321. Dedication to Augustus

Description:
Lintel (w: 3.16 x h: 0.82) of grey limestone, inscribed on one face within a moulded tabella ansata. Two lines of Neo-Punic follow the Latin text (Neo-Punic 30). The Neo-Punic text is a literal translation of the Latin.  
Text:
Inscribed on one face. 
Letters:
Lapidary capitals: 0.08. 
Date:
A.D. 1-2. (reign, titulature) 
Findspot:
Lepcis Magna: Theatre, in situ above the door leading from the orchestra into the West lateral corridor. Uniform with 322, 323.  
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Theatre, in situ above the door leading from the orchestra into the West lateral corridor. 
Bibliography:
Caputo, Africa Italiana (Rivista di Storia e d'Arte a cura del Ministero delle Colonie) 8 vols., Bergamo, 1927-1940 VI:95ff., fig. 4; L'Année Epigraphique (Revue des Publications épigraphiques relatives à l'Antiquité romaine: annual supplement to Rev. Arch.) 1938:3; Aurigemma, Africa Italiana (Rivista di Storia e d'Arte a cura del Ministero delle Colonie) 8 vols., Bergamo, 1927-1940 VIII:16; Levi Della Vida, Africa Italiana (Rivista di Storia e d'Arte a cura del Ministero delle Colonie) 8 vols., Bergamo, 1927-1940 VI:104 ff. (Neo- Punic text). 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(eratore) Caesare Diui f(ilio) Aug(usto) pont(ifice) max(imo) tr(ibunicia) pot(estate) XXIV co(n)s(ule) XIII patre patr(iae)
Annobal Rufus ornator patriae amator concordiae
flamen sufes praef(ectus) sacr(orum) Himilchonis Tapapi f(ilius) d(e) s(ua) p(ecunia) fac(iendum) coer(auit)
idemq(ue) dedicauit
IMPCAESAREDIVIFAVGPONTMAXTRPOTXXIVCOSXIIIPATREPATR
ANNOBALRVFVSORNATORPATRIAEAMATORCONCORDIAE
FLAMENSVFESPRAEFSACRHIMILCHONISTAPAPIFDSPFACCOER
IDEMQDEDICAVIT
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<expan>
<abbr>
Imp
</abbr>
<ex>
eratore
</ex>
</expan>
Caesare
Diui
<expan>
<abbr>
f
</abbr>
<ex>
ilio
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usto
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
pont
</abbr>
<ex>
ifice
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
max
</abbr>
<ex>
imo
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
tr
</abbr>
<ex>
ibunicia
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
pot
</abbr>
<ex>
estate
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="24" >
XXIV
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
co
</abbr>
<ex>
n
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
ule
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="13" >
XIII
</num>
patre
<expan>
<abbr>
patr
</abbr>
<ex>
iae
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="2" />
Annobal
Rufus
ornator
patriae
amator
concordiae
<lb n="3" />
flamen
sufes
<expan>
<abbr>
praef
</abbr>
<ex>
ectus
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
sacr
</abbr>
<ex>
orum
</ex>
</expan>
Himilchonis
Tapapi
<expan>
<abbr>
f
</abbr>
<ex>
ilius
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
d
</abbr>
<ex>
e
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
ua
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
ecunia
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
fac
</abbr>
<ex>
iendum
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
coer
</abbr>
<ex>
auit
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="4" />
<expan>
<abbr>
idemq
</abbr>
<ex>
ue
</ex>
</expan>
dedicauit
</ab>

Translation:

When Emperor Caesar Augustus, son of the deified (Caesar), chief priest, (was) holding tribunician power for the twenty-fourth time, consul for the thirteenth, father of the country, Annobal Rufus, adorner of his country, lover of concord, flamen (local priest), sufete, in charged of sacred things, son of Himilcho Tapapius, saw to the construction at his own expense and also dedicated it.

Commentary:

l. 1. trib. pot. XXIV - 1 July- A.D. 1 - 30 June 2.

l. 3. Annobal Tapapius Rufus. See 319 , n. 3.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 247 Leica)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 247 Leica)

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