Aulus Pudens in the Chichester inscription

Aerial view looking north-west across Fishbourne palace.
Near Chichester in the south of Britain, it is approximately equivalent in size to Nero's Golden House in Rome.
The palace outlasted the original British owner and was extensively re-planned early in the 2nd century.

The correct identification of Aulus Pudens is important. He appears in a number of first-century texts of various types. Martial (38-41 CE – to between 102 and 104) addressed several of his Epigrams to him.

TO RUFUS, ON A HAPPY MARRIAGE

Claudia Peregrina, Rufus, is about to be married to my friend Pudens. Be propitious, Hymen, with your torches. As fitly is precious cinnamon united with nard, and Massic wine with Attic honey. Nor are elms more fitly wedded to tender vines, the lotus more love the waters, or the myrtle the river's bank. May you always hover over their couch, fair Concord, and may Venus ever be auspicious to a couple so well matched. In after years may the wife cherish her husband in his old age; and may she, when grown old, not seem so to her husband.
- Epigram XIII. Martial, Epigrams. Book 4. Bohn's Classical Library (1897)

This Claudia is generally identified as Claudia Rufina, a Briton living in Rome ca. 90. 

ON CLAUDIA RUFINA

Although born among the woad-stained Britons, how fully has Claudia Rufina the intelligence of the Roman people! What beauty is hers! The matrons of Italy might take her for a Roman; those of Attica for an Athenian. The gods have kindly ordered that she proves fruitful to her revered husband, and that, while yet young, she may hope for sons-in-law and daughters-in-law! May heaven grant her ever to rejoice in one single husband, and to exult in being the mother of three children.
- LIII, Martial, Epigrams. Book 11. Bohn's Classical Library (1897)

Martial compares her to the Palatine colossus, the gigantic statue that once stood near the Palatine Hill:

TO CLAUDIA

If you had been shorter by a foot and a half, Claudia, you would have been about the same height as the colossus on the Palatine mount.
- LX, Martial, Epigrams. Book 8. Bohn's Classical Library (1897)

Claudia's British ancestry has led to speculation over the last centuries of scholarship that she may have been related to known British historical figures. Given her name, it has been suggested that she was related to Tiberius Claudius Cogidubnus, a British king who ruled as a Roman client in the late first century. ^{1 2}

Cogidubnus (or Togidubnus) was a first-century king of the Regni tribe in early Roman Britain. Near Chichester is the nearby Roman villa at Fishbourne, believed by some to have been the palace of Cogidubnus. His name appears as "Cogidumnus" in most manuscripts of Tacitus's Agricola, published ca. 98, and "Togidumnus" in one, he is said to have governed several civitates (states or tribal territories) as a client ruler after the Roman conquest.

Aulus Plautius was the first governor of consular rank, and Ostorius Scapula the next. Both were famous soldiers, and by degrees the nearest portions of Britain were brought into the condition of a province, and a colony of veterans was also introduced. Some of the states were given to king Cogidumnus, who lived down to our day a most faithful ally. So was maintained the ancient and long-recognised practice of the Roman people, which seeks to secure among the instruments of dominion even kings themselves.
- Tacitus, Agricola 14

An inscription by Cogidubnus found in Chichester may mention a "Pudens":

[N]EPTVNO·ET·MINERVAE
TEMPLVM
[PR]O·SALVTE·DO[MVS]·DIVINA[E]
[EX]·AVCTORITAT[E·TI]·CLAVD·
[CO]GIDVBNI·R[EG·MA]GNI·BRIT·
[COLE]GIVM·FABROR·ET[·Q]VI·IN·E[O]
[SVNT]·D·S·D·DONANTE·APEAM
[...]ENTE PVDENTINI·FIL

Translation:

The guild of artisans and its members provide (this) temple to Neptune and Minerva at their own expense for the protection of the Divine House, on the authority of Tiberius Claudius Cogidubnus, great king of Britain (or "of Britons"). [...]dens, son of Pudentinus, donated the land.

It is quite usual for letters to be missing from ancient inscriptions and scholarly attempts to identify them follow a pattern. One must note, though, that this is always a matter of judgement.

