Rufinus (Roman governor) facts for kids

Rufinus is part of the name of a Roman leader who helped govern Britannia Superior. This was a part of Roman Britain around the early 200s AD. We don't know his full name, which makes him a bit of a mystery from ancient times!

Who Was Rufinus?

Rufinus was likely a Roman governor. A governor was a very important official chosen by the Roman Emperor. Their job was to manage a Roman province, like Britannia Superior. They were in charge of the army, law, and taxes in their area.

We only know about Rufinus from a small piece of writing found on a stone. This makes it hard to be sure exactly who he was. Historians think he might have been one of two important Romans:

• Aulus Triarius Rufinus: He was a "suffect consul" around 210 AD. A consul was one of the highest elected officials in ancient Rome.
• Quintus Aradius Rufinus: He was also a consul, about ten to fifteen years later.

Finding Clues About Rufinus

The name Rufinus was found in two main places in Britain. These discoveries help us learn about his time.

The Regulbium Inscription

One clue comes from an ancient Roman fort called Regulbium. This fort is located in Kent, England. An inscription, which is like a carved message on stone, mentioned the name Rufinus. Pottery found near this inscription suggests it was made around 220 AD. This helps historians guess when Rufinus might have been active.

The Aballava Inscription

Another important clue was found at the Roman Fort at Aballava. This fort was in northern Britain. Here, an inscription talks about a "Julius Rufinus, princeps." A "princeps" was a leading officer. This inscription mentions the "Aurelian Moors," who were a group of soldiers. The full message on the stone was: "To Jupiter, Best and Greatest, and to the Divinities of the two Emperors and the Genius of the unit of Aurelian Moors, Valerian's and Gallienus' Own, Flavius Vibianus, tribune of the cohort and commander of the unit mentioned above, (set this up) under the direction of Julius Rufinus, princeps."

Historians believe this "Julius Rufinus" was likely the same governor of the province. These inscriptions are like ancient puzzles, giving us small pieces of information about important people from the past.