Gaius Julius Marcus early governor of Britannia Inferior, c. 213 -214.
Castra Exploratorum (Netherby, Cumbria; RIB 976; dated: c.213AD)
IVLIAE AVG M MATRI AVG NOSTRI M AVRELI ANTONINI ET CASTR ET SENATVS ET PATRIAE PRO PIETATE AC DEVOTIONE COMMVNI NVM EIVS CVRANTE G IVL MARC LEG AVGG PR PR COH I AEL HISP M EQ POSVIT
“To Julia Augusta Domna, mother of our Lord Marcus Aurelius (Severus) Antoninus (Caracalla), and of the Army, and the Senate, and the Fatherland, for the duty and devotion of our common spirit, on the orders of Gaius Julius Marcius, pro-praetorian legate of the Augusti,² the First Cohort of Spaniards, one-thousand strong, part-mounted, made this”.
He also undertook building work at the forts of Old Carlisle and Netherby.
His name is recorded on a milestone on the Military Way at Hadrian’s Wall although it has been partially erased, suggesting that he had brought disfavour on himself sometime later. One explanation for this is Iulius Marcus’ troops sided with Caracalla in the dispute over the throne that followed the death of Septimius Severus and erected their own dedications to their chosen candidate. The damnatio memoriae that their governor suffered may have been connected with this.