472. Dedication to Valentinian I and Valens

Description:
Moulded marble base (w: 1.00 x h: 1.55 x d: 1.00). 
Text:
Inscribed on one face within a recessed panel (die, w: 0.47 x h: 0.64); uniform with 473 and closely related to 57, 58. 
Letters:
Fourth century A.D. capitals: 0.04-0.05  
Date:
A.D. 364-367 (reign) 
Findspot:
Lepcis Magna: Forum Severianum, North Portico. 
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Findspot 
Bibliography:
Bartoccini, Africa Italiana (Rivista di Storia e d'Arte a cura del Ministero delle Colonie) 8 vols., Bergamo, 1927-1940, II:48; L'Année Epigraphique (Revue des Publications épigraphiques relatives à l'Antiquité romaine: annual supplement to Rev. Arch.) 1929:5. 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) 
Iustitia pariter ac
pietate caelestibus adq(ue)
Romanae felicitatis perpe-
tuis fundatoribus d(ominis) n(nostris)
5Valentiniano et Valenti
uictoriosissimis principi-
bus ac totius orbis Aug(ustis)
Antonius Dracontius u(ir) c(larissimus)
ag(ens) uic(es) praef(ectorum) praetorio per
10Africanas prouincias ni-
mini et maiestati eorum
semper dicatissimus
IVSTITIAPARITERAC
PIETATECAELESTIBVSADQ
ROMANAEFELICITATISPERPE
TVISFVNDATORIBVSDN
5VALENTINIANOETVALENTI
VICTORIOSISSIMISPRINCIPI
BVSACTOTIVSORBISAVG
ANTONIVSDRACONTIVSVC
AGVICPRAEFPRAETORIOPER
10AFRICANASPROVINCIASNI
MINIETMAIESTATIEORVM
SEMPERDICATISSIMVS
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
Iustitia
pariter
ac
<lb n="2" />
pietate
caelestibus
<expan>
<abbr>
adq
</abbr>
<ex>
ue
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="3" />
Romanae
felicitatis
perpe
<lb n="4" type="worddiv" />
tuis
fundatoribus
<expan>
<abbr>
d
</abbr>
<ex>
ominis
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
n
</abbr>
<ex>
nostris
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="5" />
Valentiniano
et
Valenti
<lb n="6" />
uictoriosissimis
principi
<lb n="7" type="worddiv" />
bus
ac
totius
orbis
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
ustis
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="8" />
Antonius
Dracontius
<expan>
<abbr>
u
</abbr>
<ex>
ir
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
c
</abbr>
<ex>
larissimus
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="9" />
<expan>
<abbr>
ag
</abbr>
<ex>
ens
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
uic
</abbr>
<ex>
es
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
praef
</abbr>
<ex>
ectorum
</ex>
</expan>
praetorio
per
<lb n="10" />
Africanas
prouincias
ni
<lb n="11" type="worddiv" />
mini
et
maiestati
eorum
<lb n="12" />
semper
dicatissimus
</ab>

4, DD NN.

7, AVGG: 364-367.

10, sic

Translation:

To (those) equally godlike in justice and piety and perpetual founders of Roman good fortune, our lords Valentinian and Valens, most victorious emperors and Augusti of the whole world; Antonius Dracontius, splendid man (i.e. of senatorial status), deputy for the praetorian prefects throughout the African provinces, always deeply devoted to their divine power and majesty, (set this up).

Commentary:

l. 8. Antonius Dracontius. PW V 1635 3 vicarius 364.367: also in 57, ll. 7.13, 58, ll. 8.14; 473, ll. 8.12.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 223 lastre)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 223 lastre)

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