571. Fragmentary honours for Flavius Vivus Benedictus

Description:
Eight fragments of a moulded marble base, found scattered and recomposed, and since again scattered (together, w: 0.95 x h: 0.62).  
Text:
Inscribed on one face: l. 1, on the upper edge: ll. 2-3, on one of the upper mouldings; ll. 4-14, within a moulded panel (die, h: 0.43 wide) from which a previous text has been erased; l. 15, below the die. 
Letters:
Fourth century A.D. capitals: l. 1, 0.045; ll. 2-3, 0.02: ll. 4-14, 0.04-0.05; l. 15, 0.02. 
Date:
A.D. 378. consuls.  
Findspot:
Lepcis Magna: Forum Severianum, East Portico.  
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Findspot 
Bibliography:
A. Degrassi, Quaderni di Archeologia della Libia, Roma (Ministero dell'Africa Italiana), vol. I, 1950, III 1954 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) 
[Be]nedictii u(iri) p̣(erfectissimi)
[Ded]icata die nouem Iuniarum d(ominis) n(ostris) Valente VI et
Valentiniano II Aug(ustis) cons(ulibus)
[Flaui]o Viuio [Ben]edi[cto] u(iro) p(erfectissimo)
5[p]raesidi pro[uinc(iae) Tripol(itanae)]
te[n]aci iustitia[e] in]
terpraeti iur[is i]nno-
ce[n]tium [f]autori
uindici liber[t]atis no-
10xiorum omnium [pe]rcuss
sori ordo splen[did(issimus)] civit(atis)
Lepcima[gnensium] patro-
no c̣[·· ? ··]
[·· ? ··]POỊGAV[·· ? ··]
15[·· ? ··] dign((?)-) et patr((?)-) ṾF̣Ị[·· ? ··]
[···]NEDICTIIV·
[····]ICATADIENOVEMIVNIARVMDNVALENTEVIET
VALENTINIANOIIAVGGCONSS
[······]OVIVIO[····]EDI[····]VP
5[··]RAESIDIPRO[················]
TE[··]ACIIVSTITIA[··]···]
TERPRAETIIVR[·····]NNO
CE[··]TIVM[··]AVTORI
VINDICILIBER[··]ATISNO
10XIORVMOMNIVM[···]RCVSS
SORIORDOSPLEN[············]CIVIT
LEPCIMA[·········]PATRO
NO·[·· ? ··]
[·· ? ··]PO·GAV[·· ? ··]
15[·· ? ··]DIGNETPATR···[·· ? ··]
(Degrassi, loc cit., ll. 7-13): TE[··]ACIIVSTITIA[·····]
TER[··]RAETIINNO
CE[··]TIVM[·········]AVTORI
VINDICILIBER[··]ATISNO
10XIORVMOMNIVM[···]RCVSSO
RIORDOSPLEND[···]ISSIMVS·····]T
LEPCIMA[········]
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
Be
</supplied>
nedictii
<expan>
<abbr>
u
</abbr>
<ex>
iri
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
<unclear reason="damage" >
p
</unclear>
</abbr>
<ex>
erfectissimi
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="2" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
Ded
</supplied>
icata
die
nouem
Iuniarum
<expan>
<abbr>
d
</abbr>
<ex>
ominis
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
n
</abbr>
<ex>
ostris
</ex>
</expan>
Valente
<num value="6" >
VI
</num>
et
<lb n="3" />
Valentiniano
<num value="2" >
II
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
<am>
g
</am>
</abbr>
<ex>
ustis
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
cons
<am>
s
</am>
</abbr>
<ex>
ulibus
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="4" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
Flaui
</supplied>
o
Viuio
<supplied reason="lost" >
Ben
</supplied>
edi
<supplied reason="lost" >
cto
</supplied>
<expan>
<abbr>
u
</abbr>
<ex>
iro
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
erfectissimo
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="5" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
p
</supplied>
raesidi
<expan>
<abbr>
pro
<supplied reason="lost" >
uinc
</supplied>
</abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<ex>
iae
</ex>
</supplied>
</expan>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
Tripol
</abbr>
<ex>
itanae
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<lb n="6" />
te
<supplied reason="lost" >
n
</supplied>
aci
iustitia
<supplied reason="lost" >
e
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
in
</supplied>
<lb n="7" />
terpraeti
iur
<supplied reason="lost" >
is
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
i
</supplied>
nno
<lb n="8" type="worddiv" />
ce
<supplied reason="lost" >
n
</supplied>
tium
<supplied reason="lost" >
f
</supplied>
autori
<lb n="9" />
uindici
liber
<supplied reason="lost" >
t
</supplied>
atis
no
<lb n="10" type="worddiv" />
xiorum
omnium
<supplied reason="lost" >
pe
</supplied>
rcuss
<lb n="11" />
sori
ordo
<expan>
<abbr>
splen
<supplied reason="lost" >
did
</supplied>
</abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<ex>
issimus
</ex>
</supplied>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
civit
</abbr>
<ex>
atis
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="12" />
Lepcima
<supplied reason="lost" >
gnensium
</supplied>
patro
<lb n="13" type="worddiv" />
no
<unclear reason="" >
c
</unclear>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<lb n="14" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<orig >
po
<unclear reason="damage" >
i
</unclear>
gav
</orig>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<lb n="15" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<expan>
<abbr>
dign
</abbr>
<ex> </ex>
</expan>
et
<expan>
<abbr>
patr
</abbr>
<ex> </ex>
</expan>
<orig >
<unclear reason="damage" >
vfi
</unclear>
</orig>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
<ab>
<note>
Degrassi, loc cit., ll. 7-13
</note>
:
<lb n="6" />
te
<supplied reason="lost" >
n
</supplied>
aci iustitia
<supplied reason="lost" >
e in
</supplied>
<lb n="7" />
ter
<supplied reason="lost" >
p
</supplied>
raeti inno
<lb n="8" />
ce
<supplied reason="lost" >
n
</supplied>
tium
<supplied reason="lost" >
ciuium f
</supplied>
autori
<lb n="9" />
uindici liber
<supplied reason="lost" >
t
</supplied>
atis no
<lb n="10" />
xiorum omnium
<supplied reason="lost" >
pe
</supplied>
rcusso
<lb n="11" />
ri ordo
<expan>
<abbr>
splend
<supplied reason="lost" >
id
</supplied>
</abbr>
issimus
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
ciui
</supplied>
t
</abbr>
<ex>
atis
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="12" />
Lepcima
<supplied reason="lost" >
gensium
</supplied>
</ab>
<ab>
</ab>

