427. Building inscription of the Basilica
- Description:
- Inscribed blocks (lengths varying, 0.59; total inscription, w: 5.92 x h: 4.2) of brown limestone. There were originally 36 blocks, of which 22 survive complete and 1 in part; many are badly weathered. The text is identical with that of 428 from the interior of the Basilica.
- Text:
- Inscribed on one face.
- Letters:
- Lapidary capitals: 0.15; l. 11, 0.225.
- Date:
- A.D. 216 (titulature)
- Findspot:
- Lepcis Magna: Basilica Severiana, from the external back wall.
- Original Location:
- Unknown
- Last recorded location:
- found fallen and since replaced in position.
- Bibliography:
- Guidi, Africa Italiana (Rivista di Storia e d'Arte a cura del Ministero delle Colonie) 8 vols., Bergamo, 1927-1940 II:231 ff., plate A, figs. 1, 2; L'Année Epigraphique (Revue des Publications épigraphiques relatives à l'Antiquité romaine: annual supplement to Rev. Arch.) 1930:1 A. Degrassi. This edition taken from J. M. Reynolds and J. B. Ward-Perkins, The Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania, Rome: British School at Rome, 1952; including revisions from J. M. Reynolds, 'Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania: A Supplement', Proceedings of the British School at Rome 23 (1955), 124-147
- Text constituted from:
- Transcription (Reynolds, Ward-Perkins)
[Imp(erator)
Caes(ar)
Lucius Septimius
Seuerus Pius
Pertinax
Aug(ustus)]
[Arabicus AdiabenicusParthicus maximus Britann]-
icus maximus po[ntifex maximus] tribuniciae pote-
statis decem [e]t oct[ies imperator duo]decies co(n)s(ul)
5[ter pat]e[r] patriae proco(n)s(ul) coepit et ex maio[re par-
te perfec]it Im[p](erator) C[a]es(ar) diui Septimi Seueri Pii Arabi[ci Adia]-
[benici Parthici] maxim[i] Britannici maximi filius diui
Marci Anto[ni]ni G[ermani]ci Sarmatici nepos diui
[Antonini Pii pronepos diui] Hadriani ab[nepos]
10[diui Traiani Part]ḥic[i et d]iui Neruae ad[nepos]
[Imp(erator) Caes(ar) M]arcus Aurellius Antoninus Pius Aug(ustus)
[Parthicus] m[a]x(imus) B[ritannicus maximus Ge]rm[anicus]
[maximu]s po[ntifex] maximus tribuni]c[iae pote]-
s[tatis de]c[e]m [nouies imp(erator) ter co(n)s(ul) quater pat]er
15pa[tria]e [proco(n)s(ul) perfici curauit]
[Arabicus AdiabenicusParthicus maximus Britann]-
icus maximus po[ntifex maximus] tribuniciae pote-
statis decem [e]t oct[ies imperator duo]decies co(n)s(ul)
5[ter pat]e[r] patriae proco(n)s(ul) coepit et ex maio[re par-
te perfec]it Im[p](erator) C[a]es(ar) diui Septimi Seueri Pii Arabi[ci Adia]-
[benici Parthici] maxim[i] Britannici maximi filius diui
Marci Anto[ni]ni G[ermani]ci Sarmatici nepos diui
[Antonini Pii pronepos diui] Hadriani ab[nepos]
10[diui Traiani Part]ḥic[i et d]iui Neruae ad[nepos]
[Imp(erator) Caes(ar) M]arcus Aurellius Antoninus Pius Aug(ustus)
[Parthicus] m[a]x(imus) B[ritannicus maximus Ge]rm[anicus]
[maximu]s po[ntifex] maximus tribuni]c[iae pote]-
s[tatis de]c[e]m [nouies imp(erator) ter co(n)s(ul) quater pat]er
15pa[tria]e [proco(n)s(ul) perfici curauit]
[·········]
[······································]
ICVSMAXIMVSPO[···············]TRIBVNICIAEPOTE
STATISDECEM[··]TOCT[··················]DECIESCOS
5[········]E[··]PATRIAEPROCOSCOEPITETEXMAIO[··············]ITIM[··]C[··]ESDIVISEPTIMISEVERIPIIARABI[········]
[················]MAXIM[··]BRITANNICIMAXIMIFILIVSDIVI
MARCIANTO[···]NIG[·······]CISARMATICINEPOSDIVI
[···························]HADRIANIAB[······]
10[··········]·IC[·······]IVINERVAEAD[······]
[···········]ARCVSAVRELLIVSANTONINVSPIVSAVG
[··········]M[··]XB[······················]RM[·······]
[·······]SPO[·······]················]C[·········]
S[·········]C[··]M[···············]ER
15PA[·····]E[······]
[······································]
ICVSMAXIMVSPO[···············]TRIBVNICIAEPOTE
STATISDECEM[··]TOCT[··················]DECIESCOS
5[········]E[··]PATRIAEPROCOSCOEPITETEXMAIO[··············]ITIM[··]C[··]ESDIVISEPTIMISEVERIPIIARABI[········]
[················]MAXIM[··]BRITANNICIMAXIMIFILIVSDIVI
MARCIANTO[···]NIG[·······]CISARMATICINEPOSDIVI
[···························]HADRIANIAB[······]
10[··········]·IC[·······]IVINERVAEAD[······]
[···········]ARCVSAVRELLIVSANTONINVSPIVSAVG
[··········]M[··]XB[······················]RM[·······]
[·······]SPO[·······]················]C[·········]
S[·········]C[··]M[···············]ER
15PA[·····]E[······]
<ab>
</ab>
<lb
n="1"
/>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
<expan>
</supplied>
<abbr>
Imp
</abbr>
<ex>
</expan>
erator
</ex>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
<expan>
<abbr>
Caes
</abbr>
<ex>
</expan>
ar
</ex>
Lucius
Septimius
Seuerus
Pius
Pertinax
<expan>
</supplied>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
</expan>
ustus
</ex>
<lb
n="2"
/>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
Arabicus
Adiabenicus
Parthicus
maximus
</supplied>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
Britann
</supplied>
<lb
n="3"
type="worddiv"
/>
icus
maximus
po
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
ntifex
</supplied>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
maximus
</supplied>
tribuniciae
pote
<lb
n="4"
type="worddiv"
/>
statis
decem
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
e
</supplied>
t
oct
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
ies
</supplied>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
imperator
</supplied>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
duo
</supplied>
decies
<expan>
<abbr>
co
</abbr>
<ex>
n
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
</expan>
ul
</ex>
<lb
n="5"
/>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
ter
</supplied>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
pat
</supplied>
e
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
r
</supplied>
patriae
<expan>
