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Inscription #

33. Testamentary dedication to Septimius Severus by Caecilius

Description:: Three blocks (each w: 0.51 x h: 1.08 x d: 0.36) of hard brown limestone.
Text:: Inscribed on one face.
Letters:: Lapidary capitals: a) line 1, 0.15; line 2, 0.135; line 3, 0.105; b) line1, 0.10; line 2, 0.12.
Date:: A.D. 202 (titulature, as restored).
Findspot:: Sabratha: The Justinian church, between the Forum and the sea. Found re-used in the construction of the church, along with many plain and moulded blocks, all of which belonged originally to a large base, possibly for a quadriga (w: 8.84 x h: 7.34), the remains of which have been identified at a cross-roads to the W of the Theatre.
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)

[Imp(eratori) Caesari Lucio Septimio Seuero Pi]o Pert[ina]ci Aug(usto) Ar[abico]
[Adiabenico Parthico maximo pontifici maxi]mo tribun[ici]ae potes[tatis - - - ]]
[imp(eratori) [ - - - ] co(n)s(uli) [ - - - ]] p(atri) p(atriae)

ex testam[ento·· ? ··]
Q(uint--) Caeci[li·· ? ··]

[·····································]OPERT[····]CIAVGAR[······]
[···································]MOTRIBVN[····]AEPOTES[·······]
[····]PP

EXTESTAM[······· ? ··]
QCAECI[····· ? ··]

<ab>

<expan>

<abbr>

Imp

</abbr>

<ex>

eratori

</ex>

</expan>

</supplied>

Caesari

Lucio

Septimio

Seuero

</supplied>

</supplied>

Pert

ina

</supplied>

<expan>

<abbr>

Aug

</abbr>

<ex>

usto

</ex>

</expan>

abico

</supplied>

Adiabenico

Parthico

maximo

</supplied>

pontifici

</supplied>

maxi

</supplied>

tribun

ici

</supplied>

potes

tatis

</supplied>

<num >

</num>

</supplied>

<expan>

<abbr>

imp

</abbr>

<ex>

eratori

</ex>

</expan>

<num >

</num>

<expan>

<abbr>

</abbr>

<ex>

</ex>

<abbr>

</abbr>

<ex>

uli

</ex>

</expan>

<num >

</num>

</supplied>

<expan>

<abbr>

</abbr>

<ex>

atri

</ex>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

</abbr>

<ex>

atriae

</ex>

</expan>

</ab>

</div>

<ab>

testam

ento

</supplied>

<expan>

<abbr>

</abbr>

<ex>

uint-

</ex>

</expan>

Caeci

</supplied>

</ab>

</div>

a.2, Parthicus maximus from 198. The restoration of these titles is required by the length of the line.

a.2, Perhaps, from the relative lengths of lines 1 and 2, trib. pot. X, 10 Dec. 201-9 Dec. 202.

b.3, Perhaps, from the relative size of the lettering, not the testator but the dedicating proconsul.

Translation:

a. [To Emperor Caesar Lucius Septimus Severus] Pius Pertinax Augustus, Victor in Arabia, [Victor in Adiabene, greatest Victor in Parthia], chief [priest], holding tribunician power [for the ? time, acclaimed Victor ? times, consul for the ? time] father of the country

b. (Set up) in accordance with the will [of·· ? ··] Quintus Caecilius ( case unknown) [·· ? ··]