Marcus Martiannius Pulcher was a governor of

Roman Britain Roman Britain was the territory that became the Roman province of ''Britannia'' after the Roman conquest of Britain, consisting of a large part of the island of Great Britain. The occupation lasted from AD 43 to AD 410. Julius Caes ...

, most likely

Britannia Superior Britannia Superior (Latin for "Upper Britain") was a province of Roman Britain created after the civil war between Septimius Severus and Clodius Albinus. Although Herodian credits Severus with dividing Roman Britain into the Northern territory of ...

, probably some time during the third century AD. The only evidence of his work is an inscription which was found in 1975, re-used as part of the fourth century riverside defences in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. It states that he repaired the temple of

Isis Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...

which had collapsed through old age. Peter Salway infers from this that his rule was relatively peaceful as he was able to undertake restoration work in the city. Anthony Birley comments that Martiannius, his "remarkable ''nomen'' appears to be unique", although it is "a well-known type, formed from a ''

cognomen A ''cognomen'' (; : ''cognomina''; from ''co-'' "together with" and ''(g)nomen'' "name") was the third name of a citizen of ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. Initially, it was a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became hereditar ...

'', in this case Martianus." This fabricated ''nomen'' provides one of the few clues of Pulcher's origin, being a type which was "particularly popular in the Celtic parts of the empire. Hence the balance of probability points to an origin in northern Italy, Gaul, or the Rhineland; indeed, Britain itself cannot be excluded."Birley, ''Fasti'', p. 177 There is only one clue as to the date of this inscription: the style ''v.c. leg. Augg. pro praet.'' which points to a joint reign of Emperors. Assuming Britannia Superior was a praetorian province, Birley notes Pulcher could have been governor some time in 198-209 or 211; otherwise, as a consular governor his possible dates would be 221–2, 235–8, and most of the period 238–60. Birley also notes that there are several rescripts preserved in the ''Codex Justinianus'' that could possibly addressed to him.Birley, ''Fasti'', p. 177 n. 14

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martiannius Pulcher, Marcus Roman governors of Britain Ancient Romans in Britain 3rd-century Romans