977. Fragmentary building inscription
- Description:
- Fragment, possibly from the lower part, of a marble base (w: 0.38 x h: 0.27 x d: 0.19)
- Text:
- Inscribed on one face (surviving surface, w: 0.29 x h: 0.25).
- Letters:
- Late second or early third century; rustic capitals, closely resembling those of 525: l. 1, not measurable; l. 2, 3, 0.048; l. 4, 0.045.
- Date:
- Late second or early third century A.D. (lettering)
- Findspot:
- Lepcis Magna: Forum Severianum.
- Original Location:
- Unknown
- Last recorded location:
- Now in one of the tabernae of the East Portico of the Forum Severianum.2
- Bibliography:
- Not previously published. This edition taken from J. M. Reynolds, 'Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania: A Supplement', Proceedings of the British School at Rome 23 (1955), 124-147, no. S.5.
- Text constituted from:
- Transcription (Reynolds)
Translation:
[·· ? ··emperor] Caesar Marcus (case unknown) [·· ? ··] Augusti (case unknown but probably genitive) and Caecilia (?Caecilianus; case unknown but quite probably nominative) [·· ? ··] military tribune of cohort II miliaria Mon[?tanorum·· ? ··] had it made [·· ? ··]
Commentary:
l.2: AVGG. The lettering is of the late second or early third century; the emperors might therefore be M. Aurelius and Verus, M. Aurelius and Commodus, Septimius Severus and Caracalla, Caracalla and Geta; but if Commodus or Geta were involved in the second G of AVGG would probably have been erased. On grounds of lettering, Septimius Severus and Caracalla seem the most likely pair.
l.3: Presumably Mon(tanorum); otherwise unknown. .
It seems possible that the inscription records the erection of a monument (see fec[?erunt] in l. 4) by two men, each of whom had followed careers in the imperial services. The first, whose name is entirely lost, would appear to have reached a rank such as procurator Augustorum. The second, perhaps named Caecilia[nus], had passed through the militia equestris and possibly proceeded to an office, presumably as procurator, in a province whose name ends -atia (e.g. Galatia or Dalmatia).
- Photographs:
- none.
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