This gold fibula was found in 1787 at Erickstanebrae, near Moffat in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. Fibulae were essentially large clothespins that were used to fasten cloaks and other garments. This fibula is a particularly ornate and artfully worked example, and it was clearly meant to attract attention. The bow is decorated with three tiers of openwork, with bands of chevrons on either side of an inscription, and is one of a number of gold fibulae to carry imperial inscriptions. IOVI AUG (Jovi Augusto), written on one side, is a likely reference to the emperor Diocletian (r. 283−305 CE), who adopted Jove as his divine patron. The inscription on the other side, VOTXX (Votis XX), supports the association with Diocletian, since it most likely refers to the vicennalia, the twentieth anniversary of his reign. There is also a small inscription scratched into the inner surface of the bow, “Porto” or “Forto,” which may be the name of the fibula’s owner.
Scotland may seem like an unlikely place to find Roman artifacts, but in 306, the emperor Constantius I Chlorus led an expedition into Caledonia (modern Scotland) against the Picts, a confederation of tribal groups that once lived in what is now northern and eastern Scotland. Archaeological and written evidence suggests that gold and silver fibulae were worn by higher-ranked military and civil officers during the fourth century CE. This fibula’s high quality and its inscriptions suggest that it was sent to someone close to Diocletian. Damage to the fibula’s hinge suggests that it was torn off violently, strengthening the argument that it was lost during Constantius’s campaign.
