Norenos’s Epitaph and the Beginning of Christianity in Asturias

Abstract

A group of Latin sepulchral steles found inside the orient of Asturias, in the Cantabrian Vadiniense territory during ancient times, seems to be linked to the beginning of Christianity in the region.  In adittion of Magnentia, Dovidena and Superia's epitaphs, the inscription discovered in Soto of Cangas de Onis and dedicated to Noreno, dead at seven years old, is outstanding. The absence of any Roman funerary formula, added to the presence of some Christian signs on the opening, and the sorrow that the death of their son must caused on his parents, bring us to designate this document as Christian. A more difficult problem is derived about its chronology, maybe IV century or later.