Description:
Double stele (w: 0.45 x h: 1.87 x d: 0.45) of coarse brown limestone, culminating in two triangular points, inscribed on one face within two adjacent moulded panels (each w: 0.16 x h: 0.38). On the right side of the stele is a lightly incised rectangle with the upper short end rounded, and above it, slightly to the left, a crude disc in relief; above this, and appearing to stand on the top of the stele, an 8-spoked wheel in high relief. On the left side, opposite the wheel, is a funerary urn in high relief.  
Text:
Inscribed on one face within two adjacent moulded panels, with one line of the left-hand text being cut below its panel. 
Letters:
Irregular late capitals: (a) l. 1, 0.04; l. 2, 0.047; l. 3, 0.049; l. 4, 0.05; ll. 5-7, 0.04; l. 8, 0.055. (b) l. 1, 0.035; ll. 2-5, 0.04; l. 6, 0.036; l. 7, 0.04. 
Date:
No indication  
Findspot:
Lepcis Magna: East gate; Found 1953 by Mr. John Cassels within the circuit of the first century wall, near the presumed site of the gate, at a depth of c. 5 ft. 
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Lepcis Museum. . 
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.8. 
Text constituted from:
Transcription (Reynolds) 
a
D(is) s(acrum) m(anibus)
Claudius
Ṣṭiddin m-
onimentu-
5m fecit
se uiuo po-
sterius
suis
b
D(is) s(acrum) m(anibus)
Claudius
Ḷadas mon-
imentum
5fecit se ui-
uo poster-
isque suis
a
DSM
CLAVDIVS
··IDDINM
ONIMENTV
5MFECIT
SEVIVOPO
STERIVS
SVIS
b
DSM
CLAVDIVS
·ADASMON
IMENTVM
5FECITSEVI
VOPOSTER
ISQVESVIS
<div type="textpart" n="a" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<expan>
<abbr>
D
</abbr>
<ex>
is
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
acrum
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
m
</abbr>
<ex>
anibus
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="2" />
Claudius
<lb n="3" />
<unclear reason="" >
St
</unclear>
iddin
m
<lb n="4" type="worddiv" />
onimentu
<lb n="5" type="worddiv" />
m
fecit
<lb n="6" />
se
uiuo
po
<lb n="7" type="worddiv" />
sterius
<lb n="8" />
suis
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="b" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<expan>
<abbr>
D
</abbr>
<ex>
is
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
acrum
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
m
</abbr>
<ex>
anibus
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="2" />
Claudius
<lb n="3" />
<unclear reason="" >
L
</unclear>
adas
mon
<lb n="4" type="worddiv" />
imentum
<lb n="5" />
fecit
se
ui
<lb n="6" type="worddiv" />
uo
poster
<lb n="7" type="worddiv" />
isque
suis
</ab>
</div>

a.4, sic

a.7, sic

b.4, sic

Translation:

a Sacred to the gods below; Claudius Stiddin had the monument made in his lifetime for his descendants.

b Sacred to the gods below; Claudius Ladas had the monument made in his life time (for himself) and for his descendants.

Commentary:

a.1, b.1: . A rare order for the words of this formula; see also, however, CIL VIII, 3828.

Both cognomina appear to be of Libyan origin. For Stiddin see also 219, 236, 875, and, probably, 892, and 988; Ladas is not otherwise known. The initial letters of the name read as Stiddin are cut as S with crossbar. This letter-form has been found in a number of Latino-Libyan inscriptions in Tripolitania and has sometimes been read as F, more recently as Z (see R. Goodchild, 'The Latino-Libyan Inscriptions of Tripolitania', The Antiquaries Journal, (1950) 137). Here S with crossbar is clearly distinguished from F; and since there can be little doubt that the name intended is Stiddin (as also in 892, where the initial letters are also written as S with crossbar) it would seem reasonable to suppose that the form regularly represents ST in ligature.

Photographs:
none.

(cc) You may download this inscription in EpiDoc XML. (You may need the EpiDoc DTD v. 6 to validate this file.)