The stonemason here has tried to roughly centre the text on this inscription. Lines 4,5,6 and 7 have also been indented, as well centred within that indentation. This means that the final line is likely both indented and centred:

The result is that the space available for the missing letters is restricted severely. By copying the letters PVD and placing them into the space available, the format of the line now matches the preceding:

This and a prosopographical approach to the identity, form the basis of the judgement that the scholarly consensus which places Pudens – specifically Aulus Pudens – within the inscription is correct.

19…4 They were sent over in three divisions, in order that they should not be hindered in landing,— as might happen to a single force,— and in their voyage across they first became discouraged because they were driven back in their course, and then plucked up courage because a flash of light rising in the east shot across to the west, the direction in which they were sailing. So they put in to the island and found none to oppose them. 5 For the Britons as a result of their inquiries had not expected that they would come, and had therefore not assembled beforehand. And even when they did assemble, they would not come to close quarters with the Romans, but took refuge in the swamps and the forests, hoping to wear out the invaders in fruitless effort, so that, just as in the days of Julius Caesar, they should sail back with nothing accomplished.

20 Plautius, accordingly, had a deal of trouble in searching them out; but when at last he did find them, he first defeated Caratacus and than Togodumnus, the sons of Cynobellinus, who was dead…

21 Shortly afterwards Togodumnus perished, but the Britons, so far from yielding, united all the more firmly to avenge his death. Because of this fact and because of the difficulties he had encountered at the Thames, Plautius became afraid, and instead of advancing any farther, proceeded to guard what he had already won, and sent for Claudius. For he had been instructed to do this in case he met with any particularly stubborn resistance, and, in fact, extensive equipment, including elephants, had already been got together for the expedition.
- Cassius Dio, Roman History, Book LX

Barry Cunliffe first systematically excavated Fishbourne palace, starting in 1960. Both he and Dr Miles Russell of Bournemouth University agreed that Tiberius Claudius Cogidubnus and the Togodumnus, a prince of the Catuvellauni tribe mentioned by Dio Cassius, are one and the same.

First-Century black and white mosaic
This is a typical example of the black and white geometric mosaics that were laid in Fishbourne Palace when it was first built.

Generations of scholars have speculated that Pudens and his wife Claudia may be identified with the Claudia and Pudens mentioned in the New Testament.

Give diligence to come before winter. Eubulus saluteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren.
- The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to Timothy (American Standard)

This Linus has been identified as Pope Saint Linus (d. ca. 76), who according to several early sources, was the first episkopos of Rome.

"Eubulus" is identified by some with Aristobulus, who, with his converts, is said to have been among the first evangelists of Britain. It is a renowned name:

• Aristobulus I, king of the Hebrew Hasmonean Dynasty, 104–103 BCE
• Aristobulus II, king of Judea from the Hasmonean Dynasty, 67–63 BCE
• Aristobulus III of Judea (d. 35 BCE), last scion of the Hasmonean royal house
• Aristobulus IV, Prince of Judea (d. 7 BCE), son of Herod the Great and Mariamne, married Berenice, father of Agrippa I
• Aristobulus Minor, son of the above, brother of Agrippa I
• Aristobulus of Chalcis

Aristobulus of Chalcis was a son of Herod of Chalcis and his first wife Mariamne, hence a great-grandson of Herod the Great. He was appointed in 55 by Nero as King of Armenia Minor, and participated with his forces in the Roman-Parthian War of 58–63, where he received a small portion of Armenia in exchange. He remained its ruler until the area was re-annexed into the Roman Empire in 72. He appears to have also been vested with the kingdom of Chalcis, and his period as a ruler is dated to 57-92.

Two inscriptions recording the presence of Sallustius Lucullus, a governor of Roman Britain, have also been found in nearby Chichester and the the Roman historian Suetonius records that Lucullus was executed by Domitian in or shortly after 93.

