232. Building dedication to Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus

Description:
Triumphal arch in Tripoli City inscribed on each of the four faces on the frieze and architrave, the decoration of which has been chiselled back to make space for the text.  
Text:
Inscribed on each of the four faces on the frieza and architrave, the decoration of which has been chiselled back to make space for the text. The text on the N face is substantially complete; the rest are fragmentary.  
Letters:
Lapidary capitals 0.15.  
Date:
A.D. 163-164 (reign, titulature) 
Findspot:
Oea: Triumphal arch in Tripoli city: a) N Face, b) E Face, c) S Face, d) W Face.  
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Findspot 
Bibliography:
Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum, VIII:24, VIII:10999; Bolletino d'Arte del Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione, 1925- 6:554 ff., fig. 9; Monumenti Italiani, Rilievi raccolti a cura della Reale Accademia d'Italia, XIII, pls IX and XI 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
(N face:) Imp(eratori) C[aes(ari) M(arco)] Aurelio Antonino Aug(usto) p(atri) p(atriae) et Imp(eratori) Caes(ari) L(ucio) Aurelio Vero Armeniaco Aug(usto)
Ser(uius) Co[rnelius Scipio Saluidienus] Orfitus proco(n)s(ul) cum Vttedio Marcello leg(ato) suo dedicauit
C(aius) Calpurnius Celsus curator muneris pub(lici) munerarius IIuir q(uin)q(uennalis) flamen perpetuus
arcum pecunia sua [solo publ]ịc̣o ẹṭ fund[auit et] marmore solido fecit
b
(E face (l. 4):) [·· ? ·· solo pub]lic[o ·· ? ··]
c
(S face: illegible traces of l)
d
(W face (ll. 3 and 4):) [·· ? ·· fl]amen perpetuus
[·· ? ·· public]o e[t] fu]nd[auit et marmore solido f]ecit
a
(N face:) IMPC[··········]AVRELIOANTONINOAVGPPETIMPCAESLAVRELIOVEROARMENIACOAVG
SERCO[···························]ORFITVSPROCOSCVMVTTEDIOMARCELLOLEGSVODEDICAVIT
CCALPVRNIVSCELSVSCVRATORMVNERISPVBMVNERARIVSIIVIRQQFLAMENPERPETVVS
ARCVMPECVNIASVA[··········]··O··FVND[········]MARMORESOLIDOFECIT
b
(E face (l. 4):) [·· ? ···········]LIC[···· ? ··]
c
(S face: illegible traces of l)
d
(W face (ll. 3 and 4):) [·· ? ·····]AMENPERPETVVS
[·· ? ·········]OE[··]···]ND[··········]ECIT
<div type="textpart" n="a" >
<ab>
<note>
N face:
</note>
<lb n="1" />
<expan>
<abbr>
Imp
</abbr>
<ex>
eratori
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
C
<supplied reason="lost" >
aes
</supplied>
</abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<ex>
ari
</ex>
</supplied>
</expan>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
M
</abbr>
<ex>
arco
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
Aurelio
Antonino
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usto
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
atri
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
atriae
</ex>
</expan>
et
<expan>
<abbr>
Imp
</abbr>
<ex>
eratori
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Caes
</abbr>
<ex>
ari
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
L
</abbr>
<ex>
ucio
</ex>
</expan>
Aurelio
Vero
Armeniaco
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usto
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="2" />
<expan>
<abbr>
Ser
</abbr>
<ex>
uius
</ex>
</expan>
Co
<supplied reason="lost" >
rnelius
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
Scipio
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
Saluidienus
</supplied>
Orfitus
<expan>
<abbr>
proco
</abbr>
<ex>
n
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
ul
</ex>
</expan>
cum
Vttedio
Marcello
<expan>
<abbr>
leg
</abbr>
<ex>
ato
</ex>
</expan>
suo
dedicauit
<lb n="3" />
<expan>
<abbr>
C
</abbr>
<ex>
aius
</ex>
</expan>
Calpurnius
Celsus
curator
muneris
<expan>
<abbr>
pub
</abbr>
<ex>
lici
</ex>
</expan>
munerarius
<num >
II
</num>
uir
<expan>
<abbr>
q
</abbr>
<ex>
uin
</ex>
<abbr>
q
</abbr>
<ex>
uennalis
</ex>
</expan>
flamen
perpetuus
<lb n="4" />
arcum
pecunia
sua
<supplied reason="lost" >
solo
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
publ
</supplied>
<unclear reason="" >
ic
</unclear>
o
<unclear reason="" >
et
</unclear>
fund
<supplied reason="lost" >
auit
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
et
</supplied>
marmore
solido
fecit
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="b" >
<ab>
<note>
E face (l. 4):
</note>
<lb n="4" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
solo
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
pub
</supplied>
lic
<supplied reason="lost" >
o
</supplied>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="c" >
<ab>
<note>
S face: illegible traces of l
</note>
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="d" >
<ab>
<note>
W face (ll. 3 and 4):
</note>
<lb n="3" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
fl
</supplied>
amen perpetuus
<lb n="4" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
public
</supplied>
o
e
<supplied reason="lost" >
t
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
fu
</supplied>
nd
<supplied reason="lost" >
auit
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
et
marmore
solido
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
f
</supplied>
ecit
</ab>
</div>

Translation:

a. To Emperor Caesar [Marcus] Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, Father of the Country, and Emperor Caesar Lucius Aurelius Verus, Victor in Armenia, Augustus; Servius Cornelius [Scipio Salvidienus] Orfitus, proconsul, with Uttedius Marcellus, his legate ( senatorial assistant), dedicated (this), Caius Calpurnius Celsus, curator of public business, giver of a public show, duovir in a fifth year, perpetual flamen (priest) built the arch at his own expense on public [land] and completed it with solid marble.

b. [·· ? ··] on public [land·· ? ··];

d. [·· ? ··] perpetual flamen (priest) [·· ? ··] on public [land] both built (it) and completed it [with solid marble].

Commentary:

The titulature dates this inscription to between autumn 163, when Lucius Verus took the title of Armeniacus, and early 164, when Marcus Aurelius took it. The title pater patriae is apparently given to M. Aurelius in error; he did not accept it until 166.

For Orfitus see Cos. ord. 149, = PIR2 C 1447.

Vttedio Marcelo see PIR1 V 691, known only from this inscription.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DTV 2 Lastre)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DTV 2 Lastre)

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