Reconstructed Text

(Degrassi, loc cit., ll. 7-13): te[n]aci iustitia[e in]
ter[p]raeti inno
ce[n]tium [ciuium f]autori
uindici liber[t]atis no
10xiorum omnium [pe]rcusso
ri ordo splend[id]issimus ciui]t(atis)
Lepcima[gensium]

Degrassi, loc cit., ll. 7-13: |te[n]aci iustitia[e in] |ter[p]raeti inno |ce[n]tium [ciuium f]autori |uindici liber[t]atis no |xiorum omnium [pe]rcusso |ri ordo splend[id]issimus [ciui]t(atis) |Lepcima[gensium]. Degrassi was right to question the IRT reading, which was made before the fragments of the monument had been reassembled. The stone has been re-examined by Mr. Goodchild, whose reading (used here) modifies Degrassi's proposals, particularly ll. 8 and 9.

Translation:

(In honour) of Benedictius, excellent man (of equestrian status). Dedicated on the ninth day of June, in the consulship of our lords the Augusti, Valens for the sixth time, Valentinian for the second. To Flavius Vivius Benedictus, excellent man (of equestrian status), governor of the province of Tripolitania, steadfast in justice, interpreter of the law, supporter of the innocent, defender of freedom, scourge of all criminals, the most splendid city-council [·· ? ··] of the Lepcimagnensians, to their patron [·· ? ··]

Commentary:

ll. 1, 4. Flavius Vivius Benedictus, PW III, 271; also in 103; 476, ll. 6-7.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 81)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 81)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR

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