The Saepinum Inscription and Trashumance in the Abruzzi

This article is a historical interpretation of the inscriptions found on the Saepinum and what this tells us about how transhumance was regulated in the Abruzzi region. The inscription is in three parts; the first is a report form the imperial freedman Septimianus to his superior, the second is a note to the freedman Cosmos on the alleged maltreatment by the contractors of the flocks to the Prartorian Prefects, and the third is a warning letter to the magistrates of Saepinum. This collection of writings gives us a glimpse into the management of the imperial flocks and also that there was a governance of the transhumance that was most likely related to the Prartorian Prefects. One claim made from these inscriptions is that Cosmos may have been head of the bureau and that is why he was supposed to address the problem of the maltreatment. We can also see that either the sheep were lost, or the contractors weren't willing to pay as much as they had in the past which led to a decrease in the fiscus, or the personal treasury of the emperors of Rome. Historian A. Grenier argues that based on these inscriptions the imperial sheep's transhumance was done by the same shepherds as all of the other sheep in the Abruzzi region. The days we spent in Abrusso walking the ancient transhumance path gave us a little perspective on the complexities of this industry. The castles controlled by the nobility served as watchtowers to survey the land and manage transhumance. There was also a scarcity of resources which led to the common property problem and questions of privatization.