Description:
Series of blocks (lengths varying w: 0.45 x h: 0.52) of grey limestone, some complete and some broken, from a monumental inscription; all with rectangular beam-sockets at the top back. a.i) 5 blocks, total length, 4.02. a.ii) 2 blocks, together 1.42. b+g) 1 block, length 1.50. c) 1 block, length 0.50. d) 1 block, length 0.70. e) 1 block, length 0.79. f) 1 block, length 0.80, probably from the right-hand of the text. h) 1 block, length 0.80. i) 2 blocks, length 1.05. j) 1 block, length 0.82. 
Text:
The inscription was cut on the frieze and probably occupied a space of c. 18.74. 
Letters:
Lapidary capitals: 0.16; from top of block, l. 1, 0.06-0.22; to bottom, 0.22-0.45. Letter sizes and spacing are variable, but on average there are 7 letters per metre, so that 45 letters can reasonably be supplied in a reconstruction of the text; words are distinguished by ivy leaf stops.  
Date:
First to second centuries A.D. (lettering) 
Findspot:
Lepcis Magna: Regio IV, ins. 11, beside a building to which they probably belong, opposite the Severan Basilica. 
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; 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) 
ai
[·· ? ··]a et amplius adiectis (sestertiis) LXXIID[·· ? ··]
aii
[·· ? ··]de suo are[·· ? ··]
b+g
[·· ? ··]alis legatis iu[·· ? ··]
c
[·· ? ··]men[·· ? ··]
d
[·· ? ··] heres [·· ? ··]
e
[·· ? ··]arata[·· ? ··]
f
[·· ? ··] fecit
h
[·· ? ··]ollini e[·· ? ··]
i
[·· ? ··]a Gaetul[·· ? ··]
j
[·· ? ··] (sestertios) CC te[·· ? ··]
ai
[·· ? ··]AETAMPLIVSADIECTIS sestertius LXXIID[·· ? ··]
aii
[·· ? ··]DESVOARE[·· ? ··]
b+g
[·· ? ··]ALISLEGATISIV[·· ? ··]
c
[·· ? ··]MEN[·· ? ··]
d
[·· ? ··]HERES[·· ? ··]
e
[·· ? ··]ARATA[·· ? ··]
f
[·· ? ··]FECIT
h
[·· ? ··]OLLINIE[·· ? ··]
i
[·· ? ··]AGAETVL[·· ? ··]
j
[·· ? ··]·CCTE[·· ? ··]
<div type="textpart" n="ai" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
a
et
amplius
adiectis
<expan>
<abbr>
<am>
<g type="sestertius" > </g>
</am>
</abbr>
<ex>
sestertiis
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="72500" >
LXXII
D
</num>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="aii" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
de
suo
are
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="b+g" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
alis
legatis
iu
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="c" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
men
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="d" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
heres
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="e" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
arata
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="f" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
fecit
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="h" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
ollini
e
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="i" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
a
Gaetul
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="j" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<expan>
<abbr>
<am>
<unclear reason="" >
<g type="sestertius" > </g>
</unclear>
</am>
</abbr>
<ex>
sestertios
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="200" >
CC
</num>
te
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>

Translation:

(a.i)[·· ? ··] with a further sum of seventy-two thousand and five hundred sesterces added [·· ? ··]

(a.ii) [·· ? ··] from his/her own resources [·· ? ··]

(b) [·· ? ··] with [·· ? ··] bequeathed [·· ? ··]

(d)[·· ? ··] heir (nominative)[·· ? ··]

(f) [·· ? ··]he/she made (it).

(h) [·· ? ··] ?to Apollo [·· ? ··]

(i)[·· ? ··] Gaetulus/a (or) Gaetulicus (case unknown) [·· ? ··]

(j) [·· ? ··]? two hundred thousands sesterces [·· ? ··]

Hypothetical reconstruction: To the god Apollo, at a cost of two hundred thousand sestrces bequeathed in the will; ?Junia Parata, daughter of Gaetulus/a (Gaetulicus/a), heiress, [·· ? ··] and with seventy-two thousand, five hundred sesterces added further from her own funds, ?paved the area.

Commentary:

The inscribed stones of this text were re-examined when the facade of the building to which it probably belonged was measured by Mr. Gareth Slater in summer 1953.

It is possible to attempt a reconstruction on the following lines: [?Deo Ap]ollini e[x H]S CC te[sta]men[to .. ? ..]alis legatis Iu[?ni]a Gaetul[ici ? f(ilia) ? P]arata heres [..?..]a et amplius adiectis HS LXXII D [.. ? ..] de suo are[am ? stratam] fecit.

a.i) 72,500.

a.i0 Presumably the description of the building. The site has not been excavated and its precise character is obscure: walls enclosing an open courtyard (cf. the area ? strata of the text) are the only certain features. A term with the sense of peristylia might be suggested, although this is in fact too long for the space available.

a.i-ii) An ivy leaf after D indicates that the figure is complete; but the beam-holes seem to show that the block containing de suo did not follow immediately.

b) -alis: The name of the testator, e.g. Vitalis.

d) Another block containing, e.g., the words uxor (coniunx) et might intervene before heres.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 258 Lastre)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 258 Lastre)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 254 Lastre)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 254 Lastre)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 253 Lastre)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 253 Lastre)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 257 Lastre)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 257 Lastre)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 256 Lastre)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 256 Lastre)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 255 Lastre)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 255 Lastre)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 254 Lastre)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 254 Lastre)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 253 Lastre)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 253 Lastre)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 257 Lastre)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 257 Lastre)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 256 Lastre)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 256 Lastre)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 255 Lastre)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 255 Lastre)

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