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Inscription #

398. Fragmentary dedication to Septimius Severus and Caracalla

Description:: Fragments of two or more uniform panels of grey marble ( w: not calculable x h: 0.405 x d: 0.041). The surviving dimensions correspond exactly to those of the recess which contained the dedicatory inscription of the quadruple tetrapylon base in the Portico behind the Theatre, a monument of the characteristic Severan materials and workmanship, which may be conjectured to have been dedicated to Septimius Severus, Julia Domna, Caracalla and Geta. Some of the surviving fragments, here attributed to Septimius Severus and Caracalla, could equally well refer to any of the four members of the Severan dynasty.
Text:: Inscribed within a moulded border.
Letters:: Rustic capitals: 0.09.
Date:: A.D. 198-209 (reign)
Findspot:: Lepcis Magna: Found in or near the Theatre.
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) Caes(ari)] diu[i Marci filio] diu[i Antonini Pii nepoti diui H]adrian[i pr]onep[oti diui Traiani Parthici abnepoti diui]
Ṇ[eruae adnepoti L(ucio) Septimio Seuero Pio Pertinaci] Aug(usto) [Arab]ico A[diabenico Parthico m]axim[o Lepticani pu]bli[ce]

[I]mp(eratoris) [C]aes(aris) L(uci) Ṣẹp̣t[im]i Seueri Pii Pert(inacis) [Au]g̣(usti) Arab(ici) [Adiab(enici) Parth(ici) max(imi) fil(lio) diui Marci nep(oti) diui Pii pronep(oti) diui Hadriani abnepo(oti)]
diui Traiani Part[hi]ci et di[ui Neruae adnep(oti) Imp(eratori) Caes(ari) M(arco) Aurellio Antonino Aug(usto) Parthico maximo Lepcitani] publice

IMP[·············]DIV[··············]DIV[·····························]ADRIAN[·····]ONEP[··············]
·[···············]AVG[·····]ICOA[·····················]AXIM[···············]BLI[···]

[··]MP[··]AESL···T[···]ISEVERIPIIPERT[···]·ARAB[··········]
DIVITRAIANIPART[···]CIETDI[················]PVBLICE

<ab>

<expan>

<abbr>

Imp

</abbr>

<ex>

eratori

</ex>

</supplied>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

Caes

</abbr>

<ex>

ari

</ex>

</expan>

</supplied>

diu

</supplied>

Marci

</supplied>

filio

</supplied>

diu

</supplied>

Antonini

Pii

</supplied>

nepoti

</supplied>

diui

</supplied>

</supplied>

adrian

</supplied>

</supplied>

onep

oti

</supplied>

diui

Traiani

Parthici

abnepoti

</supplied>

diui

</supplied>

</unclear>

eruae

</supplied>

adnepoti

<expan>

<abbr>

</abbr>

<ex>

ucio

</ex>

</expan>

Septimio

Seuero

Pio

Pertinaci

</supplied>

<expan>

<abbr>

Aug

</abbr>

<ex>

usto

</ex>

</expan>

Arab

</supplied>

ico

diabenico

</supplied>

Parthico

</supplied>

</supplied>

axim

</supplied>

Lepticani

</supplied>

</supplied>

bli

</supplied>

</ab>

</div>

<ab>

<expan>

<abbr>

</supplied>

</abbr>

<ex>

eratoris

</ex>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

</supplied>

aes

</abbr>

<ex>

aris

</ex>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

</abbr>

<ex>

uci

</ex>

</expan>

Sep

</unclear>

</supplied>

Seueri

Pii

<expan>

<abbr>

Pert

</abbr>

<ex>

inacis

</ex>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

</supplied>

</unclear>

</abbr>

<ex>

usti

</ex>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

Arab

</abbr>

<ex>

ici

</ex>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

Adiab

</abbr>

<ex>

enici

</ex>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

Parth

</abbr>

<ex>

ici

</ex>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

max

</abbr>

<ex>

imi

</ex>

</expan>

</supplied>

<expan>

<abbr>

fil

</abbr>

<ex>

lio

</ex>

</expan>

diui

Marci

<expan>

<abbr>

nep

</abbr>

<ex>

oti

</ex>

</expan>

diui

Pii

<expan>

<abbr>

pronep

</abbr>

<ex>

oti

</ex>

</expan>

diui

Hadriani

<expan>

<abbr>

abnepo

</abbr>

<ex>

oti

</ex>

</expan>

</supplied>

diui

Traiani

Part

</supplied>

</supplied>

Neruae

</supplied>

<expan>

<abbr>

adnep

</abbr>

<ex>

oti

</ex>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

Imp

</abbr>

<ex>

eratori

</ex>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

Caes

</abbr>

<ex>

ari

</ex>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

</abbr>

<ex>

arco

</ex>

</expan>

Aurellio

Antonino

<expan>

<abbr>

Aug

</abbr>

<ex>

usto

</ex>

</expan>

Parthico

maximo

Lepcitani

</supplied>

publice

</ab>

</div>

Translation:

a. To emperor [Caesar, son]of deified [Marcus, grandson of] deified [Antoninus Pius], great grandson [of deified Hadrian, great great grandson of deified] N[erva, Lucius Septimius Severus Pius Pertinax] Augustus, [victor in Arab]ia, victor in A[diabene], greatest [victor in Parthia], the Lepcitanians publicly.

b. [To the son] of emperor Caesar Lucius Septimius Severus Pius Pert[inax Au]gustus, victor in Arabia, [victor in Adiabene, greatest victor in Parthia, grandson of deified Marcus, great grandson of deified Pius, great great grandson of deified Hadrian], great great great grandson of deified Trajan, victor in Parthia and of deified [Nerva, Emperor Caesar Marcus Aurellius Antoninus Augustus, greatest victor in Parthia, the Lepcitanians] publicly.