450 m
39,2 km
49,0 km
0 km
Curvimetric distance
38,7 km
49,2 km

0 km
Results:
Agreement
Agreement

leagues of 2450 m

leagues of 2450 m

Milestone of Chadenac, Maritime, Charente.

Milliary column of Claude, known since 1863. Its inscription is partially erased and one can read XXIV there /, a number followed by an interpreted vertical haste as pertaining to M. A recent reading is given by ILA N° 114 (Bib.). " the milestone of Chadenac marked the 24e mile = 35,5 km, since Saintes ".

We can propose another explanation:

1° No other inscription of terminal indicates values in miles in all this area. It probably represents what seems well to be th eabsolutely majority rule : Gallic leagues. The confirmation is brought to us from there by the study of the topographic remanence which makes it possible to locate this milliary column with the passage of this way on the "Mortier" (little river) and to recognize metric undeniable approximately 2415 meters.

2° The real distance would be of 24 +/- 0,5 = 34,8 to 36,3 km, if the unit were in miles. The curvimetric distance, on map 1/25000e, is 32,700 km since the bridge on "Mortier " to the oppidum of "Saintes". The difference is too significant so that one can admit that they are miles.

3° As on much the milliary ones of Poitou, where the only provided indication is the distance from Fines, the vertical haste (if it is indeed a haste) can as well belong to a F. Héron de Villefosse,in 1880, sees A or M there, (Sénillou, Bib.), why not a F which presents the same starter of median bar that has? But it could not be that the starter of a new destination, having nothing to do with figure XXIV.

4° Incertitude of interpretation of the oblique haste which follows the Roman number XXIV.

We studied the reports/ratios of position between origin or destination of the way, indication of the type of units and indications of distances for 16 regional milliary columns. The provisions can be represented in three principal forms :

                       
C.I.L. 8906
Biozat
ARVERN L XVIV
Numbers located after the indication.
C.I.L. 8922
Alichamps
AVAR L XIIII MED L XII. NER . L XXV
At the end of the each group .
C.I.L. 8938
Antigny

FINE LIM

VII XIV

Numbers located below the indications.

On no acount, the indication of distance is followed of an indicative sign of the unitused or destination of the way. The examples above show that the XXIV could not relate to a destination which would have followed it , but more surely in the preceding term , erased. The haste, it could possibly belong to a second group destination-distance, also unobtrusive. This group could logically relate to Civitas . If one admits this assumption , and as the milliary columns of Poitou often mention the distance from Fines , one can suppose that the supplemented line could have been written as follows:

Fin (es) XXIV MED XIII

 

MILESTONE OF CHADENAC CM C.I.L. N° 8900 / 428, ILA N° 114.
Modern name
Saintes
Chadenac Cm
Aubeterre s / Dronne, Charente
Position
Mortier's Bridge
Dronne's Bridge
Units indicated: " L(eugas) "
XXIV /???
Starting point
XXIV /???
Distance MP 1481 m
34,8 to 36,3 km
0
34,8 to 36,3 km
The mile is not appropriate
Distance LR 2222 m
52,2 to 54,4 km
0
52,2 to 54,4 km
The romanized league is not appropriate
Distance if LG 2416 m
56,8 to 59,2 km
0
56,8 to 59,2 km
Agreement
Curvimetric distance
31,6 km
0
57,6 km
League 2416 m
Discordance
Agreement
Agreement

Conclusions: AUBETERRE-SUR-DRONNE can be the Fines , in limit of Santons and Petrocores. Under these conditions, the inscription cannot be in miles, but in Gallic leagues , and distances are indicated, in accordance with the regional use "poitevin", relates to Fines , and not to Civitas .

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