Description:
Marble base (w: 0.80 x h: 1.15 x d: 0.80). 
Text:
Inscribed on one face within a recessed panel (die, w: 0.52 x h: 0.60), from which an earlier inscription has been erased; the first line is cut above the die, with a formal spray before and after the first word; three formal sprays are cut below the last line. Later re-used, and inscribed on the reverse face; see 475.  
Letters:
Fourth century capitals: l. 1, 0.04; remainder, 0.02. 
Date:
355-360 A.D. (prosopography).  
Findspot:
Lepcis Magna: Forum Severianum, near the entrance to the Basilica.  
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Findspot 
Bibliography:
Aurigemma, Africa Italiana (Rivista di Storia e d'Arte a cura del Ministero delle Colonie) 8 vols., Bergamo, 1927-1940 VII:135 ff., fig. 1; L'Année Epigraphique (Revue des Publications épigraphiques relatives à l'Antiquité romaine: annual supplement to Rev. Arch.) 1948:6. 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) 
Nilii Nili[i ·· ? ··]
Vigiliis atque consilio domi forisque prae-
stanti integritate praecipuo iustitia et iu-
diciorum moderatione perpenso instaura-
5tori moenium publicorum ordinis ci(ui)umque om-
nium salutis prouidentissimo custodi uerita-
tis honestatis et fidei amicissimo
Flauio Archontio Nilo u(iro) p(erfectissimo) comiti et praesidi
prou(inciae) Trip(olitanae) patrono optimo ob infinita eius be-
10neficia quibus uel separatim uel cum omni pro-
uincia subleuati ac recreati Lepcimagnenses
gratulamur uno consensu ordinis uiri
secundam statuam decreuerunt eamque
propter praecipuum eius meritum singu-
15laremque praestantiam in Seueriano
foro ad sempiternam prosperitatis me-
moriam constituendam curauerunt
NILIINILI[···· ? ··]
VIGILIISATQVECONSILIODOMIFORISQVEPRAE
STANTIINTEGRITATEPRAECIPVOIVSTITIAETIV
DICIORVMMODERATIONEPERPENSOINSTAVRA
5TORIMOENIVMPVBLICORVMORDINISCIVMQVEOM
NIVMSALVTISPROVIDENTISSIMOCVSTODIVERITA
TISHONESTATISETFIDEIAMICISSIMO
FLAVIOARCHONTIONILOVPCOMITIETPRAESIDI
PROVTRIPPATRONOOPTIMOOBINFINITAEIVSBE
10NEFICIAQVIBVSVELSEPARATIMVELCVMOMNIPRO
VINCIASVBLEVATIACRECREATILEPCIMAGNENSES
GRATVLAMVRVNOCONSENSVORDINISVIRI
SECVNDAMSTATVAMDECREVERVNTEAMQVE
PROPTERPRAECIPVVMEIVSMERITVMSINGV
15LAREMQVEPRAESTANTIAMINSEVERIANO
FOROADSEMPITERNAMPROSPERITATISME
MORIAMCONSTITVENDAMCVRAVERVNT
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
Nilii
Nili
<supplied reason="lost" >
i
</supplied>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<lb n="2" />
Vigiliis
atque
consilio
domi
forisque
prae
<lb n="3" type="worddiv" />
stanti
integritate
praecipuo
iustitia
et
iu
<lb n="4" type="worddiv" />
diciorum
moderatione
perpenso
instaura
<lb n="5" type="worddiv" />
tori
moenium
publicorum
ordinis
<expan>
<abbr>
ci
</abbr>
<ex>
ui
</ex>
<abbr>
umque
</abbr>
</expan>
om
<lb n="6" type="worddiv" />
nium
salutis
prouidentissimo
custodi
uerita
<lb n="7" type="worddiv" />
tis
honestatis
et
fidei
amicissimo
<lb n="8" />
Flauio
Archontio
Nilo
<expan>
<abbr>
u
</abbr>
<ex>
iro
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
erfectissimo
</ex>
</expan>
comiti
et
praesidi
<lb n="9" />
<expan>
<abbr>
prou
</abbr>
<ex>
inciae
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Trip
</abbr>
<ex>
olitanae
</ex>
</expan>
patrono
optimo
ob
infinita
eius
be
<lb n="10" type="worddiv" />
neficia
quibus
uel
separatim
uel
cum
omni
pro
<lb n="11" type="worddiv" />
uincia
subleuati
ac
recreati
Lepcimagnenses
<lb n="12" />
gratulamur
uno
consensu
ordinis
uiri
<lb n="13" />
secundam
statuam
decreuerunt
eamque
<lb n="14" />
propter
praecipuum
eius
meritum
singu
<lb n="15" type="worddiv" />
laremque
praestantiam
in
Seueriano
<lb n="16" />
foro
ad
sempiternam
prosperitatis
me
<lb n="17" type="worddiv" />
moriam
constituendam
curauerunt
</ab>

Translation:

(In honour) of Nilius. Of Nilius. To one who is outstanding in vigilance and good counsel at home and abroad, exceptional in integrity, balanced in justice and in the carefully weighed moderation of his judgments, rebuilder of the city walls, most provident guardian of the security of the city council and of all citizens, strongly attached to truth, rectitude, and good faith, Flavius Archontius Nilus, excellent man(i.e. of equestrian status), count and governor of the province of Tripolitania, our very good patron, on account of his innumerable benefactions by which we, the citizens of Lepcis Magna, separately or in common with the whole province, have been raised and revived, we offer our thanks; with every member of the city council in agreement they have decreed a second statue to the man which, in view of his outstanding merits and unexampled excellence they took care (to set up) in the Severan forum, with a view to establishing an enduring memory of ?his favourable influence.

Commentary:

ll. 1, 8. Nilus. PW XVII, 590, 1, also in 563, ll. 1-12, praeses between 355 and 360.

l. 5. moenium publicorum. See also 569, l. 8.

l. 13. secundam statuam. 563, found in the Forum Vetus, records the erection of another statue to Nilus.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 752)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 752)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 26)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 26)

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