473. Dedication to Valentinian I and Valens

Description:
Moulded marble base (w: 0.75 x h: 1.40 x d: 0.62). 
Text:
Inscribed on one face within a recessed panel (die, w: 0.48 x h: 0.76) ; uniform with 472 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 side. 
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:49. 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 ad-
que Romanae felicitatis
perpetuis fundatorib(us) d(ominis)
5 n(ostris) Valentiniano et Valen-
ti uictoriosissimis prin-
cipibus ac totius orbis
Aug(ustis) Antonius Dracon-
tius u(ir) c(larissimus) ag(ens) uic(es) praef(ectorum) praeto-
10rio per Africanas prouin-
cias numini et maiestati-
eorum semper dicatissi-
mus
IVSTITIAPARITERAC
PIETATECAELESTIBVSAD
QVEROMANAEFELICITATIS
PERPETVISFVNDATORIBD
5NVALENTINIANOETVALEN
TIVICTORIOSISSIMISPRIN
CIPIBVSACTOTIVSORBIS
AVGANTONIVSDRACON
TIVSVCAGVICPRAEFPRAETO
10RIOPERAFRICANASPROVIN
CIASNVMINIETMAIESTATI
EORVMSEMPERDICATISSI
MVS
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
Iustitia
pariter
ac
<lb n="2" />
pietate
caelestibus
ad
<lb n="3" type="worddiv" />
que
Romanae
felicitatis
<lb n="4" />
perpetuis
<expan>
<abbr>
fundatorib
</abbr>
<ex>
us
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
d
</abbr>
<ex>
ominis
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="5" />
<expan>
<abbr>
n
</abbr>
<ex>
ostris
</ex>
</expan>
Valentiniano
et
Valen
<lb n="6" type="worddiv" />
ti
uictoriosissimis
prin
<lb n="7" type="worddiv" />
cipibus
ac
totius
orbis
<lb n="8" />
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
ustis
</ex>
</expan>
Antonius
Dracon
<lb n="9" type="worddiv" />
tius
<expan>
<abbr>
u
</abbr>
<ex>
ir
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
c
</abbr>
<ex>
larissimus
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
ag
</abbr>
<ex>
ens
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
uic
</abbr>
<ex>
es
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
praef
</abbr>
<ex>
ectorum
</ex>
</expan>
praeto
<lb n="10" type="worddiv" />
rio
per
Africanas
prouin
<lb n="11" type="worddiv" />
cias
numini
et
maiestati
<lb n="12" type="worddiv" />
eorum
semper
dicatissi
<lb n="13" type="worddiv" />
mus
</ab>

5, DD NN.

8, AVGG. 364-367.

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:

ll. 8-9. Antonius Dracontius. See 472, n. 3.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 51.VII.42)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 51.VII.42)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 224 Lastre)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 224 Lastre)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 51.II.20)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 51.II.20)

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