Rector Samnii and defensor civitatis. The date of Maecius Felix’s governorship of Samnium: a proposal

This paper gives a new interpretation of CIL X.4863 and the possible carreer of Maecius Felix, which was governor of the Samnium in the 4th c. CE. This new interpretation allows to suppose that Maecius was a noble man of Venafrum who has been appointed as governor in extraordinary circumstances. Unfortunately, we have no further information about him, but the duty of defensor civitatis and the honorific title of vir perfectissimus prove that he was an important imperial functionary during the reign of Valentinian I or Theodosius.

Keywords: vir pefectissimus, defensor civitatis, adiniunctivus, patronage, province of Samnium.