15. Dedication to Vespasian and Titus

Description:
Sandstone block (w: 0.88 x h: 0.52 x d: 0.42) from a monumental inscription.  
Text:
There are traces of stucco and of red paint surviving on the inscribed face. 
Letters:
Lapidary capitals: 0.18. Plate 1,2. 
Date:
A.D. 76-79. (reign)  
Findspot:
Sabratha: Temple of Isis: Found re-used in the late defensive wall built across the propylaea of the Temple, to which the inscription probably belonged; see also 16.  
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Findspot 
Bibliography:
Not previously published. 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) 
[---]
2[·· ? ··] [i]mp(eratori) XVII[·· ? ···· ? ··]
[·· ? ·· Ve]spasiano A[ug(usti) f(ilio)·· ? ··]
[---]
2[·· ? ··][··]MPXVII[·· ? ···· ? ··]
[·· ? ·····]SPASIANOA[······· ? ··]
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="1" unit="line" />
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<expan>
<abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
i
</supplied>
mp
</abbr>
<ex>
eratori
</ex>
</expan>
<num >
XVII
<gap reason="lost" extent="" unit="character" extentmax="2" />
</num>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<lb n="3" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
Ve
</supplied>
spasiano
<expan>
<abbr>
A
</abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<abbr>
ug
</abbr>
<ex>
usti
</ex>
</supplied>
</expan>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
f
</abbr>
<ex>
ilio
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>

1, There are clear traces of this line, but no letters legible.

2,

Translation:

[[·· ? ··] to Emperor Vespasian [·· ? ··] acclaimed victor for the seventeenth time, [·· ? ·· and to Titus] Vespasian [son of] Augustus [·· ? ··]

Commentary:

Vespasian and Titus were Augusti together between 76 and 79.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 48.XXVII.8)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 48.XXVII.8)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 48.XXXVI.12)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 48.XXXVI.12)

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