Marcus Caelius
Marcus Caelius (center) as portrayed in his cenotaph
Born	c. March 45 BC Bononia ( Bologna, Italy)
Died	c. September AD 9 (aged 52–53+1⁄2) Kalkriese, Germania
Allegiance	Roman Empire
Branch	Roman Army
Rank	Primus pilus
Unit	XVIII Roman Legion
Battles/wars	Roman campaigns in Germania (12 BC – AD 16) Battle of the Teutoburg Forest  †
Relations	Titus Caelius (father) Publius Caelius (brother) Thiaminus Caelius (freedman) Privatus Caelius (freedman)

Marcus Caelius (c. March 45 BC – c. September AD 9) was the senior centurion ( Primus pilus) in XVIII Roman Legion who was killed in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. ^[1] He is known from his cenotaph, which was discovered in 1620 in Birten (now a part of Xanten), Germany. ^[2] Caelius is depicted wearing his military uniform, with phalerae (a type of military decoration), armillae (a type of bracelet), and a corona civica (an award for saving a fellow citizen's life), while in his right hand, he holds a vitis (carried by all centurions). On either side of his image are his freedmen (non-combatant servants), Privatus and Thiaminus; both of whom perished in the battle.

The tombstone's lower left corner is damaged, but enough survives to determine that the text below the image once read:

M[ARCO] CAELIO T[ITI] F[ILIO] LEM[ONIA TRIBV] BON[ONIA]

P[RIMVS] O[RDO] LEG[IONIS] XIIX ANN[ORVM] LIII S[EMISSIS]

[CE]CIDIT BELLO VARIANO OSSA

[HVC] INFERRE LICEBIT P[UBLIVS] CAELIVS T[ITI] F[ILIVS]

LEM[ONIA TRIBV] FRATER FECIT

English translation:

To Marcus Caelius, son of Titus, of the Lemonian district, from Bologna,

first centurion of the eighteenth legion. 53+1⁄2 years old.

He fell in the Varian War.

His freedman's bones may be interred here. Publius Caelius, son of Titus,

of the Lemonian district, his brother, erected (this monument)." ^[2]

The tombstone can today be found in the Rheinisches Landesmuseum in Bonn. ^[3]

References