ΜΟΣΧΟΣ ΜΟΣΧΟΥ
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Date
2011
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მერიდიანი
Abstract
Civil war of 69 reveals freedman Moschus as admiral of the Roman fleet
subordinated to Emperor M. Salvius Otho. In the 1st - 2nd cc. the Roman
citizenship was a prerequisite for enrolment in the legion but not for service in
other units, such as the two Italian fleets. That is why Moschus found himself in
his position. Romans used to give specific names to the slaves and freedmen,
often connected with their original nationality. ex. Emperor Aulus Vitellius,
rival of Otho, had Asiaticus, as a favourite, gradually alloting him with the
Roman citizenship and nomen. Having on mind Meskheti (Graeco-Roman
Moschicē), a province of Iberia (Eastern and Southern Georgia), one can
suggest Iberia, as a mother-land for Moschus or his parent. If so, he could also
be called Iberian (Iber), like Gaios the Iberian (KaiØc × !Ib¢r), mentioned on
the bronze plate from Platea in Greece.
In the Roman World a slave or a freedman, Moschus by name could be
only Georgian. Greek case is different, for Moschos is original Greek name with
the Greek etimology, employed rather extensively. There are no chances if
proving the Georgian origin for Moschos of Elis, philosopher, Moschos of
Lampsacos, tragic poet, and Moschos of Syracuse, famous bucolic poet.
This name had its derivative forms, like as follows: MØsqic, MØsqioc,
MosqianØc, MØsqin, Mosqënh, MØsqion, Mosqëwn, MØsqiloc, Mosq na,
Mosq noc. Both, substratum and a derivative form found themselves joined in
the 3rd c. B.C. in the name of Hellenized Jewish slave, inscribed on plaque from
Oropos near Athens – MØsqoc Mosqëwnoc !Iouda oc. Son could have father’s
name in the Greek society, but these cases are not frequent if not within the
Hellenistic dynasties. If it happened like as follows: Mōšéh is a general name to
denote a Jew, and “Moschos” – very close to it in phonetical way.
But, if we have MØsqoc MØsqou and apparently he is not a Jew, then he
must be Iberian, whose direct, or far ancestor had been taken away from the
Iberian province of Meskheti. This duplicity in the name could mean nothing but stressing the ethnicity properly. For a transformation of ethnonym into
proper name we have example, [K]Ølqoc gÑ[graf]sen on Greek pottery.
Final step for those barbarian slaves and freedmen was a citizenship.
MØsqoc MØsqou occurs, at least, for three times – twice, on the coins,
once – in inscription. Magistrate of Smyrna, perhaps, in the 2nd c. B.C., he put
his name on the bronze coins of the city, the so-called Homereias (Apollo/Rev.
Homer. ΜΟΣΧΟΣ ΜΟΣΧΟΥ). Maybe, that was him again to issue
Kybele/Rev. Aphrodite Stratonikis type bronze coins with the legend
ΜΟΣΧΟΣ ΜΟΣΧΟΥ, and to be mentioned in the Greek inscription of the
theatre in Halikarnassos (the 3rd - 2nd cc. B.C.) – ΜΟΣΧΟΣΜΟΣΧΟΥ
TOΥMO[ΣΧΟΥ].
We are moving to declare one of the leading families of Smyrna in the 2nd
c. B.C. to be of the Georgian origin.
Description
https://geohistory.humanities.tsu.ge/ge/procedings/83-shromebi/136-shromebi-4.html
Keywords
აზატები, მოსხები, კოლხები
Citation
ივანე ჯავახიშვილის სახელობის თბილისის სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტის საქართველოს ისტორიის ინსტიტუტის შრომები, IV, თბილისი, 2011, გვ. 10-18 / Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University Institute of Georgian History Proceedings, IV, Tbilisi, 2011, pp. 10-18