<abbr>
proco
</abbr>
<ex>
n
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
</expan>
ul
</ex>
coepit
et
ex
maio
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
re
</supplied>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
par
<lb
n="6"
type="worddiv"
/>
te
</supplied>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
perfec
</supplied>
it
<expan>
<abbr>
Im
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
</abbr>
p
</supplied>
<ex>
</expan>
erator
</ex>
<expan>
<abbr>
C
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
a
</supplied>
es
</abbr>
<ex>
</expan>
ar
</ex>
diui
Septimi
Seueri
Pii
Arabi
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
ci
</supplied>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
Adia
</supplied>
<lb
n="7"
type="worddiv"
/>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
benici
</supplied>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
Parthici
</supplied>
maxim
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
i
</supplied>
Britannici
maximi
filius
diui
<lb
n="8"
/>
Marci
Anto
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
ni
</supplied>
ni
G
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
ermani
</supplied>
ci
Sarmatici
nepos
diui
<lb
n="9"
/>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
Antonini
Pii
</supplied>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
pronepos
</supplied>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
diui
</supplied>
Hadriani
ab
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
nepos
</supplied>
<lb
n="10"
/>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
diui
Traiani
</supplied>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
Part
</supplied>
<unclear
reason="damage"
>
h
</unclear>
ic
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
i
</supplied>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
et
</supplied>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
d
</supplied>
iui
Neruae
ad
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
nepos
</supplied>
<lb
n="11"
/>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
<expan>
</supplied>
<abbr>
Imp
</abbr>
<ex>
</expan>
erator
</ex>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
<expan>
</supplied>
<abbr>
Caes
</abbr>
<ex>
</expan>
ar
</ex>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
M
</supplied>
arcus
Aurellius
Antoninus
Pius
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
</expan>
ustus
</ex>
<lb
n="12"
/>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
Parthicus
</supplied>
m
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
a
</supplied>
<expan>
<abbr>
x
</abbr>
<ex>
</expan>
imus
</ex>
B
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
ritannicus
</supplied>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
maximus
</supplied>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
Ge
</supplied>
rm
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
anicus
</supplied>
<lb
n="13"
/>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
maximu
</supplied>
s
po
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
ntifex
</supplied>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
maximus
</supplied>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
tribuni
</supplied>
c
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
iae
</supplied>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
pote
</supplied>
<lb
n="14"
type="worddiv"
/>
s
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
tatis
</supplied>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
de
</supplied>
c
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
e
</supplied>
m
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
nouies
</supplied>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
<expan>
<abbr>
imp
</abbr>
<ex>
</expan>
erator
</ex>
ter
<expan>
<abbr>
co
</abbr>
<ex>
n
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
</expan>
ul
</ex>
quater
</supplied>
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
pat
</supplied>
er
<lb
n="15"
/>
pa
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
tria
</supplied>
e
<supplied
reason="lost"
>
<expan>
<abbr>
proco
</abbr>
<ex>
n
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
</expan>
ul
</ex>
perfici
curauit
</supplied>
2, [Britan]nicus, This is correct.
Translation:
[The emperor Caesar Lucius Septimius Severus Pius Pertinax Augustus, victor in Arabia, victor in Adiabene, greatest victor in Parthia,] greatest [victor in Britannia, chief] priest, holding tribunician power for the eighteenth time, acclaimed victor twelve times, consul [three times, father] of the country, proconsul, began and [substantially completed] (this); emperor Caesar, son of deified Septimius Severus Pius, victor in Arabia, victor in [Adiabene], greatest victor in [Parthia], greatest victor in Britannia, grandson of deified Marcus Antonius, victor in Germany, victor in Sarmatia, great grandson of deified [Antoninus Pius, great great grandson of deified] Hadrian, great great great grandson of [deified Trajan victor in Parthia] and of deified Nerva, [emperor Caesar M]arcus Aurellius Antoninus Pius Augustus, greatest victor in [Parthia], [greatest victor in Britannia, greatest], victor in Germany, [chief priest, holding tribunician power] for the [nineteenth time, acclaimed victor three times, consul four times, father] of the country, [proconsul arranged for its completion].
Commentary:
l. 4. trib. pot. XVIII. 10 Dec. 209 - 9 Dec. 210.
ll. 13-14. trib. pot. XVIIII. 10 Dec. 215 - 9 Dec. 216.
Photographs:
- Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 47.XI.17)
-
- Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 310)
-
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