304. Dedication to Mercury and Minerva

Description:
Tall, narrow, moulded base (w: 0.36 x h: 1.38 x d: 0.33) Of grey-brown limestone. 
Text:
Inscribed on one face (die, w: 0.34 x h: 0.97).  
Letters:
Rustic capitals: I.1, 0.065; remainder, 0.035- 0.04. 
Date:
Unknown  
Findspot:
Lepcis Magna: Central Barracks, Homs. Found with capitals and other architectural elements in 1942.  
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Lepcis Museum. 
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; including revisions from J. M. Reynolds, 'Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania: A Supplement', Proceedings of the British School at Rome 23 (1955), 124-147 
Text constituted from:
Transcription (Reynolds, Ward-Perkins) 
Merc(urio) et Min(eruae)
u(otum) s(oluit) Tullus sacerd(os)
ex pecunia quam
a Boccio Copone
5accepit ne cum eo
ex decr(eto) Marcelli
proco(n)s(ulis) qui eum
kalumniatorẹm
cogno(uerat) iniuriar(um)
10ageret
MERCETMIN
VSTVLLVSSACERD
EXPECVNIAQVAM
ABOCCIOCOPONE
5ACCEPITNECVMEO
EXDECRMARCELLI
PROCOSQVIEVM
KALVMNIATOR·M
COGNOINIVRIAR
10AGERET
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<expan>
<abbr>
Merc
</abbr>
<ex>
urio
</ex>
</expan>
et
<expan>
<abbr>
Min
</abbr>
<ex>
eruae
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="2" />
<expan>
<abbr>
u
</abbr>
<ex>
otum
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
oluit
</ex>
</expan>
Tullus
<expan>
<abbr>
sacerd
</abbr>
<ex>
os
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="3" />
ex
pecunia
quam
<lb n="4" />
a
Boccio
Copone
<lb n="5" />
accepit
ne
cum
eo
<lb n="6" />
ex
<expan>
<abbr>
decr
</abbr>
<ex>
eto
</ex>
</expan>
Marcelli
<lb n="7" />
<expan>
<abbr>
proco
</abbr>
<ex>
n
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
ulis
</ex>
</expan>
qui
eum
<lb n="8" />
kalumniator
<unclear reason="" >
e
</unclear>
m
<lb n="9" />
<expan>
<abbr>
cogno
</abbr>
<ex>
uerat
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
iniuriar
</abbr>
<ex>
um
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="10" />
ageret
</ab>

Translation:

To Mercury and Minerva, Tullus, the priest, paid his vow from the money which he received from Boccius Copo, in lieu of taking action on account of the injuries (inflicted on him), following the decree of the proconsul Marcellus who had judged that Boccius had made a false charge (against Tullus).

Commentary:

l. 1. See also 303 .

ll. 6-7. For the proconsul Marcellus mentioned here see also L' Ann. Ep. 1912, 38 = Poinssot, CRAcad. 1920, 140 ff. Poinssot dates tentatively in the early years of the reign of M. Aurelius. The lettering of the Lepcis inscription would accord with this.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 48.XXXV.17)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 48.XXXV.17)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 48.XXXV.18)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 48.XXXV.18)

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