430. Fragmentary dedication to Septimius Severus and family

Description:
17 fragments (the largest w: 0.18 x h: 0.13, no edges surviving) all probably from the same marble panel ( x d: 0.02-0.023 thick). 
Text:
Inscribed on one face. 
Letters:
Mannered Rustic capitals: 0.07. 
Date:
A.D. 198-210 (reign) 
Findspot:
Lepcis Magna: Forum Vetus. 
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Lepcis Museum. 
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) 
a
[·· ? ··]ṣṭo [·· ? ··]
[·· ? ··〚··〛·· ? ··]
b
[·· ? ··]mp[·· ? ··]
c
[·· ? ··]o aḍ[·· ? ··]
d
[·· ? ··]abẹ[·· ? ··]
e
[·· ? ··]nic[·· ? ··]
[·· ? ··〚···〛·· ? ··]
f
[·· ? ··]ico[·· ? ··]
g
[·· ? ··]ṃo 〚[·〛·· ? ··]
[·· ? ··〚···〛·· ? ··]
h
[·· ? ··〚···〛·· ? ··]
[·· ? ··]ug̣[·· ? ··]
i
[·· ? ··]ụṣtị[·· ? ··]
j
[·· ? ··〚··〛·· ? ··]
[---]
k
[·· ? ··]ọrụ[·· ? ··]
[·· ? ··〚··〛 ·· ? ··]
l
[·· ? ··]ṇt[·· ? ··]
m
[·· ? ··]con[·· ? ··]
n
[·· ? ··]t epị[·· ? ··]
o
[·· ? ··]o[·· ? ··]
[·· ? ··]t[·· ? ··]
p
[·· ? ··]tim[·· ? ··]
q
[·· ? ··]in[·· ? ··]
a
[·· ? ··]··O[·· ? ··]
[·· ? ··〚··〛·· ? ··]
b
[·· ? ··]MP[·· ? ··]
c
[·· ? ··]OA·[·· ? ··]
d
[·· ? ··]AB·[·· ? ··]
e
[·· ? ··]NIC[·· ? ··]
[·· ? ··〚···〛·· ? ··]
f
[·· ? ··]ICO[·· ? ··]
g
[·· ? ··]·O〚[·〛·· ? ··]
[·· ? ··〚···〛·· ? ··]
h
[·· ? ··〚···〛·· ? ··]
[·· ? ··]V·[·· ? ··]
i
[·· ? ··]··T·[·· ? ··]
j
[·· ? ··〚··〛·· ? ··]
[---]
k
[·· ? ··]·R·[·· ? ··]
[·· ? ··〚··〛·· ? ··]
l
[·· ? ··]·T[·· ? ··]
m
[·· ? ··]CON[·· ? ··]
n
[·· ? ··]TEP·[·· ? ··]
o
[·· ? ··]O[·· ? ··]
[·· ? ··]T[·· ? ··]
p
[·· ? ··]TIM[·· ? ··]
q
[·· ? ··]IN[·· ? ··]
IMPCAESLSEPTIMIOSEVEROPIOPERTAVGVSTOARABICOADIABENICOPARTHICOMAXIMOET
IMPCAESMAVRANTONINOAVGPARTHMAXIMOETPSEPTIMIOGETAENOBILISSIMOCAESARIET
IVLIAEDOMNAEAVGVSTAEMATRIAVGVSTORVMMATRICASTRORVMCONIVGIAVGVSTINOSTRI
[·]
<div type="textpart" n="a" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<unclear reason="" >
st
</unclear>
o
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<del>
<gap reason="lost" extent="2" unit="character" />
</del>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="b" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
mp
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="c" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
o
a
<unclear reason="damage" >
d
</unclear>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="d" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
ab
<unclear reason="damage" >
e
</unclear>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="e" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
nic
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<del>
<gap reason="lost" extent="3" unit="character" />
</del>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="f" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
ico
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="g" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<unclear reason="damage" >
m
</unclear>
o
<del>
<gap reason="lost" extent="1" unit="character" />
</del>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<del>
<gap reason="lost" extent="3" unit="character" />
</del>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="h" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<del>
<gap reason="lost" extent="3" unit="character" />
</del>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
u
<unclear reason="damage" >
g
</unclear>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="i" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<unclear reason="damage" >
us
</unclear>
t
<unclear reason="damage" >
i
</unclear>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="j" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<del>
<gap reason="lost" extent="2" unit="character" />
</del>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="1" unit="line" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="k" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<unclear reason="damage" >
o
</unclear>
r
<unclear reason="damage" >
u
</unclear>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<del>
<gap reason="lost" extent="2" unit="character" />
</del>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="l" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<unclear reason="damage" >
n
</unclear>
t
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="m" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
con
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="n" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
t
ep
<unclear reason="damage" >
i
</unclear>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="o" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
o
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
t
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="p" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
tim
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="q" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
in
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<expan>
<abbr>
Imp
</abbr>
<ex>
eratori
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Caes
</abbr>
<ex>
ari
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
L
</abbr>
<ex>
ucio
</ex>
</expan>
Septimio
Seuero
Pio
<expan>
<abbr>
Pert
</abbr>
<ex>
inaci
</ex>
</expan>
Augusto
Arabico
Adiabenico
Parthico
maximo
et
<lb n="2" />
<expan>
<abbr>
Imp
</abbr>
<ex>
eratori
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Caes
</abbr>
<ex>
ari
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
M
</abbr>
<ex>
arco
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Aur
</abbr>
<ex>
elio
</ex>
</expan>
Antonino
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usto
</ex>
<expan>
<abbr>
Parth
</abbr>
<ex>
ico
</ex>
</expan>
maximo
et
<expan>
<abbr>
P
</abbr>
<ex>
ublio
</ex>
</expan>
Septimio
Getae
nobilissimo
Caesari
et
<lb n="3" />
Iuliae
Domnae
Augustae
matri
Augustorum
matri
castrorum
coniugi
Augusti
nostri
<lb n="4" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
<del>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</del>
</supplied>
</ab>

Reconstructed Text

Imp(eratori) Caes(ari) L(ucio) Septimio Seuero Pio Pert(inaci) Augusto Arabico Adiabenico Parthico maximo et
Imp(eratori) Caes(ari) M(arco) Aur(elio) Antonino Aug(usto) Parth(ico) maximo et P(ublio) Septimio Getae nobilissimo Caesari et
Iuliae Domnae Augustae matri Augustorum matri castrorum coniugi Augusti nostri
[〚[·· ? ··]〛]

A complete reconstruction is impossible, but the titles of Septimius Severus and probably of Caracalla and Julia Domna, with the erased name of Geta, are discernible; an erasure apparently below the titles of Julia Domna may indicate the inclusion of C. Fulvius Plautianus or Fulvia Plautilla.

Translation:

(Translation of the partial reconstruction). To emperor Caesar Lucius Septimius Severus Pius Pertinax Augustus, victor in Arabia, victor in Adiabene, greatest victor in Parthia, and emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, greatest victor in Parthia, and Publius Septimius Geta, most noble Caesar, and Julia Domna Augusta, mother of the Augusti, mother of the camps, wife of our Augustus [·· ? ··]

Commentary:

No comment.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 48.XXIII.16)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 48.XXIII.16)

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