14 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

A Roman sarcophagus bearing the title of “Emperor’s Protector” was found for the first time in Anatolia

A sarcophagus carrying the title of “Emperor’s protector” was discovered in the province of Kocaeli in western Turkey. With the discovery of the sarcophagus, a soldier bearing the title of Emperor’s protector was documented for the first time in Anatolia.

Archaeological material culture remains were found during the foundation construction of a building between 2017 and 2019. During the rescue excavations initiated by the Kocaeli Museum Directorate, 37 graves were identified. During the studies on the tombs, a sarcophagus with the Latin inscription “Emperor’s Protector”, which has never been seen before in Anatolia, was encountered.

In the scientific studies conducted in company with Associate Professor Hüseyin Sami Öztürk from Marmara University, it was determined that one of the sarcophagi written in Latin belonged to Tziampo, the bodyguard of Emperor Diocletian.

On the sarcophagus, which is important for Nicomedia and Roman history, “I lived 50 years. I do not allow anyone other than my son Severus or my wife to be buried in this tomb. I served in the military for 9 years as a cavalry, 11 years as an ordinaryüs, and 10 years as a protector. If anyone dares to bury another in this tomb, he will pay 20 follis to Fiscus and 10 to the city coffers,” it is writing.

 Latin inscription on the sarcophagus of the protector of Emperor Diocletian
Latin inscription on the sarcophagus of the protector of Emperor Diocletian. Photo: İHA

Serkan Geduk, Director of Kocaeli Museum, gave information to the UAV reporter about the subject, and said:

“The sarcophagus is of great importance not only with the information contained in the inscription but also with two skeletons and small finds found in situ. Because the inscriptions on the protections of the Roman emperors known until now have survived without any other material remains. For the first time, an inscription of an imperial bodyguard; It has survived as a whole with two skeletons in the sarcophagus and grave gifts. In this sense, Tziampo Sarcophagus is the first in the world in this field. It is a great chance for us that this sarcophagus and the necropolis area around it have survived to the present day,” he said.

The sarcophagus of the emperor's protector.
The sarcophagus of the emperor’s protector. Photo: İHA

“Tziampo is the only documented emperor protector”

Noting that Tziampo, also called Emperor Diocletian’s ‘Adjutant’, was of Romanian origin, Geduk said, “Tziampo started his military career as a cavalryman and after 9 years of service, he was promoted to the rank of ‘ordinaryus’, that is, ‘captain’. After 11 years of captain career, we see that Tziampo took the title of ‘protector. Protector is a very important title given to the elite class soldier of the late Roman army. This mission was created with Emperor Gallienus and his full name is the “Emperor’s Protector.”

“The number of soldiers known so far and undertaking this task is 7. These are from present-day Italy, Croatia, Serbia, Algeria, and Arabia. With Tziampo, this number reached 8, and a soldier bearing the title of protector of the emperor was documented for the first time in Anatolia. Moreover, Tziampo is the only emperor protector for now that can be documented not only with inscriptions but also with his skeleton and burial gifts,” he said.

Related Articles

30 Graves Found in the Basilica-Planned Ancient City

4 April 2021

4 April 2021

Kibyra ancient city is situated south of Turkey, located in the town Gölhisar in the southwestern part of Burdur Province,...

New Evidence for Roman’s Emerald Production in Egypt’s the Eastern Desert

16 April 2021

16 April 2021

Archaeological excavations in Egypt’s eastern desert provide new data. Excavations in the Egyptian Eastern Desert delivers proof of emerald mines...

Archaeologists Unearth Carolingian Silver Treasure Hoard

6 May 2021

6 May 2021

A silver treasure hoard from the 9th century AD has been discovered in Poland‘s Osa and Drwęca basin. The hoard...

19 funerary tombs from Roman times were discovered in Tartus, Syria

27 May 2022

27 May 2022

During search and excavation operations in the archaeological area of Amrit in Tartus, Syria, a joint excavation team from the...

Dog Kajtuś uncovers Poland’s biggest treasure of the past 100 years

21 April 2022

21 April 2022

A dog named Kajtuś discovered the biggest treasure found in Poland in the last 100 years. The treasure was found...

Underneath an Illegal Excavation House, a Subterranean City Is Revealed!

25 June 2021

25 June 2021

Upon the information that illegal excavations were carried out in a house in the İscehisar district of Afyonkarahisar in western...

New study: Humans engaged in large-scale warfare in Europe 5,000 years ago ‘1,000 years earlier than previously thought’

3 November 2023

3 November 2023

Hundreds of human remains unearthed from a burial site point to a  warfare between Stone Age people long before the...

Lidar Technology Reveals a 3,000-year-old Secret Mayan City with Full of Pyramids and Plazas

30 October 2024

30 October 2024

Tulane University researchers used laser-guided imaging to uncover vast unexplored Maya settlements in Campeche, Mexico, revealing more than 6,500 pre-Hispanic...

The “Horoscope” Scroll Found In the Judean Desert: A Glimpse Into the Mysterious Sect

26 March 2024

26 March 2024

One of the most interesting and mysterious scrolls discovered in the Judean Desert is a scroll called the “Horoscope.” This...

In Russia, archaeologists 2100-Year-Old Medallion of Goddess Aphrodite and a warrior tomb unearthed

30 October 2022

30 October 2022

Archaeologists have unearthed a silver medallion depicting the Greek goddess Aphrodite (Roma Venüs) in a 2100-year-old grave of a priestess...

5,000-year-old Ceremonial Temple Discovered in Peru

9 July 2024

9 July 2024

Archaeologists from the Peru Ministry of Culture have discovered an ancient ceremonial temple complex at Los Paredones de la Otra...

Scenes of Warriors from 6th Century BC on a Slate Plaque Discovered at Tartessian Site in Spain

6 June 2024

6 June 2024

Archaeologists representing Spain’s National Research Council (CSIC) excavating at the archaeological site of Casas del Turunuelo have uncovered a slate...

Albastı “A Mother’s Nightmare “

5 February 2021

5 February 2021

Albastı is one of the bad characters in Turkish mythology. The fearful dream of puerperal women and babies, Albastı continues...

Archaeologists find a Roman military watchtower in Morocco for the first time

7 November 2022

7 November 2022

A Roman military watchtower the first of its kind was discovered by a team of Polish and Moroccan archaeologists in...

Thor’s hammer amulet discovered in Sweden

23 October 2022

23 October 2022

Archaeologists have unearthed the Thor’s Hammer amulet, which they call “one of its kind” in Ysby in southwestern Sweden’s Halland...