On the Bishops of Gubbio

...of the Arval Brothers, according to Philippus a Turre in his appendix to the monuments of ancient Antium, I read BERBECES and VERBECES for VERVECES, and BACCAM for VACCAM. This inscription dates to the year 183 of the common era (a). In this manner, once the name of this city was changed, that primitive Iguvium was never recalled, but later ages preferred to say Egubium, Agubium, Egobium, Gobium, Ugubium, Ugobium, and finally Eugubium. Hence, our Decentius—to whom the famous epistle of Innocent I is addressed—is called Egubinus in better quality manuscript codices (b). In the Tabula Peutingeriana Peutinger map, Jovis Penninus is the same as Agubio. In the acts of the Roman Council held in the year 1057, Guido, Bishop of Egobium, subscribes his name (c). In many ancient tables kept in the archive of S. Croce di Fonte Avellana, written in the 11th and 12th centuries, it is referred to as Territorium Gobinense, Egobinense, and Ugobinense. On the coins of Eugubium, I believe, which were minted as I shall describe in the following chapter, it appears as VGVBIO. However, in common usage, we are now accustomed to saying Eugubium and Eugubinos, from which I did not think I should depart when organizing the chronology of the bishops of this most flourishing church.

X. I find the first traces of this name, renewed in this manner, in the Anonymous Ravennas, edited by Porcheron, in which, after Cales and Luceoli—places once known on the Via Flaminia—there is Eugube, which is called Interbio or Constantiniana (d). This place in the anonymous text is, in my opinion, corrupt. Certainly, I do not know how to divine what Interbio and Constantiniana might be. For I cannot accept the conjecture of the author of the chorographic table of medieval Italy, edited by Muratori (e), who guesses that Costacciarium, a small town in the territory of Eugubium along the Via Flaminia, lies hidden within the Constantiniana of the Anonymous Ravennas. I know that Costacciarium was founded by the people of Gubbio after the middle of the 13th century, a subject on which I shall discourse in the Antiquitates Avellanenses. But perhaps the name Constantiniana attached itself to Eugubio because it was showered with some notable benefit by Emperor Constantine or by one of the princes who might have been called by that name. Many such examples occur in the history of all times, and that one is very similar where the city of Cirta in Africa was called Constantina in honor of M. Constantine.

XI. The name of this city endured these changes, as the

(a) Philipp. a Turre, appendix to the Monuments of Ancient Antium, inscription II, Frat. Arval. (b) Edit. P. Coustant & in canon. eccl. Rom. c. XXII, etc. (c) Mansi, supplement to Concil. Lab. Tom. I, p. 1314. (d) Anonym. Rav. l. IV. XXIII, p. 214. (e) Rer. Ital. script. To. X, dissert. on the chorographic table, sect. XVII, n. 84.