990. Funerary inscription for Balyna

Description:
Block of limestone veined with quartz, broken at the top (w: 0.58 x h: 0.38 x d: 0.58)  
Text:
Insrcibed on one face within a sunk tabella ansata. 
Letters:
Rough capitals, with some Rustic forms: l. 1, 0.035; l. 2, 0.04; l. 3, 0.035; ll. 4, 5, 0.03; l. 6, 0.035-0.04. 
Date:
No indication. 
Findspot:
The Eastern Djebel: A barren ridge approx. 1 km. south-west of Scetib es-Sedd and 25 km. south of Cussabat (map ref. M 300, 065). Found by Mr. David Oates. 
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Tripoli Castle. 
Bibliography:
Not previously published. This edition taken from J. M. Reynolds, 'Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania: A Supplement', Proceedings of the British School at Rome 23 (1955), 124-147, no. S.18. 
Text constituted from:
Transcription (Reynolds) 
Diis mani[bus sac(rum)]
Balyn<a>e uixsit an<n>-
orum XXXVIII C(aius) Cae-
cilius Lupus uxori
5suae obsequentis<s>i-
m<a>e feccit structoriq<u>e (sic)
DIISMANI[········]
BALYN<A>EVIXSITAN<N>
ORVMXXXVIIICCAE
CILIVSLVPVSVXORI
5SVAEOBSEQVENTIS<S>I
M<A>EFECCITSTRVCTORIQ<V>E(sic)
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
Diis
mani
<supplied reason="lost" >
bus
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
sac
</abbr>
<ex>
rum
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<lb n="2" />
Balyn
<supplied reason="omitted" >
a
</supplied>
e
uixsit
an
<supplied reason="omitted" >
n
</supplied>
<lb n="3" type="worddiv" />
orum
<num value="38" >
XXXVIII
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
C
</abbr>
<ex>
aius
</ex>
</expan>
Cae
<lb n="4" type="worddiv" />
cilius
Lupus
uxori
<lb n="5" />
suae
obsequentis
<supplied reason="omitted" >
s
</supplied>
i
<lb n="6" type="worddiv" />
m
<supplied reason="omitted" >
a
</supplied>
e
feccit
structoriq
<supplied reason="omitted" >
u
</supplied>
e
<note>
sic
</note>
</ab>

6, TR ligatured.

Translation:

[Sacred] to the gods below of Balyna; she lived for thirty-eight years; Caius Caecilius Lupus had this made for his most obedient wife and for the builder.

Commentary:

The stone is said by Dr. C. Chiesa to come either from the Garian massif or from the area of Beni Ulid in the Orfella. Its findspot was probably not its original position - there were a few large stones nearby, but no sign of other dressed blocks.

l. 2. For this name cf. Baline at Cirta, CIL VIII, 7827.

l. 6. Structori presumably refers to the builder, C. Caecilius Lupus.

Photographs:
none.

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