916. Dedication to Septimius Severus, Caracalla and Geta

Description:
Block (w: 1.20 x h: 0.71 x d: 0.40) of grey limestone. 
Text:
Inscribed on one face within a narrow moulded border. 
Letters:
Lapidary capitals: 0.05-0.06. 
Date:
A.D. 201 (titulature) 
Findspot:
Bu-Ngem: Fort at Bu-Ngem (map ref. X 5206), from one of the gates of the fort. 
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Tripoli Castle.  
Bibliography:
Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum, VIII:6. 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) L(ucio) Septimio Seuero
Pio Pertinaci Aug(usto) tr(ibunicia) pot(estate) VIIII
imp(eratori) co(n)s(uli) II p(atri) p(atriae) et Imp(eratori) Caes(ari) M(arco)
Aurelio Antonino Aug(usto) tr(ibunicia) p(otestate)
5 〚IIII〛 et [L(ucio)] Septimio 〚[Getae]〛 Caes(ari)
Aug(usto) Q(uinto) Anicio Fausto leg(ato)
Augustorum consulare
〚leg(ionis) 〛 〚III〛 〚Aug(ustae)〛 〚p(iae)〛 〚u(indicis)〛
IMPCAESLSEPTIMIOSEVERO
PIOPERTINACIAVGTRPOTVIIII
IMPCOSIIPPETIMPCAESM
AVRELIOANTONINOAVGTRP
5〚IIII〛ET[··]SEPTIMIO〚[······]〛CAES
AVGQANICIOFAVSTOLEG
AVGVSTORVMCONSVLARE
〚LEG〛〚III〛〚AVG〛〚P〛〚V〛
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<expan>
<abbr>
Imp
</abbr>
<ex>
eratori
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Caes
</abbr>
<ex>
ari
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
L
</abbr>
<ex>
ucio
</ex>
</expan>
Septimio
Seuero
<lb n="2" />
Pio
Pertinaci
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usto
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
tr
</abbr>
<ex>
ibunicia
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
pot
</abbr>
<ex>
estate
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="9" >
VIIII
</num>
<lb n="3" />
<expan>
<abbr>
imp
</abbr>
<ex>
eratori
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
co
</abbr>
<ex>
n
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
uli
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="2" >
II
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
atri
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
atriae
</ex>
</expan>
et
<expan>
<abbr>
Imp
</abbr>
<ex>
eratori
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Caes
</abbr>
<ex>
ari
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
M
</abbr>
<ex>
arco
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="4" />
Aurelio
Antonino
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usto
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
tr
</abbr>
<ex>
ibunicia
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
otestate
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="5" />
<del>
<num value="4" >
IIII
</num>
</del>
et
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
L
</abbr>
<ex>
ucio
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
Septimio
<del>
<supplied reason="lost" >
Getae
</supplied>
</del>
<expan>
<abbr>
Caes
</abbr>
<ex>
ari
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="6" />
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usto
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Q
</abbr>
<ex>
uinto
</ex>
</expan>
Anicio
Fausto
<expan>
<abbr>
leg
</abbr>
<ex>
ato
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="7" />
Augustorum
consulare
<lb n="8" />
<del>
<expan>
<abbr>
leg
</abbr>
<ex>
ionis
</ex>
</expan>
</del>
<del>
<num value="3" >
III
</num>
</del>
<del>
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
ustae
</ex>
</expan>
</del>
<del>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
iae
</ex>
</expan>
</del>
<del>
<expan>
<abbr>
u
</abbr>
<ex>
indicis
</ex>
</expan>
</del>
</ab>

3, There is a space left blank for the number of imperial salutations.

5, IIII apparently deliberately erased in error.

8, Erased after the damnatio of the legion in 238.

Translation:

To emperor Caesar Lucius Septimius Severus Pius Pertinax Augustus, holding tribunician power for the ninth time, acclaimed victor ? times, consul twice, father of the country, and to emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, holding tribunician power for the fourth time (erased), and to [Lucius] Septimius Geta (erased) Caesar Augustus; set up under Quintus Anicius Faustus, legate of the Augusti, consular commander of legion III Augusta, Pia, Vindex (erased from legion).

Commentary:

l.2-3: 10 Dec. 200 - 9 Dec. 201.

l.6: see on 913.

l.6: Cos. suff. 198, PIR (2) A 595; also in 914, l. 5; 915, ll. 6-7.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DTV 56 Lastre)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DTV 56 Lastre)

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