57. Dedication to Valentian

Description:
Rectangular base (0.56 1.15 0.53) of grey limestone.  
Text:
Inscribed on one face within a moulded panel. (w: 0.52 x h: 1.00) 
Letters:
Fourth century capitals: 0.06. 
Date:
A.D. 364-367 (reign). 
Findspot:
Sabratha: Forum, in situ within the SW angle of the Curia. Uniform with 58 and closely related to 472, 473. 
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Findspot 
Bibliography:
Bartoccini, Quaderni di Archeologia della Libia, Roma (Ministero dell'Africa Italiana), vol. I, 1950 I:32; L'Année Epigraphique (Revue des Publications épigraphiques relatives à l'Antiquité romaine: annual supplement to Rev. Arch.) 1950:148. 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) 
Iustitia pariter ac
pietate caelesti adq(ue)
Romanae felicitatis
perpetuo fundatori
5d(omino) n(ostro) Valentiniano vic-
toriossimo ac totius
orbis Aug(usto) Antonius
Dracontius u(ir) c(larissimus) agens
uicem praefectorum prae-
10torio per Africanas pro-
uincias numini et
maiestati eius semper
dicatissimus
IVSTITIAPARITERAC
PIETATECAELESTIADQ
ROMANAEFELICITATIS
PERPETVOFVNDATORI
5DNVALENTINIANOVIC
TORIOSSIMOACTOTIVS
ORBISAVGANTONIVS
DRACONTIVSVCAGENS
VICEMPRAEFECTORVMPRAE
10TORIOPERAFRICANASPRO
VINCIASNVMINIET
MAIESTATIEIVSSEMPER
DICATISSIMVS
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
Iustitia
pariter
ac
<lb n="2" />
pietate
caelesti
<expan>
<abbr>
adq
</abbr>
<ex>
ue
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="3" />
Romanae
felicitatis
<lb n="4" />
perpetuo
fundatori
<lb n="5" />
<expan>
<abbr>
d
</abbr>
<ex>
omino
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
n
</abbr>
<ex>
ostro
</ex>
</expan>
Valentiniano
vic
<lb n="6" type="worddiv" />
toriossimo
ac
totius
<lb n="7" />
orbis
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usto
</ex>
</expan>
Antonius
<lb n="8" />
Dracontius
<expan>
<abbr>
u
</abbr>
<ex>
ir
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
c
</abbr>
<ex>
larissimus
</ex>
</expan>
agens
<lb n="9" />
uicem
praefectorum
prae
<lb n="10" type="worddiv" />
torio
per
Africanas
pro
<lb n="11" type="worddiv" />
uincias
numini
et
<lb n="12" />
maiestati
eius
semper
<lb n="13" />
dicatissimus
</ab>

Translation:

To one who is in justice and sense of duty alike heavenly, and perpetual founder of Roman good fortune, our lord Valentinian, most victorious, and Augustus of the whole world; Antonius Dracontius, outstanding man (i.e. member of the Roman Senate), deputy for the praetorian prefects throughout the African provinces, always most devoted to his divine power and majesty.

Commentary:

1. Augustus: after the association of Valens with Valentinian (28 March 364) and before that of Gratian (25 August 367); see 58, 472 and 473.

2. Dracontius: PW V, 1635, 3, vicarius 364-367; also in 58, 11. 8-14; 472, ll. 8-12; 473, ll.8-12.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 46.V.22)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 46.V.22)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 47.VII.24)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 47.VII.24)

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