24. Dedication to Marcus Aurelius

Description:
Two sections of a marble panel (approx. original width × surviving height w: 1.16 x h: 0.73). 
Text:
Inscribed on one face. 
Letters:
Lapidary capitals: line l, 0.085; line 2, 0.075; line 3, 0.07; lines 4- 6, 0.065; line 8, 0.055. 
Date:
A.D. 178 (titulature)  
Findspot:
Sabratha: Capitolium, found in the vaults; see note on 1. 
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Findspot 
Bibliography:
Not previously published. This edition taken from J. M. Reynolds and J. B. Ward-Perkins, The Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania, Rome: British School at Rome, 1952.  
Text constituted from:
Transcription (Reynolds, Ward-Perkins) 
Imp(eratori) C[aesari] M(arco) Aurelio
Anton[ino Aug(usto)] Armeniaco
Medic[o Parth(ico)] max(imo) Germ(anico) Sarm(atico)
[pont(ifici) max(imo) trib(unicia)] [po]test(ate) XXXII imp(eratori) VIIII
5[co(n)s(uli) III p(atri) p(atriae) diui Anto]nini Pii fil(io) diui
[Veri Parth(ici) max(imi) frat]ri diui Hadr(iani) n(epoti) diui
[Traiani pronep(oti) diu]i Ner[uae] abnepo[ti ·· ? ··]
IMPC[·······]MAVRELIO
ANTON[········]ARMENIACO
MEDIC[········]MAXGERMSARM
[·····][···]TESTXXXIIIMPVIIII
5[·············]NINIPIIFILDIVI
[··········]RIDIVIHADRNDIVI
[···················]INER[····]ABNEPO[····· ? ··]
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<expan>
<abbr>
Imp
</abbr>
<ex>
eratori
</ex>
</expan>
C
<supplied reason="lost" >
aesari
</supplied>
<expan>
<abbr>
M
</abbr>
<ex>
arco
</ex>
</expan>
Aurelio
<lb n="2" />
Anton
<supplied reason="lost" >
ino
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usto
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
Armeniaco
<lb n="3" />
Medic
<supplied reason="lost" >
o
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
Parth
</abbr>
<ex>
ico
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<expan>
<abbr>
max
</abbr>
<ex>
imo
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Germ
</abbr>
<ex>
anico
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Sarm
</abbr>
<ex>
atico
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="4" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
pont
</abbr>
<ex>
ifici
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
max
</abbr>
<ex>
imo
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
trib
</abbr>
<ex>
unicia
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<expan>
<abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
po
</supplied>
test
</abbr>
<ex>
ate
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="32" >
XXXII
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
imp
</abbr>
<ex>
eratori
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="9" >
VIIII
</num>
<lb n="5" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
co
</abbr>
<ex>
n
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
uli
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="3" >
III
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
atri
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
atriae
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
diui
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
Anto
</supplied>
nini
Pii
<expan>
<abbr>
fil
</abbr>
<ex>
io
</ex>
</expan>
diui
<lb n="6" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
Veri
<expan>
<abbr>
Parth
</abbr>
<ex>
ici
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
max
</abbr>
<ex>
imi
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
frat
</supplied>
ri
diui
<expan>
<abbr>
Hadr
</abbr>
<ex>
iani
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
n
</abbr>
<ex>
epoti
</ex>
</expan>
diui
<lb n="7" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
Traiani
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
pronep
</abbr>
<ex>
oti
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
diu
</supplied>
i
Ner
<supplied reason="lost" >
uae
</supplied>
abnepo
<supplied reason="lost" >
ti
</supplied>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>

Translation:

To Emperor Caesar, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus [Augustus], victor in Armenia, victor in Media, greatest victor in Parthia, victor in Germany, [chief priest, holding tribunician] power for the thirty second time, acclaimed victor nine times, [consul three times, father of the country, son of deified] Antoninus Pius, brother [of] deified [Verus, greatest victor in Parthia,] grandson of deified Hadrian, [great grandson of] deified [Trajan], great great grandson [of deified] Nerva [·· ? ··]

Commentary:

l. 4. trib. pot. XXXII: 10 Dec. 177 - 9 Dec. 178.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DS 789 Leica)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DS 789 Leica)

(cc) You may download this inscription in EpiDoc XML. (You may need the EpiDoc DTD v. 6 to validate this file.)