399. Fragmentary dedication to Septimius Severus

Description:
Moulded base (w: 0.60 x h: 1.20 x d: 0.57) of brown limestone, the lower part broken; the surface of which is much abraded.  
Text:
Inscribed within a moulded panel (die, w: 0.10 x h: 0.65), 
Letters:
Rustic capitals: 0.045-0.05. 
Date:
A.D. 198-210 (reign)  
Findspot:
Lepcis Magna: Theatre.  
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Findspot 
Bibliography:
P. Romanelli, Leptis Magna (Africae Italiana: Monografie a cura del Ministero delle Colonie, 1), Roma, 1925, 135-6. 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
[S]euero Pio
[Per]t[i]nac[i] Aug(usto)
[Arab(ico) Adiab]en-
5[ico Parth(ico)] maximo
[pont(ifici) max(imo)] trib(unicia)
[pot(estate) - - - ] imp(eratori) XI
[co(n)s(uli) - - - ] [p]roco(n)s(uli)
[Lep]cịṭạn[i]
10 [---]
[····]SEPTIMIO
[··]EVEROPIO
[····]T[··]NAC[··]AVG
[···········]EN
5[··········]MAXIMO
[·····]TRIB
[···· - - - ]IMPXI
[··· - - - ][··]ROCOS
[····]C···N[··]
10[---]
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
Imp
</abbr>
<ex>
eratori
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Caes
</abbr>
<ex>
ari
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
L
</abbr>
<ex>
ucio
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
Septimio
<lb n="2" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
S
</supplied>
euero
Pio
<lb n="3" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
Per
</supplied>
t
<supplied reason="lost" >
i
</supplied>
nac
<supplied reason="lost" >
i
</supplied>
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usto
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="4" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
Arab
</abbr>
<ex>
ico
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
Adiab
</supplied>
en
<lb n="5" type="worddiv" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
ico
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
Parth
</abbr>
<ex>
ico
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
maximo
<lb n="6" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
pont
</abbr>
<ex>
ifici
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
max
</abbr>
<ex>
imo
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<expan>
<abbr>
trib
</abbr>
<ex>
unicia
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="7" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
pot
</abbr>
<ex>
estate
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<num >
<gap reason="lost" extent="1" unit="character" extentmax="4" />
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
imp
</abbr>
<ex>
eratori
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="11" >
XI
</num>
<lb n="8" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
co
</abbr>
<ex>
n
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
uli
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<num >
<gap reason="lost" extent="1" unit="character" extentmax="4" />
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
p
</supplied>
roco
</abbr>
<ex>
n
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
uli
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="9" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
Lep
</supplied>
c
<unclear reason="" >
ita
</unclear>
n
<supplied reason="lost" >
i
</supplied>
<lb n="10" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="line" />
</ab>

7, Imp. XI, 198; imp. XII is a possible reading.

Translation:

To [Emperor Caesar Lucius] Septimius Severus Pius Pertinax Augustus, [victor in Arabia, victor in Adiab]en[e, ], greatest [victor in Parthia, chief priest], holding tribunician [power for the ·· ? ·· time], acclaimed victor eleven (?twelve) times, [consul ·· ? ·· times], proconsul; the Lepcitanians [·· ? ··]

Commentary:

No comment.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 342 Leica)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 342 Leica)

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