Ravenscar Signal Station

IVSTINIANVS PP
VINDICIANVS
MAGỊṢTER TVRR[...]
M CASTRVM FECIT
A SO

For magister as a low rank in the army of the later fourth century Goodchild cites CIL v 8750 (ILS 2801), v 8988c (Concordia), CIL xiii 8262 (ILS 790) (Cologne). For turris he cites CIL viii 22774, Insrcr. Rom. Trip. 876. For castrum see ILS 859, 8937; the phrase turrem et castrum is a very exact description of a Yorkshire coastal signal-station.Sir Arthur Evans (Num. Chron. 3rd ser. vii (1887) 207), following Young loc. cit., conjectures that this Justinianus is to be identified with the general whom Constantine III in 407 sent from Britain to Gaul. Haverfield considered this identification to be acceptable. Collingwood (JRS) says that if the inscription dates from the foundation of this signal-station about a.d. 370, the identity of names may be a coincidence. Alternatively, it might mark a rebuilding about 395, but he regards any identification as hazardous. Stevens (in 1940, loc. cit.) says that there is no need to identify the two persons, but (orally in 1957) he considers that they may be identical. Goodchild points out that elderly generals were not unknown in the field-army of the later Empire.