526. Honours for Decimius Hilarianus Hesperius

Description:
Moulded base of marble (w: 0.69 x h: 1.45 x d: 0.69). 
Text:
Re-inscribed on one face within a recessed panel (die, w: 0.41 x h: 0.65) from which a previous inscription has been erased: the first line is cut above the die.  
Letters:
Fourth century A.D. capitals: l. 1, 0.06, remainder, 0.03. 
Date:
After 376 A.D. (prosopography).  
Findspot:
Lepcis Magna: Forum Severianum, East end. 
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Findspot 
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.  
Text constituted from:
Transcription (Reynolds, Ward-Perkins) 
Esperii u(iri) c(larissimi)
Decimio Esperio u(iro) c(larissimo) ex procon-
sule prouin(ciae) Africae iudici
sacrarum cognitionum
5prosapiae dignitatum et crescenti (sic)
per gradus et merita gloriar(um)
optionorim iustitiae quam (sic)
causae Tripolitanorum
deligatae sacro iudici (sic)
10exhibuit praestanti
patro(no) Lepcimagnen-
sis cliens semper ordo
cum populo conlocauit
ESPERIIVC
DECIMIOESPERIOVCEXPROCON
SVLEPROVINAFRICAEIVDICI
SACRARVMCOGNITIONVM
5PROSAPIAEDIGNITATVMETCRESCENTI(sic)
PERGRADVSETMERITAGLORIAR
OPTIONORIMIVSTITIAEQVAM(sic)
CAVSAETRIPOLITANORVM
DELIGATAESACROIVDICI(sic)
10EXHIBVITPRAESTANTI
PATROLEPCIMAGNEN
SISCLIENSSEMPERORDO
CVMPOPVLOCONLOCAVIT
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
Esperii
<expan>
<abbr>
u
</abbr>
<ex>
iri
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
c
</abbr>
<ex>
larissimi
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="2" />
Decimio
Esperio
<expan>
<abbr>
u
</abbr>
<ex>
iro
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
c
</abbr>
<ex>
larissimo
</ex>
</expan>
ex
procon
<lb n="3" type="worddiv" />
sule
<expan>
<abbr>
prouin
</abbr>
<ex>
ciae
</ex>
</expan>
Africae
iudici
<lb n="4" />
sacrarum
cognitionum
<lb n="5" />
prosapiae
dignitatum
et
crescenti
<note>
sic
</note>
<lb n="6" />
per
gradus
et
merita
<expan>
<abbr>
gloriar
</abbr>
<ex>
um
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="7" />
optionorim
iustitiae
quam
<note>
sic
</note>
<lb n="8" />
causae
Tripolitanorum
<lb n="9" />
deligatae
sacro
iudici
<note>
sic
</note>
<lb n="10" />
exhibuit
praestanti
<lb n="11" />
<expan>
<abbr>
patro
</abbr>
<ex>
no
</ex>
</expan>
Lepcimagnen
<lb n="12" type="worddiv" />
sis
cliens
semper
ordo
<lb n="13" />
cum
populo
conlocauit
</ab>

7, optionorim: Perhaps for ob tenorem.

Translation:

(In honour) of Esperius, splendid man (i.e. of senatorial status). To Decimius Esperius, splendid man (i.e. of senatorial status), former proconsul of the province of Africa, a juryman in the imperial court, of an office-holding family, moreover a man increasing (in dignity) stage by stage and through the fame won ?on account of the justice which he displayed in the case of the Tripolitanians which was referred to the emperor as judge. To an outstanding patron, the city council of Lepcis Magna, alwauys his client, together with the people, erected (this).

Commentary:

ll. 1, 2. Decimius Hilarianus Hesperius, PW VIII, 1249, 1; son of Ausonius the poet, proconsul of Africa in 376.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 376)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 376)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 18)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 18)

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