42. Dedication to Severus Alexander

Description:
Top right-hand corner of a marble panel (w: 0.55 x h: 0.62). 
Text:
Inscribed on one face. 
Letters:
Lapidary capitals: 0.08-0.07. 
Date:
A.D. 230 or A.D. 235 (titulature) 
Findspot:
Sabratha: Capitolium, found in the vaults; see note on 1. 
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) Caes(ari)] M(arco) Aurel[io]
[Seuero Ale]xandro
[Pio Felici A]ugusto
[domino n]ostro
5[pont]ifici maximo
[trib(uniciae) p]otestatis ṾIIII
[---]
[·········]MAVREL[···]
[···········]XANDRO
[·············]VGVSTO
[·········]OSTRO
5[·····]IFICIMAXIMO
[·······]OTESTATIS·IIII
[---]
<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>
</supplied>
<expan>
<abbr>
M
</abbr>
<ex>
arco
</ex>
</expan>
Aurel
<supplied reason="lost" >
io
</supplied>
<lb n="2" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
Seuero
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
Ale
</supplied>
xandro
<lb n="3" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
Pio
Felici
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
A
</supplied>
ugusto
<lb n="4" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
domino
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
n
</supplied>
ostro
<lb n="5" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
pont
</supplied>
ifici
maximo
<lb n="6" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
trib
</abbr>
<ex>
uniciae
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
p
</supplied>
otestatis
<num value="9" >
<unclear reason="" >
V
</unclear>
IIII
</num>
<lb n="7" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="1" unit="line" />
</ab>

Translation:

[To Emperor Caesar] Marcus Aurelius [Severus] Alexander [Pius Felix] Augustus, our [lord], chief priest, holding [tribunician] power for the ninth time [·· ? ··]

Commentary:

l. 6. trib. pot. VIIII: 10 Dec. 229-9 Dec. 230, but XIIII is a possible reading, between 10 Dec. 234 and Alexander's death in March 235.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DS 761 Leica)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DS 761 Leica)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DS 761 Leica)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DS 761 Leica)

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