Description:
Moulded marble base (w: 1.19 x h: 1.19 x d: 1.46). 
Text:
Inscribed on one face (die, w: 0.93 x h: 0.83). 
Letters:
Fourth century A.D. capitals: 0.045-0.025. 
Date:
A.D. 317 (prosopography) 
Findspot:
Lepcis Magna: Forum Vetus, found re-used on the right of the nave in front of the altar of Church II. 
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Findspot 
Bibliography:
Bartoccini, Rivista di Archeologia cristiana della Pontificia Commissione di Archeologia sacra VIII:34 ff., fig. 8; L'Année Epigraphique (Revue des Publications épigraphiques relatives à l'Antiquité romaine: annual supplement to Rev. Arch.) 1934:172; Aurigemma, Atti della Pontificia Accademia Romana di Archeologia: Rendiconti, XV:109 ff., fig. 1; L'Année Epigraphique (Revue des Publications épigraphiques relatives à l'Antiquité romaine: annual supplement to Rev. Arch.) 1948:37. 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) 
Cum basilica uetus ex maxima parte ruina esset deformata
conlabsu ac spatio sui breuiass[et ar]eam forensem
[·· 5··] diuino icta conflagrarat incendio adq(ue) is locus saecul[o]
fortunatissimo meliora deposceret tantae stragis lab[e s]ubl[a]-
5[ta] tripertita porticus magnitudine sui ac Troadensium columna-
[r]um adornata operis prouincialium ac sumtu publico disponen[te]
[La]enatio Romulo u(iro) p(erfectissimo) rectore prouinciae intra anni spatium per-
fecta ac dedicata est adq(ue) ad sempiternam memoriam statua[m]
marmoream suo numine radiantem Domino nostro
10Constantino maximo uictori semper Aug(usto) idem u(ir) p(erfectissimus) dicata mente
constituit curante Cl(audio) Aurel(io) Generoso u(iro) e(gregio) cur(atore) r(ei) p(ublicae) et splendidissimo
ordine Coloniae Lepcimagnensium
CVMBASILICAVETVSEXMAXIMAPARTERVINAESSETDEFORMATA
CONLABSVACSPATIOSVIBREVIASS[······]EAMFORENSEM
[·· 5··]DIVINOICTACONFLAGRARATINCENDIOADQISLOCVSSAECVL[··]
FORTVNATISSIMOMELIORADEPOSCERETTANTAESTRAGISLAB[····]VBL[··]
5[···]TRIPERTITAPORTICVSMAGNITVDINESVIACTROADENSIVMCOLVMNA
[··]VMADORNATAOPERISPROVINCIALIVMACSVMTVPVBLICODISPONEN[···]
[···]ENATIOROMVLOVPRECTOREPROVINCIAEINTRAANNISPATIVMPER
FECTAACDEDICATAESTADQADSEMPITERNAMMEMORIAMSTATVA[··]
MARMOREAMSVONVMINERADIANTEMDOMINONOSTRO
10CONSTANTINOMAXIMOVICTORISEMPERAVGIDEMVPDICATAMENTE
CONSTITVITCVRANTECLAVRELGENEROSOVECVRRPETSPLENDIDISSIMO
ORDINECOLONIAELEPCIMAGNENSIVM
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
Cum
basilica
uetus
ex
maxima
parte
ruina
esset
deformata
<lb n="2" />
conlabsu
ac
spatio
sui
breuiass
<supplied reason="lost" >
et
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
ar
</supplied>
eam
forensem
<lb n="3" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="5" unit="character" />
diuino
icta
conflagrarat
incendio
<expan>
<abbr>
adq
</abbr>
<ex>
ue
</ex>
</expan>
is
locus
saecul
<supplied reason="lost" >
o
</supplied>
<lb n="4" />
fortunatissimo
meliora
deposceret
tantae
stragis
lab
<supplied reason="lost" >
e
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
s
</supplied>
ubl
<supplied reason="lost" >
a
</supplied>
<lb n="5" type="worddiv" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
ta
</supplied>
tripertita
porticus
magnitudine
sui
ac
Troadensium
columna
<lb n="6" type="worddiv" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
r
</supplied>
um
adornata
operis
prouincialium
ac
sumtu
publico
disponen
<supplied reason="lost" >
te
</supplied>
<lb n="7" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
La
</supplied>
enatio
Romulo
<expan>
<abbr>
u
</abbr>
<ex>
iro
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
erfectissimo
</ex>
</expan>
rectore
prouinciae
intra
anni
spatium
per
<lb n="8" type="worddiv" />
fecta
ac
dedicata
est
<expan>
<abbr>
adq
</abbr>
<ex>
ue
</ex>
</expan>
ad
sempiternam
memoriam
statua
<supplied reason="lost" >
m
</supplied>
<lb n="9" />
marmoream
suo
numine
radiantem
Domino
nostro
<lb n="10" />
Constantino
maximo
uictori
semper
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usto
</ex>
</expan>
idem
<expan>
<abbr>
u
</abbr>
<ex>
ir
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
erfectissimus
</ex>
</expan>
dicata
mente
<lb n="11" />
constituit
curante
<expan>
<abbr>
Cl
</abbr>
<ex>
audio
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Aurel
</abbr>
<ex>
io
</ex>
</expan>
Generoso
<expan>
<abbr>
u
</abbr>
<ex>
iro
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
e
</abbr>
<ex>
gregio
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
cur
</abbr>
<ex>
atore
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
r
</abbr>
<ex>
ei
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
ublicae
</ex>
</expan>
et
splendidissimo
<lb n="12" />
ordine
Coloniae
Lepcimagnensium
</ab>

3, Perhaps igne, or possibly iaculo.

Translation:

Since the greatest part of the old basilica was damaged and fallen down and the space taken by its fallen debris had reduced the open area of the forum [·· ? ·· ?moreover] struck by divine lightning [·· ? ··] it had blazed with a fire and since in a most fortunate period that place demanded better things, the fallen parts were removed and a tripartite portico built. It has been adorned by its own size and by columns of Troadensian marble, by the works of the provincials and at public expense with Laenatius Romulus, excellent man ( i.e. equestrian), governor of the province, managing it; it was completed and dedicated within the space of a year; and moreover to his eternal memory a marble statue radiant with his divine power to our Lord Constantine greatest victor, perpetual Augustus, was erected by the same excellent man; Claudius Aurelius Generosus, eminent man ( i.e. equestrian), curator of the city and the most splendid city council of the colony of Lepcimagnensians overseeing the work.

Commentary:

l. 7. Laenatius Romulus: praeses c. 317, see Aurigemma, loc. cit.; also in 101, ll. 1-8; 468, l. 10, 574, ll. 1-12.

.10. Constantine: Augustus 307-337; Maximus from October 312.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 323 Lastre)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 323 Lastre)

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