361. Dedication to Hadrian

Description:
Monumental inscription on blocks (lengths varying, w: 0.51 x h: 0.52) of grey limestone, many of them damaged. It has proved impossible to reconstruct more than a small part of l. 2.  
Text:
Inscribed on one face. 
Letters:
Lapidary capitals: l. 1, 0 24 , l. 2, 0.16. 
Date:
A.D. 127 (titulature) 
Findspot:
Lepcis Magna: Hadrianic Baths from the facade. 
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Findspot 
Bibliography:
Not previously published. 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) 
1
Imp(eratore) Caesar[e d]iui [Tra]ian[i Par]thici f(ilio) [diui] Ner[uae] n(epote) Traia[n]o Had[riano] Aug(usto) p[on]t[(ifice) max(imo)] [tr]ib[(unicia) pot(estate)] XI [co(n)s(ule) III p(atre)] p(atriae)
2a
[·· ? ·· P(ublius)] Valerius Priscus proco(n)s(ul) per [P]opilium Cele[rem leg(atum) suum ·· ? ··]
b
[·· ? ··]ḷa auspica[uit ·· ? ··]
c
[·· ? ·· th]erm[·· ? ··]
d
[·· ? ··] publi[c·· ? ··]
e
[·· ? ··]lo fe[·· ? ··]
f
[·· ? ··]nt
g
[·· ? ··]E E[·· ? ··]
h
[·· ? ··] IN[·· ? ··]
i
[·· ? ··]NV[·· ? ··]
j
[·· ? ··] Lepc[·· ? ··]
k
[·· ? ··]AS M[·· ? ··]
l
[·· ? ··]RO[·· ? ··]
m
[·· ? ··]S LI[·· ? ··]
n
[·· ? ··]RV[·· ? ··]
o
[·· ? ··]ERVI[·· ? ··]
p
[·· ? ··]VS M[·· ? ··]
q
[·· ? ··]MOIC̣[·· ? ··]
r
[·· ? ··]LO[·· ? ··]
1
IMPCAESAR[····]IVI[····]IAN[······]THICIF[·····]NER[····]NTRAIA[··]OHAD[······]AVGP[···]T[··········][···]IB[···········]XI[···]P
2a
[·· ? ····]VALERIVSPRISCVSPROCOSPER[··]OPILIVMCELE[·········· ? ··]
b
[·· ? ··]·AAVSPICA[······ ? ··]
c
[·· ? ·····]ERM[·· ? ··]
d
[·· ? ··]PVBLI[···· ? ··]
e
[·· ? ··]LOFE[·· ? ··]
f
[·· ? ··]NT
g
[·· ? ··]E E[·· ? ··]
h
[·· ? ··]IN[·· ? ··]
i
[·· ? ··]NV[·· ? ··]
j
[·· ? ··]LEPC[·· ? ··]
k
[·· ? ··]AS M[·· ? ··]
l
[·· ? ··]RO[·· ? ··]
m
[·· ? ··]S LI[·· ? ··]
n
[·· ? ··]RV[·· ? ··]
o
[·· ? ··]ERVI[·· ? ··]
p
[·· ? ··]VS M[·· ? ··]
q
[·· ? ··]MOI·[·· ? ··]
r
[·· ? ··]LO[·· ? ··]
<div type="textpart" n="1" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<expan>
<abbr>
Imp
</abbr>
<ex>
eratore
</ex>
</expan>
Caesar
<supplied reason="lost" >
e
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
d
</supplied>
iui
<supplied reason="lost" >
Tra
</supplied>
ian
<supplied reason="lost" >
i
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
Par
</supplied>
thici
<expan>
<abbr>
f
</abbr>
<ex>
ilio
</ex>
</expan>
<supplied reason="lost" >
diui
</supplied>
Ner
<supplied reason="lost" >
uae
</supplied>
<expan>
<abbr>
n
</abbr>
<ex>
epote
</ex>
</expan>
Traia
<supplied reason="lost" >
n
</supplied>
o
Had
<supplied reason="lost" >
riano
</supplied>
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usto
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
<supplied reason="lost" >
on
</supplied>
t
</abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<ex>
ifice
</ex>
</supplied>
</expan>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
max
</abbr>
<ex>
imo
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<expan>
<abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
tr
</supplied>
ib
</abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<ex>
unicia
</ex>
</supplied>
</expan>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
pot
</abbr>
<ex>
estate
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<num value="11" >
XI
</num>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
co
</abbr>
<ex>
n
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
ule
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="3" >
III
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
atre
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
atriae
</ex>
</expan>
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="2" >
<div type="textpart" n="a" >
<ab>
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
P
</abbr>
<ex>
ublius
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
Valerius
Priscus
<expan>
<abbr>
proco
</abbr>
<ex>
n
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
ul
</ex>
</expan>
per
<supplied reason="lost" >
P
</supplied>
opilium
Cele
<supplied reason="lost" >
rem
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
leg
</abbr>
<ex>
atum
</ex>
</expan>
suum
</supplied>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="b" >
<ab>
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<unclear reason="" >
l
</unclear>
a
auspica
<supplied reason="lost" >
uit
</supplied>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="c" >
<ab>
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
th
</supplied>
erm
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="d" >
<ab>
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
publi
<supplied reason="lost" >
c
</supplied>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="e" >
<ab>
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
lo
fe
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="f" >
<ab>
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
nt
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="g" >
<ab>
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<orig >
e e
</orig>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="h" >
<ab>
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<orig >
in
</orig>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="i" >
<ab>
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<orig >
nu
</orig>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="j" >
<ab>
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
Lepc
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="k" >
<ab>
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<orig >
as m
</orig>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="l" >
<ab>
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<orig >
ro
</orig>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="m" >
<ab>
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<orig >
s li
</orig>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="n" >
<ab>
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<orig >
ru
</orig>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="o" >
<ab>
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<orig >
erui
</orig>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="p" >
<ab>
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<orig >
us m
</orig>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="q" >
<ab>
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<orig >
moi
<unclear reason="" >
c
</unclear>
</orig>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="r" >
<ab>
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<orig >
lo
</orig>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
</div>

1.1, That Hadrian is here wrongly given the title pater patriae seems the only explanation of the letter P followed by a space, at the left end of a block, clearly the last of a group of letters.

Translation:

(1) When emperor Caesar Trajan Hadrian Augustus, son of deified Trajan, victor in Parthia, grandson of deified Nerva, was [chief priest], holding tribunician [power] for the eleventh time, [consul for the third, father] of the country [·· ? ··]

(2.a.)[·· ? ···· ? ··]b.[·· ? ··Publius] Valerius Priscus proconsul, employing Popilius Celer his legate [·· ? ··]

c. ? took the auspices [·· ? ··] baths [·· ? ··] d.[·· ? ··] public[·· ? ··] j.[·· ? ··] Lepcitanian [·· ? ··]

The other fragments are not usefully translatable.

Commentary:

1) l. 1. trib. pot. XI - 10 Dec 126 - 9 Dec. 127.

2) l. 1. P. Valerius Priscus. Cos. an. inc. under Trajan = PIR1V 116.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 1629 Leica)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 1629 Leica)

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