Roman citizen in early auxiliary cavalry unit

[Duncan Head]

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/archaeology/a66107800/roman-tombstone-inscription/

https://gladius.revistas.csic.es/index.php/gladius/article/view/417/416 (original article in Spanish)

[Andreas Johansson]

It may just be my poor Spanish, but I don't understand how they conclude that he was a citizen when serving in the ala? Might it not simply be the case that he received citizenship on his discharge? I needn't go outside my own family to find tombstones that list occupations the honorand had retired from when they died.

I also learn that jinete in modern Spanish simply means "horseman, rider"; and verifying this at Wiktionary I also learn that etymologically the word derives from Zenata, the Berber tribe.

[Keraunos]

Interesting to see popular mechanics getting interested in archaeology.  Next up, Current Archaeology discussed making working replicas of Newcommen steam engines?

[Duncan Head]

I can't follow the argument in full, but it seems to me that they're saying that the formula of words used indicates that he died in service and the stone was erected by one or more comrades from the same ala; hence that he didn't survive to gain citizenship by discharge.

[Imperial Dave]

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/archaeology/a66107800/roman-tombstone-inscription/

Hopefully interesting

[Keraunos]

It was of interest when it was first posted 

[Imperial Dave]

Oh blox...