The signaculum of Caius Valerius Avitus, duovir of Tarraco and owner of the roman villa of Els Munts (Altafulla)

A signaculum uncovered at the great Roman villa of Els Munts (Altafulla) in the outskirts of Tarraco mentions the name of C. Valerius Avitus from Augustobriga (Muro de Agreda, Soria). A wall painting with epigraphic tabula from the same villa shows him as being the owner, together with the wife Faustina. We know of other inscriptions which inform us that he was transferred to Tarraco at the request of the emperor Antoninus Pius and that he himself become duovir of the Tarraconensian colony. We analyse the new role of the dignitaries in the less Romanized inland areas as guarantors of order and Imperial authority during the first decades of the 2nd century through the concilium provinciae. We propound to interpret the fact of promotion of Valerius Avitus as a consequence of the attempt of imperial conspiracy of governor Cornelius Priscianus.