He put to death many senators, among them several ex-consuls, including Civica Cerealis, at the very time when he was proconsul in Asia, Salvidienus Orfitus, Acilius Glabrio while he was in exile — these on the ground of plotting revolution, the rest on any charge, however trivial. He slew Aelius Lamia for joking remarks, which were reflections on him, it is true, but made long before and harmless. For when Domitian had taken away Lamia's wife, the latter replied to someone who praised his voice: "I practise continence"; and when Titus urged him to marry again, he replied: "Are you too looking for a wife?" He put to death Salvius Cocceianus, because he had kept the birthday of the emperor Otho, his paternal uncle; Mettius Pompusianus, because it was commonly reported that he had an imperial nativity and carried about a map of the world on parchment and speeches of the kings and generals from Titus Livius, besides giving two of his slaves the names of Mago and Hannibal; Sallustius Lucullus, governor of Britain, for allowing some lances of a new pattern to be named "Lucullean," after his own name; Junius Rusticus, because he had published eulogies of Paetus Thrasea and Helvidius Priscus and called them the most upright of men; and on the occasion of this charge he banished all the philosophers from the city and from Italy. He also executed the younger Helvidius, alleging that in a farce composed for the stage he had under the characters of Paris and Oenone censured Domitian's divorce from his wife; Flavius Sabinus too, one of his cousins, because on the day of the consular elections the crier had inadvertently announced him to the people as emperor elect, instead of consul.

- Suetonius, The Lives of the Caesars, The Life of Domitian

The Roman legionary fortress built built in 82 or 83 on Inchtuthil in oblique lighting.
Inchtuthil was the advance headquarters for the forces of governor Gnaeus Julius Agricola in his campaign against the Caledonian tribes.

Lucullus relates to my previous post on Mauretanian glassmakers in Roman Britain:

Archaeology can tell us something of Roman military activity in the years following Agricola's recall in 84. Sallustius (or his unknown predecessor, if one existed) may have attempted to consolidate Agricola's victories in Scotland by building the Glen Forts which Peter Salway dates to his rule. Forts at Ardoch and Dalswinton in southern Scotland, which Agricola had built, were extensively rebuilt in the late 80s and evidence of improvements of other military installations in the region points to a strong presence in the Scots Lowlands.

Inchtuthil was abandoned around this time as well however and it is likely that demands for troops elsewhere in the empire denied Sallustius enough manpower to continue to hold the far north. There is archaeological evidence that some of the Roman watchtowers in northern Scotland remained occupied until 90, however.

All in all, it is likely that troop shortages forced Sallustius to withdraw from northern Scotland but still permitted him to occupy the south.
- Sallustius Lucullus, Military activity

The account by Suetonius (supra) goes on immediately to discuss Arrecinius Clemens:

His savage cruelty was not only excessive, but also cunning and sudden. He invited one of his stewards to his bed-chamber the day before crucifying him, made him sit beside him on his couch, and dismissed him in a secure and gay frame of mind, even deigning to send him a share of his dinner. When he was on the point of condemning the ex-consul Arrecinius Clemens, one of his intimates and tools, he treated him with as great favour as before, if not greater, and finally, as he was taking a drive with him, catching sight of his accuser he said: "Pray, shall we hear this base slave to?morrow?"

The Mithraeum of San Clemens, Rome
The Basilica of Saint Clement is a Roman Catholic minor basilica dedicated to Pope Clement I.
The lowest levels of the present basilica are remnants of the foundation of a republican era building that was destroyed in the Great Fire of 64.
The home was owned by the family of Roman consul Titus Flavius Clemens.

The Clemens family will be discussed by us at a future point, also in relation to Imperial Rome,the New Testament and holding posts within the Roman Church.

History Hunters International has, through a series of posts, made already a number of points of direct concern to Aulus Pudens and the many other historical personages of high rank – Romans, Idumaean Herodians, Greek freedmen chamberlains and holders of other high offices, and descendants of the provincial royalty held hostage by Antonia Minor – who appear in the Pauline Canon as associates – apostles even – of the Saul who also appears in the histories of Josephus. We will, in time, treat them as the fellow-agents they are and put them in their proper context.

We must also return to study further the role of Romans and their high officers in Britain.

Related posts:

1. An army of divine men and the secret army of Mithras
2. The Royal Library of Alexandria in the first century
3. Acts of the Chresmologoi: the Role of Oracles and Chronicles in the Creation of Divine Men
4. Pliny correspondence with Trajan: Christians or Chrestians?
5. Eleazar, Saul and a Deed of Gift at Qumran
6. Chrestians and the lost history of Classical Antiquity
7. Josephus as a source: difficult and dangerous
8. The Gospels According to Hadrian (part one)
9. The Wash-Solent Limes
10. Romans at Stonehenge: from standing stones to cosmic pillars