103. Honours for Flavius Vivus Benedictus

Description:
Moulded altar (w: 0.65 x h: 1.13 x d: 0.45) of grey limestone, re-used upside down as a base. 
Text:
The front face is re-inscribed within a moulded panel (die, w: 0.41 x h: 0.80) from which a previous inscription has been erased; one line was cut above the die on the damaged border of the upper moulding. Right side, below, a knife and axe in relief within a moulded panel; above three lines inscribed on the border of the upper margin in the same style as the inscription on the front. Left side, a jug in relief within a moulded panel. 
Letters:
a) On the front face. Fourth century A.D. capitals: l. 1, 0.045; ll. 2- 19, 0.03; l. 20, 0.045. b) On top right border. Fourth century A.D.: 0.02. 
Date:
A.D. 378 (reign, titulature)  
Findspot:
Sabratha: Basilica, found in the sixth century paving of the later church.  
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Standing near the Basilica. 
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
[Fl(aui) Viui Benedicti u(iri)] p̣(erfectissimi)
totius integritatis modera-
tionis iustitiae prouisionis
fidei benignitatis fortitudinis
5ac beneficentiae uiro Fl(auio) Viuio
Benedicto u(iro) p(erfectissimo) praesidi prou(inciae) Tripol(itanae)
inter cetera beneficia sua quibus
omnem prouinciam conpendiis re-
mediis et uirtutibus fouit suble
10uabit erexit etiam ob ea quae sibi
specialiter conlata sunt ciuitas
Sabrathensis exsultans quod po
st ruinam et abnegatum therma-
rum populo exercitium citra ullius
15dispendium ornamentis patriae
reuocauit ordo populusque
concinentibus omnibus uo-
tis statuam patrono pr(a)estan-
tissimo gratanti studio
20conlocauit
b
Dedicata
cons(ulum) d(ominorum) n(ostrorum) Valentis VI et Valent<in>iani II A[ug](ustorum)
die V kal(endas) Aug(ustas)
a
[···]·
TOTIVSINTEGRITATISMODERA
TIONISIVSTITIAEPROVISIONIS
FIDEIBENIGNITATISFORTITVDINIS
5ACBENEFICENTIAEVIROFLVIVIO
BENEDICTOVPPRAESIDIPROVTRIPOL
INTERCETERABENEFICIASVAQVIBVS
OMNEMPROVINCIAMCONPENDIISRE
MEDIISETVIRTVTIBVSFOVITSVBLE
10VABITEREXITETIAMOBEAQVAESIBI
SPECIALITERCONLATASVNTCIVITAS
SABRATHENSISEXSVLTANSQVODPO
STRVINAMETABNEGATVMTHERMA
RVMPOPVLOEXERCITIVMCITRAVLLIVS
15DISPENDIVMORNAMENTISPATRIAE
REVOCAVITORDOPOPVLVSQVE
CONCINENTIBVSOMNIBVSVO
TISSTATVAMPATRONOPRESTAN
TISSIMOGRATANTISTVDIO
20CONLOCAVIT
b
DEDICATA
CONSDNVALENTISVIETVALENT<IN>IANIIIA[···]
DIEVKALAVG
<div type="textpart" n="a" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
Fl
</abbr>
<ex>
aui
</ex>
</expan>
Viui
Benedicti
<expan>
<abbr>
u
</abbr>
<ex>
iri
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<expan>
<abbr>
<unclear reason="" >
p
</unclear>
</abbr>
<ex>
erfectissimi
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="2" />
totius
integritatis
modera
<lb n="3" type="worddiv" />
tionis
iustitiae
prouisionis
<lb n="4" />
fidei
benignitatis
fortitudinis
<lb n="5" />
ac
beneficentiae
uiro
<expan>
<abbr>
Fl
</abbr>
<ex>
auio
</ex>
</expan>
Viuio
<lb n="6" />
Benedicto
<expan>
<abbr>
u
</abbr>
<ex>
iro
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
erfectissimo
</ex>
</expan>
praesidi
<expan>
<abbr>
prou
</abbr>
<ex>
inciae
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Tripol
</abbr>
<ex>
itanae
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="7" />
inter
cetera
beneficia
sua
quibus
<lb n="8" />
omnem
prouinciam
conpendiis
re
<lb n="9" type="worddiv" />
mediis
et
uirtutibus
fouit
suble
<lb n="10" />
uabit
erexit
etiam
ob
ea
quae
sibi
<lb n="11" />
specialiter
conlata
sunt
ciuitas
<lb n="12" />
Sabrathensis
exsultans
quod
po
<lb n="13" />
st
ruinam
et
abnegatum
therma
<lb n="14" type="worddiv" />
rum
populo
exercitium
citra
ullius
<lb n="15" />
dispendium
ornamentis
patriae
<lb n="16" />
reuocauit
ordo
populusque
<lb n="17" />
concinentibus
omnibus
uo
<lb n="18" type="worddiv" />
tis
statuam
patrono
<expan>
<abbr>
pr
</abbr>
<ex>
a
</ex>
<abbr>
estan
</abbr>
</expan>
<lb n="19" type="worddiv" />
tissimo
gratanti
studio
<lb n="20" />
conlocauit
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="b" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
Dedicata
<lb n="2" />
<expan>
<abbr>
cons
</abbr>
<ex>
ulum
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
d
</abbr>
<ex>
ominorum
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
n
</abbr>
<ex>
ostrorum
</ex>
</expan>
Valentis
<num value="6" >
VI
</num>
et
Valent
<supplied reason="omitted" >
in
</supplied>
iani
<num value="2" >
II
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
A
<supplied reason="lost" >
ug
</supplied>
</abbr>
<ex>
ustorum
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="3" />
die
<num value="5" >
V
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
kal
</abbr>
<ex>
endas
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
ustas
</ex>
</expan>
</ab>
</div>

b.2, CONSS. DD. NN.

Translation:

a. [In honour of Flavius Vivius Benedictus,] excellent [man] (i.e. of equestrian status). To a man of complete integrity, moderation, justice, foresight, good faith, generosity, courage and beneficence, Flavius Vivus Benedictus, excellent man(i.e. of equestrian status), governor of the province of Tripolitania; among the other generous acts by which he cherished, assisted and improved the whole province, the city of Sabratha honours him also on account of those specifically conferred on itself; they are delighted that, when the Baths had fallen down so that the people could not use them he restored them without expense to anyone, and they are now among the ornaments of the country. The city-council and people, voting unanimously, set up the statue to an outstanding patron with enthusiastic gratitude.

(b) Dedicated on the 28th July, when our lords the Augusti were consuls, Valens for the sixth time and Valentinian for the second.

Commentary:

Flavius Vivius Benedictus: PW III, 271; also in 476, ll. 6,7 and 571.

a. 12-13: post ruinam: erhaps since the sack of the city by the Austuriani, c. 363-5 (Introduction - Sabratha, Section 3).

b.3 28th July 378.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. B. 1587)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. B. 1587)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 46.VI.33)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 46.VI.33)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 47.VII.22)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 47.VII.22)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DS 791 Leica)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DS 791 Leica)

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