76. Dedication to a third century emperor

Description:: Two fragments from the upper left-hand corner of a marble panel (together, w: 0.19 x h: 0.31).
Text:: Inscribed on one face.
Letters:: Third century capitals: line 1, 0.05; remainder, 0.045.
Date:: Third century A.D. (lettering, 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) C[aes(ari) ·· ? ··]
po[nt(ifici) max(imo) ·· ? ··]
Persico m[aximo ·· ? ··]
pater [·· ? ··]

IMPC[······ ? ··]
PO[········· ? ··]
PERSICOM[········ ? ··]
PATER[·· ? ··]

<ab>

<expan>

<abbr>

Imp

</abbr>

<ex>

eratori

</ex>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

</abbr>

<abbr>

aes

</abbr>

<ex>

ari

</ex>

</supplied>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

</abbr>

<abbr>

</abbr>

<ex>

ifici

</ex>

</supplied>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

max

</abbr>

<ex>

imo

</ex>

</expan>

</supplied>

Persico

aximo

</supplied>

pater

</ab>

Translation:

To Emperor Caesar [·· ? ··, chief] priest [·· ? ··], greatest victor in Persia, [·· ? ··] father [·· ? ··]

Commentary:

Third century emperors with this title are Severus Alexander 222-235, Philip in 244, Gallienus 253-268, Vaballathus 270-271, Carus 282-3, Carinus 283-5, Diocletian 284-305. From the style of the lettering the inscription can hardly be later.