338. Building dedication of the Forum to Claudius
- Description:
- Stele (w: 0.855 x h: 2.36 x d: 0.30) of fine- grained grey limestone, one of four which stood in pairs on shallow moulded plinths in the Forum Vetus. Fragments of one of the other stelae, with an identical text, and of two plinths, are preserved.
- Text:
- Inscribed on the face in letters of bronze, since removed, within a moulded panel (die, w: 0.67 x h: 2.14).
- Letters:
- Capitals: 0.065-0.05. Four lines of Neo-Punic follow the Latin text (Neo- Punic 31: see commentary below).
- Date:
- A.D. 53 (titulature)
- Findspot:
- Lepcis Magna: Forum Vetus, in front of the Temple of Rome and Augustus.
- Original Location:
- Unknown
- Last recorded location:
- Findspot
- Bibliography:
- Aurigemma, Africa Italiana (Rivista di Storia e d'Arte a cura del Ministero delle Colonie) 8 vols., Bergamo, 1927-1940 VIII:35ff., figs. 20, 21 and 22; L'Année Epigraphique (Revue des Publications épigraphiques relatives à l'Antiquité romaine: annual supplement to Rev. Arch.) 1948:17. 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)
Drusi f(ilio) Cae-
sari Aug(usto) Ger-
manico pon-
5[tif(ici)] max(imo) trib(unicia)
potest(ate) XIII
imp(eratori) XVII co(n)s(uli)
V cens(ori) p(atri) p(atriae)
M(arcus) Pompeius Silua-
10nus co(n)s(ul) XVuir s(acris) f(aciundis)
proco(n)s(ul) patron(us)
dedicauit
Q(uinto) Cassio Grato pr(aetore)
proco(n)s(ule) Cretae et
15Cyrena[ru]m leg(ato)
pro pr(aetore) Africae
C(aius) Annonis f(ilius) nomi-
ne [C(ai)] Annonis f(ilii) n(epotis)
sui columnas cum
20superficie et forum
d(e) s(ua) p(ecunia) d(edit)
Balitho Annonis
Macri f(ilius) Commodus
testamento adopta-
25tus f(aciendum) c(urauit)
DRVSIFCAE
SARIAVGGER
MANICOPON
5[········]MAXTRIB
POTESTXIII
IMPXVIICOS
VCENSPP
MPOMPEIVSSILVA
10NVSCOSXVVIRSF
PROCOSPATRON
DEDICAVIT
QCASSIOGRATOPR
PROCOSCRETAEET
15CYRENA[···]MLEG
PROPRAFRICAE
CANNONISFNOMI
NE[··]ANNONISFN
SVICOLVMNASCVM
20SVPERFICIEETFORVM
DSPD
BALITHOANNONIS
MACRIFCOMMODVS
TESTAMENTOADOPTA
25TVSFC
Translation:
To Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, son of Drusus, chief priest, holding tribunician power for the thirteenth time, acclaimed victor seventeen times, consul five times, censor, father of the country; Marcus Pompeius Silvanus, consul, member of the committee of fifteen for sacred affairs (at Rome), proconsul, patron, dedicated (this), Quintus Cassius Gratus praetor, proconsul of Crete and Cyrene, being his legate with pro praetorian authority in Africa; Caius son of Anno, in the name of Caius, son of Anno, his grandson, gave the columns with what is above them and the forum from his own funds. Balitho Commodus, son of Anno Macer, by adoption in his will, saw to it that the work was carried out.
Commentary:
The provisional translation of theNeo-Punic text (31) given by Levi Della Vida in Afr.Ital. VIII (1940) 42 is superseded by a definitive discussion and translation, published by the same author in Rend. Acc. Linc. IV (1949) 400-404. The latter. rendered literally, reads: << G. `y by ben Hanno, in the name of G`y his grandson by (his son) M'qr, covered (paid for ?. presented ?) the columns and the space and paved the forum at his own expense as the work required. Ba'alyaton Q.m.d`, who entered in as son by M`qr through the writing of the affairs of the family (i.e. through the will) of G'y ben Hanno, had this work executed and brought it to completion >>.
l. 6. trib. pot. XIII - 25 Jan. 53 - 24 Jan. 54.
l. 10. Marcus Pompeius Siluanus. PIR1P 495, cos. suff.. 45.
l. 17. C. Annonis filius. See also in 615; ll. 2- 3, 7 and note 1.
l. 23. Balitho Annonis Commodus. See above on Neo-Punic text. Also 615 , II.3- 5.
Photographs:
- Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 728)
-
You may download this inscription in EpiDoc XML. (You may need the EpiDoc DTD v. 6 to validate this file.)