Epitaphes inédites de Narbo Martius: le site du «Carrefour des plages» (Ier-IIIe siècle ap. J.-C.)

Abstract

Archaeological monitoring of modern pipe repair work, carried out in 2021 in Narbonne, on the
“Carrefour des plages” site, brought interesting results for the study of the population of the provincial
capital. In an area occupied by one of the city’s ancient necropolises (Nécropole de l’Est), numerous
funerary remains were discovered, including a set of twelve Roman epitaphs. These texts,
most of which are marble slabs in varying states of preservation, date from the first decades of the
1st century to the end of the 2nd century or early 3rd century. They bear witness to the lives of a
number of Narbonnais with varied statuses and relatively original onomastics. These data complement
those gathered at the “Berges de la Robine” site, excavated in 2017-2020, in an area close
to the same necropolis. Indeed, they confirm, on the one hand, the affluence of the upper strata of
the local plebs, who used marble to represent themselves; on the other hand, they shed new light
on individuals belonging to the ruling groups of the city, including a municipal flaminica and a
probable representative of the ordo of Narbo Martius, and on their monumental burials.

Keywords: Narbo Martius oriental necropolis, unpublished epitaphs, Early Empire, mausoleums, municipal notables, flaminica, plebs, marble plaques.