482. Fragmentary ?building inscription

Description:
Three blocks of hard yellowish-grey limestone. a) w: 0.52 x h: 0.51 x d: 0.35, and w: 0.44 x h: 0.51 x d: 0.30. b) w: 0.69 x h: 0.42 x d: 0.51.  
Text:
Inscribed on one face: two blocks (a) belong to the same inscription, while the third (b), on which the lettering is smaller, may be from a lower course of the same monument. 
Letters:
Lapidary capitals: 0.13. Lapidary capitals: l.1, 0.08; l.2, 0.07. 
Date:
First to third centuries A.D. (lettering) 
Findspot:
Lepcis Magna: Fourth century wall; probably re-used in the wall. 
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Lying loose beside the West Gate. 
Bibliography:
P. Romanelli, Leptis Magna (Africae Italiana: Monografie a cura del Ministero delle Colonie, 1), Roma, 1925, 84, b) only. 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
[·· ? ··] [A]ug(ust-) pont[(if-) max(im-) tribunicia pot]estat[e ·· ? ··]
[·· ? ··] area co[lumnis(?) ·· c. 10··]undis
fẹ[·· ? ··]
b
[·· ? ··] dedicauit
[·· ? ··]lius Rufus L(ucius) Aelius Ae[·· ? ··]
a
[·· ? ··][··]VGPONT[······················]ESTAT[···· ? ··]
[·· ? ··]AREACO[·······(?)·· c. 10··]VNDIS
F·[·· ? ··]
b
[·· ? ··]DEDICAVIT
[·· ? ··]LIVSRVFVSLAELIVSAE[·· ? ··]
<div type="textpart" n="a" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<expan>
<abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
A
</supplied>
ug
</abbr>
<ex>
ust
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
pont
</abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<ex>
if
</ex>
</supplied>
</expan>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
max
</abbr>
</expan>
<ex>
im
</ex>
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
tribunicia
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
pot
</supplied>
estat
<supplied reason="lost" >
e
</supplied>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
area
co
<supplied reason="lost" cert="low" >
lumnis
</supplied>
<gap reason="lost" extent="10" unit="character" precision="circa" />
undis
<lb n="3" />
f
<unclear reason="" >
e
</unclear>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="b" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
dedicauit
<lb n="2" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
lius
Rufus
<expan>
<abbr>
L
</abbr>
<ex>
ucius
</ex>
</expan>
Aelius
Ae
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>

Translation:

a.[·· ? ··]Augustus [chief] priest, holding [tribunician] power [for the ? time·· ? ··] the area ? with columns [·· ? ··].

b.[·· ? ···· ? ··] dedicated (singular subject) [·· ? ··]lius Rufus, Lucius Aelius Ae[·· ? ··]

Commentary:

No comment.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 48.XIII.6)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 48.XIII.6)

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