23. Dedication to Marcus Aurelius

Description:
Impression left by a fragment of a lost marble panel (approx. w: 1.42 x h: 0.94, upper edge surviving), re-used in the late fourth century paving at the W end of the N Forum Portico. See also 27, 41, 43, 95.  
Text:
Originally inscribed on marble. Read by Bartoccini when first excavated; now somewhat deteriorated.  
Letters:
Lapidary capitals: line 1, 0.16; line 2, 0.13; line 3, 0.10. 
Date:
A.D. 175-180 (titulature) 
Findspot:
Sabratha: The W end of the North Forum Portico 
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Findspot 
Bibliography:
Bartoccini, Quaderni di Archeologia della Libia, Roma (Ministero dell'Africa Italiana), vol. I, 1950 1:53. 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) 
[Imp(eratori) Caes(ari) M(arco) Aurelio Antonino Aug(usto) Germanico] Sarmatico [pontifici maximo tribunicia potestate [ - - - ] imp(eratori) [ - - - ] co(n)s(uli) [ - - - ] p(atri) p(atriae)]
[diui Antonini Pii filio diui Ver]i Part[h(ici)] maximi [fratri diui Hadriani nep(oti) diui Traiani Parth(ici) pronep(oti) diui Neruae abnep(oti)]
[·· ? ·· pat]rono IIuir(o) q(uin)q(uennali) [·· ? ··]
[·········]SARMATICO[··········]
[··············]IPART[······]MAXIMI[·······]
[·· ? ······]RONOIIVIRQQ[·· ? ··]
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
Imp
</abbr>
<ex>
eratori
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
Caes
</abbr>
<ex>
ari
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
M
</abbr>
<ex>
arco
</ex>
</expan>
Aurelio
Antonino
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usto
</ex>
</expan>
Germanico
</supplied>
Sarmatico
<supplied reason="lost" >
pontifici
maximo
tribunicia
potestate
<num >
<gap reason="lost" extent="1" unit="character" extentmax="4" />
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
imp
</abbr>
<ex>
eratori
</ex>
</expan>
<num >
<gap reason="lost" extent="1" unit="character" extentmax="4" />
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
co
</abbr>
<ex>
n
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
uli
</ex>
</expan>
<num >
<gap reason="lost" extent="1" unit="character" extentmax="4" />
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
atri
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
atriae
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<lb n="2" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
diui
Antonini
Pii
filio
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
diui
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
Ver
</supplied>
i
<expan>
<abbr>
Part
<supplied reason="lost" >
h
</supplied>
</abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<ex>
ici
</ex>
</supplied>
</expan>
maximi
<supplied reason="lost" >
fratri
diui
Hadriani
<expan>
<abbr>
nep
</abbr>
<ex>
oti
</ex>
</expan>
diui
Traiani
<expan>
<abbr>
Parth
</abbr>
<ex>
ici
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
pronep
</abbr>
<ex>
oti
</ex>
</expan>
diui
Neruae
<expan>
<abbr>
abnep
</abbr>
<ex>
oti
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<lb n="3" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
pat
</supplied>
<app type="previouslyread" >
rono
</app>
<app type="previouslyread" >
II
<expan>
<abbr>
uir
</abbr>
<ex>
o
</ex>
</expan>
</app>
<expan>
<abbr>
<app type="previouslyread" >
q
</app>
</abbr>
<ex>
uin
</ex>
<abbr>
q
</abbr>
<ex>
uennali
</ex>
</expan>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>

3, Of this line, only the second Q with superscript bar can now be read.

Translation:

[To Emperor Caesar, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus August, victor in Germany], victor in Sarmatia, [chief priest, holding tribunician power for the . . . time, acclaimed victor . . . times, consul . . . times, father of the country, son of deified Emperor Antoninus Pius, brother of deified]Verus, greatest victor in Parthia, [grandson of deified Hadrian, great grandson of deified Trajan victor in Parthia, great great grandson of deified Nerva [·· ? ··] with [·· ? ··] patron, duovir in a fifth year, [·· ? ·· in charge of the work]

Commentary:

l. 1. Sarmaticus: from June 175.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 46.V.10)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 46.V.10)

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