Robert L. Mowery, «Paul and Caristanius at Pisidian Antioch», Vol. 87 (2006) 223-242
A recently-published Latin inscription from Pisidian Antioch refers to four
benefactions that a prominent citizen named Caristanius had provided to fulfill a
vow on behalf of the emperor Claudius. Since this inscription refers to the year
45/46 CE, it refers to benefactions that may have been provided near the time
when Paul arrived in the city. After surveying the contents of this inscription and
reviewing scholarly opinion concerning the date when Paul arrived, this paper
reflects on the ethnic diversity of first century Pisidian Antioch, the religious
beliefs reflected in Caristanius’ vow, the likely impact of his benefactions on the
residents of the city, and the possibility that he may have been one of “the leading
men of the city” mentioned in Acts 13,50.
Paul and Caristanius at Pisidian Antioch
In 2001 Michel Christol, Thomas Drew-Bear, and Mehmet Taslialan
published a Latin inscription which had recently been discovered near
Pisidian Antioch (1). Although they have provided a detailed discussion
of this inscription, they have failed to note that this inscription refers
to events that may have occurred near the time when the apostle Paul
entered the city. This paper will explore this possibility.
The first section of this paper will survey the contents of this
inscription, while the second section will review scholarly opinion
regarding the year when Paul arrived in Pisidian Antioch. The third
section will reflect on the significance of this inscription for NT
studies, while the fourth section will offer a brief closing summary.
1. The Inscription
This newly-discovered inscription declares that C. Caristanius
Fronto Caisianus Iullus, whom we will call “Caristaniusâ€(2), had
fulfilled a vow he had made to an unidentified deity (or deities) on
behalf of Claudius’ safety and victory during the Roman invasion of
Britain.
This inscription possesses four sections. The first section consists
of the dedication “To Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus,
pontifex maximus, consul for the third time, with tribunician power for
the fifth time, pater patriae†(3). This wording points to several specific
dates. Claudius became pontifex maximus at the beginning of his
principate in the year 41, received the title pater patriae in 42, became
consul for the third time in 43, and received tribunician power for the
fifth time on January 25, 45 (4). Since he held this power for the fifth
time until January 24, 46, the last year referred to by this inscription is
(1) “L’empereur Claude, le chevalier C. Caristanius Fronto Caesianus Iullus
et le culte impérial à Antioche de Pisidieâ€, Tyche 16 (2001) 1-20. The text of the
inscription is printed on pp. 1-2.
(2) Following the usage of S. MITCHELL – M. WAELKENS, Pisidian Antioch.
The Site and Its Monuments (London 1998) 10.
(3) Lines 1-5 of the inscription.
(4) See D. KIENAST, Römische Kaisertabelle. Grundzüge einer römischen
Kaiserchronologie (Darmstadt 1990) 90-92; B. LEVICK, Claudius (New Haven
1990) 41-42, 94; CHRISTOL – DREW-BEAR – TASLIALAN, “L’empereurâ€, 3.