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Inscription #

534. Building inscription for the proscaenium of the Theatre

Description:: a) Marble architrave blocks from the lowest order of each of the six projecting elements of the scaenae frons of the Theatre (surviving length, together w: 29.42 x ). Found fallen and re-used as steps: now restored to their original position. b) Fragments, possibly from the corresponding architrave block over the central door.
Text:: Inscribed on one face.
Letters:: a) Lapidary capitals: 0.18. b 1) Lettering: 0.14; 2) Lettering: 0.17.
Date:: 145 A.D. (prosopography)
Findspot:: Lepcis Magna:
Original Location:: Unknown
Last recorded location:: Now restored to their original position.
Bibliography:: A. Degrassi, Quaderni di Archeologia della Libia, Roma (Ministero dell'Africa Italiana), vol. I, 1950, III 1954 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)

Proṣc̣ạẹṇịụṃ columnis [e]t marmoribus ex (sestertiis) CC a Marcio Vitale itemque ex (sestertiis) CCC a Iunio Galba in eam rem pec(unia) publ(ica) exornatum dedicatum est L(ucio) Hedio Rufọ [Lo]lliano Auito proco(n)s(- - -)(ule) C(aio) Vibio Gallione Claudio Seue[ro] leg(ato)

[·· ? ··]NA[·· ? ··]

[·· ? ··]LAC[·· ? ··]

PRO········COLVMNIS[··]TMARMORIBVSEX sestertius CCAMARCIOVITALEITEMQVEEX sestertius CCCAIVNIOGALBAINEAMREMPECPVBLEXORNATVMDEDICATVMESTLHEDIORVF·[···]LLIANOAVITOPROCOS(- - -)CVIBIOGALLIONECLAVDIOSEVE[···]LEG

[·· ? ··]NA[·· ? ··]

[·· ? ··]LAC[·· ? ··]

<ab>

Pro

scaenium

</unclear>

columnis

</supplied>

marmoribus

<expan>

<abbr>

<am>

</am>

</abbr>

<ex>

sestertiis

</ex>

</expan>

</num>

Marcio

Vitale

itemque

<expan>

<abbr>

<am>

</am>

</abbr>

<ex>

sestertiis

</ex>

</expan>

CCC

</num>

Iunio

Galba

eam

rem

<expan>

<abbr>

pec

</abbr>

<ex>

unia

</ex>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

publ

</abbr>

<ex>

ica

</ex>

</expan>

exornatum

dedicatum

est

<expan>

<abbr>

</abbr>

<ex>

ucio

</ex>

</expan>

Hedio

Ruf

</unclear>

</supplied>

lliano

Auito

<abbr>

<expan>

<abbr>

proco

</abbr>

<ex>

</ex>

<abbr>

</abbr>

</expan>

</abbr>

<expan>

<ex>

ule

</ex>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

</abbr>

<ex>

aio

</ex>

</expan>

Vibio

Gallione

Clau

dio

Seue

</supplied>

<expan>

<abbr>

leg

</abbr>

<ex>

ato

</ex>

</expan>

</ab>

</div>

<ab>

<orig >

</orig>

</ab>

</div>

<ab>

<orig >

lac

</orig>

</ab>

</div>

a, Vertical lines indicate the interrupting bays.

a.1, rem: There may be a lacuna here, at the point where the central bay interrupts; see b).

a.1, CC and CCC, Degrassi: this is correct.

Translation:

(a) The theatre-stage was decorated with columns and marbles by Marcius Vitalis who spent 200,000 sesterces, and Junius Galba who spent 300,000 sesterces of public money on the work; it was dedicated when Lucius Hedius Rufus Lollianus Avitus was proconsul, [and] Caius Vibius Gallio Claudius Severus, was his legate. (b) Not usefully translatable.