570. Fragmentary honours for Flavius Victorinus

Description:
Rectangular base (w: 0.56 x h: 0.85 x d: 0.50) of coarse brown limestone. 
Text:
Inscribed on one face within a moulded panel (die, w: 0.27 x h: 0.57); the first word is cut above the die. The text is very lightly cut on a rough surface from which a previous inscription has been completely erased. Decipherment is therefore extremely difficult. 
Letters:
Fourth century A.D. capitals: 0.02-0.04. 
Date:
Fourth century A.D. (lettering).  
Findspot:
Lepcis Magna: Forum Severianum, North Portico.  
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; including revisions from J. M. Reynolds, 'Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania: A Supplement', Proceedings of the British School at Rome 23 (1955), 124-147 
Text constituted from:
Transcription (Reynolds, Ward-Perkins) 
[·]allomẹṭis
Praedicabilis in-
tegritatis et beniuoli
uigoris iustitiae singu-
5laris Flauio Victoriạṇọ
comịtị C̣EṢỊ Africạẹ
quod defesso territoṛịọ
nimia inc̣ụṛṣatione ba[r]
barorum sequens[·· 6-7··]
10excubia[·· ? ··]mọ-
deratione iu[dici ·· ? ··]-
am public[·· ? ··]
quam pr [·· ? ··]
[·· ? ··] Lepcim-
15[agnenses ·· ? ··]
[·]ALLOM··IS
PRAEDICABILISIN
TEGRITATISETBENIVOLI
VIGORISIVSTITIAESINGV
5LARISFLAVIOVICTORI···
COM·T··E··AFRIC··
QVODDEFESSOTERRITO···
NIMIAIN····ATIONEBA[··]
BARORVMSEQVENS[·· 6-7··]
10EXCVBIA[·· ? ··]M·
DERATIONEIV[······· ? ··]
AMPVBLIC[·· ? ··]
QVAMPR[·· ? ··]
[·· ? ··]LEPCIM
15[··········· ? ··]
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="1" unit="character" />
allom
<unclear reason="damage" >
et
</unclear>
is
<lb n="2" />
Praedicabilis
in
<lb n="3" type="worddiv" />
tegritatis
et
beniuoli
<lb n="4" />
uigoris
iustitiae
singu
<lb n="5" type="worddiv" />
laris
Flauio
Victori
<unclear reason="damage" >
ano
</unclear>
<lb n="6" />
com
<unclear reason="" >
i
</unclear>
t
<unclear reason="damage" >
i
</unclear>
<orig >
<unclear reason="damage" >
c
</unclear>
e
<unclear reason="damage" >
si
</unclear>
</orig>
Afric
<unclear reason="damage" >
ae
</unclear>
<lb n="7" />
quod
defesso
territo
<unclear reason="" >
rio
</unclear>
<lb n="8" />
nimia
in
<unclear reason="" >
curs
</unclear>
atione
ba
<supplied reason="lost" >
r
</supplied>
<lb n="9" />
barorum
sequens
<gap reason="lost" extent="6" unit="character" extentmax="7" />
<lb n="10" />
excubia
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
m
<unclear reason="" >
o
</unclear>
<lb n="11" type="worddiv" />
deratione
iu
<supplied reason="lost" >
dici
</supplied>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<lb n="12" type="worddiv" />
am
public
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<lb n="13" />
quam
pr
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<lb n="14" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
Lepcim
<lb n="15" type="worddiv" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
agnenses
</supplied>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>

On further examination of the photographs of this base since 1951, more of the inscription has been read.

6, It would be possible to read com(iti) et or comit(i) at the beginning of the line. The word which follows is difficult to read-diocesis would give sense, but the first four letters would have to be very cramped to fit into the space available.

7, quod defess[·· ? ··] Perhaps quod defess[...

3, beniuoli: sic

Translation:

(In honour) of [·· ? ··]allometis (or [·· ? ··]allomes). To (a man of) praiseworthy integrity, benevolent energy and remarkable justice, Flavius Victorianus, count [?of the province] of Africa, because he restored to a land wearied by excessive barbarian invasion, following [·· ? ··] of keeping watch [·· c. 14 ··] by the moderation of his judgments [·· c. 6 ··] the [·· ? ··] both of the city and private persons also [·· c. 12 ··] the Lepcimagnensians [set this up ·· ? ··]

Commentary:

Flavius Victorianus was comes Africae between 375 and 378, see CIL VIII, 10937. the activities for which he is honoured in this inscription are clearly part of the aftermath of the Austurian invasion of Tripolitania c. 363-5, see Amm. Marc. XXVIII 6 and especially 476, 526, and 571, of approximately the same date as this text.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 1006)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 1006)

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