467. Building inscription of Basilica under Constantine I
- Description:
- Moulded marble base (w: 1.19 x h: 1.19 x d: 1.46).
- Text:
- Inscribed on one face (die, w: 0.93 x h: 0.83).
- Letters:
- Fourth century A.D. capitals: 0.045-0.025.
- Date:
- A.D. 317 (prosopography)
- Findspot:
- Lepcis Magna: Forum Vetus, found re-used on the right of the nave in front of the altar of Church II.
- Original Location:
- Unknown
- Last recorded location:
- Findspot
- Bibliography:
- Bartoccini, Rivista di Archeologia cristiana della Pontificia Commissione di Archeologia sacra VIII:34 ff., fig. 8; L'Année Epigraphique (Revue des Publications épigraphiques relatives à l'Antiquité romaine: annual supplement to Rev. Arch.) 1934:172; Aurigemma, Atti della Pontificia Accademia Romana di Archeologia: Rendiconti, XV:109 ff., fig. 1; L'Année Epigraphique (Revue des Publications épigraphiques relatives à l'Antiquité romaine: annual supplement to Rev. Arch.) 1948:37. 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)
conlabsu ac spatio sui breuiass[et ar]eam forensem
[·· 5··] diuino icta conflagrarat incendio adq(ue) is locus saecul[o]
fortunatissimo meliora deposceret tantae stragis lab[e s]ubl[a]-
5[ta] tripertita porticus magnitudine sui ac Troadensium columna-
[r]um adornata operis prouincialium ac sumtu publico disponen[te]
[La]enatio Romulo u(iro) p(erfectissimo) rectore prouinciae intra anni spatium per-
fecta ac dedicata est adq(ue) ad sempiternam memoriam statua[m]
marmoream suo numine radiantem Domino nostro
10Constantino maximo uictori semper Aug(usto) idem u(ir) p(erfectissimus) dicata mente
constituit curante Cl(audio) Aurel(io) Generoso u(iro) e(gregio) cur(atore) r(ei) p(ublicae) et splendidissimo
ordine Coloniae Lepcimagnensium
CONLABSVACSPATIOSVIBREVIASS[······]EAMFORENSEM
[·· 5··]DIVINOICTACONFLAGRARATINCENDIOADQISLOCVSSAECVL[··]
FORTVNATISSIMOMELIORADEPOSCERETTANTAESTRAGISLAB[····]VBL[··]
5[···]TRIPERTITAPORTICVSMAGNITVDINESVIACTROADENSIVMCOLVMNA
[··]VMADORNATAOPERISPROVINCIALIVMACSVMTVPVBLICODISPONEN[···]
[···]ENATIOROMVLOVPRECTOREPROVINCIAEINTRAANNISPATIVMPER
FECTAACDEDICATAESTADQADSEMPITERNAMMEMORIAMSTATVA[··]
MARMOREAMSVONVMINERADIANTEMDOMINONOSTRO
10CONSTANTINOMAXIMOVICTORISEMPERAVGIDEMVPDICATAMENTE
CONSTITVITCVRANTECLAVRELGENEROSOVECVRRPETSPLENDIDISSIMO
ORDINECOLONIAELEPCIMAGNENSIVM
3, Perhaps igne, or possibly iaculo.
Translation:
Since the greatest part of the old basilica was damaged and fallen down and the space taken by its fallen debris had reduced the open area of the forum [·· ? ·· ?moreover] struck by divine lightning [·· ? ··] it had blazed with a fire and since in a most fortunate period that place demanded better things, the fallen parts were removed and a tripartite portico built. It has been adorned by its own size and by columns of Troadensian marble, by the works of the provincials and at public expense with Laenatius Romulus, excellent man ( i.e. equestrian), governor of the province, managing it; it was completed and dedicated within the space of a year; and moreover to his eternal memory a marble statue radiant with his divine power to our Lord Constantine greatest victor, perpetual Augustus, was erected by the same excellent man; Claudius Aurelius Generosus, eminent man ( i.e. equestrian), curator of the city and the most splendid city council of the colony of Lepcimagnensians overseeing the work.
Commentary:
l. 7. Laenatius Romulus: praeses c. 317, see Aurigemma, loc. cit.; also in 101, ll. 1-8; 468, l. 10, 574, ll. 1-12.
.10. Constantine: Augustus 307-337; Maximus from October 312.
Photographs:
- Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 323 Lastre)
-
You may download this inscription in EpiDoc XML. (You may need the EpiDoc DTD v. 6 to validate this file.)