29. Dedication to Commodus by Messius Rufinus

Description:
Nine fragments of the marble architrave of the portico surrounding the Temple of Hercules, Reg. V, ins. 7. 
Text:
Inscribed on one face. 
Letters:
a) - d) Lapidary capitals: 0.11. e) - g) Lapidary capitals: 0.11, erased. h) - i) Lapidary capitals: 0.095, reinscribed above a partially erased inscription. 
Date:
After A.D. 186 (titulature) 
Findspot:
Sabratha: Temple of Hercules, Reg. V, ins. 7  
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) 
a and b
[·· ? ··]ad cons[um]ationem[·· ? ··]
c
[·· ? ··] Messius [R]ufinus c(larissimae) m(emoriae) [u(ir)·· ? ··]
d
[·· ? ··]uerat
e
[·· ? ··]〚rus iu〛[·· ? ··]
f
[·· ? ··]〚di〛[·· ? ··]
g
[·· ? ··] [im]p(erator-) VIII co(n-)s(ul-) V p̣[(at-) p(atriae)·· ? ··]
h
«Imp(erator-)» [·· ? ··]
i
[·· ? ·· « [M(arc-)] Aur[eli] » [·· ? ··]
a and b
[·· ? ··]ADCONS[···]ATIONEM[·· ? ··]
c
[·· ? ··]MESSIVS[··]VFINVSCM[···· ? ··]
d
[·· ? ··]VERAT
e
[·· ? ··]〚RVSIV〛[·· ? ··]
f
[·· ? ··]〚DI〛[·· ? ··]
g
[·· ? ··][···]PVIIICOSV·[······· ? ··]
h
«IMP»[·· ? ··]
i
[·· ? ··«[······]AVR[····]»[·· ? ··]
<div type="textpart" n="a and b" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
ad
cons
<supplied reason="lost" >
um
</supplied>
ationem
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="c" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
Messius
<supplied reason="lost" >
R
</supplied>
ufinus
<expan>
<abbr>
c
</abbr>
<ex>
larissimae
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
m
</abbr>
<ex>
emoriae
</ex>
</expan>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
u
</abbr>
<ex>
ir
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="d" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
uerat
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="e" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<del>
rus
iu
</del>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="f" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<del>
di
</del>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="g" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<expan>
<abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
im
</supplied>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
erator
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="8" >
VIII
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
co
</abbr>
<ex>
n
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
ul
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="5" >
V
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
<unclear reason="" >
p
</unclear>
</abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<ex>
at
</ex>
</supplied>
</expan>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
atriae
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="h" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<del>
<expan>
<abbr>
Im
<unclear reason="" >
p
</unclear>
</abbr>
<ex>
erator
</ex>
</expan>
</del>
<add place="supralinear" >
<expan>
<abbr>
Imp
</abbr>
<ex>
erator
</ex>
</expan>
</add>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="i" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<del>
<gap reason="lost" extent="1" unit="line" />
</del>
<add place="supralinear" >
<expan>
<abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
M
</supplied>
</abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<ex>
arc
</ex>
</supplied>
</expan>
Aur
<supplied reason="lost" >
eli
</supplied>
</add>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>

Translation:

a. + b. [·· ? ··] with a view to ? accomplishing [·· ? ··]

c. [·· ? ··] Messius Rufinus, a man of outstanding memory (i.e. a deceased Roman senator) [·· ? ··]

d. - f. Not usefully translateable

g. [·· ? ··] acclaimed victor eight times, consul five times, father [of the country ·· ? ··]

h. Emperor [·· ? ··] (or) acclaimed victor [·· ? ··] (Repeated in recut text)

i. [·· ? ·· M(arcus)] Aurelius [·· ? ··] (case unknown)

Commentary:

c) l. 1. Messius Rufunus. Perhaps to be identified with PW XV, 1286, 12.

g) Commodus who was imp VIII, cos V from 186.

h) - i) probably recut under Septimius Severus.

Photographs:
none.

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