854. Boundary inscription

Description:
Stele (w: 0.89 x h: 1.22 x d: 0.21) of hard brown sand-stone. 
Text:
Inscribed on one face. 
Letters:
First century. capitals ranging from lapidary to irregular: l. 1, 0.09; ll. 2-9, 0.07-0.075; ll. 10-13, 0.06; l. 14, 0.045.  
Date:
A.D. 87 (titulature) 
Findspot:
Sirtica: Found 3 km. East of Sirte (map ref. approx. Y 6873) 
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Tripoli Castle.  
Bibliography:
Romanelli, Epigraphica (Rivista Italiana di Epigrafia), Milano, vol. I, 1939, I:111ff., fig. 11; L'Année Epigraphique (Revue des Publications épigraphiques relatives à l'Antiquité romaine: annual supplement to Rev. Arch.), 1940:70. 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) 
[Ex] [a]uctorit(ate)
[I]ṃp(eratoris) diui Vespasi-
ani f(ili) 〚Domitiani〛
Aug(usti) Germ(anici) pont(ificis)
5 max(imi) trib(unicia) pot(estate) VI
imp(eratoris) XIIII co(n)s(ulis) XIII
cens(oris) perpet(ui) p(atris) p(atriae)
iussu Suelli Flac-
ci leg(ati) Aug(usti) pro pr(aetore)
10 terminus positi inter na-
tionem Muduciuuiorum
e[t] Ẓamuciorum ex conuen-
tione utrarumque
nationum
[···][··]VCTORIT
[··]·PDIVIVESPASI
ANIF〚DOMITIANI〛
AVGGERMPONT
5MAXTRIBPOTVI
IMPXIIIICOSXIII
CENSPERPETPP
IVSSVSVELLIFLAC
CILEGAVGPROPR
10TERMINVSPOSITIINTERNA
TIONEMMVDVCIVVIORVM
E[··]·AMVCIORVMEXCONVEN
TIONEVTRARVMQVE
NATIONVM
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
Ex
</supplied>
<expan>
<abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
a
</supplied>
uctorit
</abbr>
<ex>
ate
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="2" />
<expan>
<abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
I
</supplied>
<unclear reason="" >
m
</unclear>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
eratoris
</ex>
</expan>
diui
Vespasi
<lb n="3" type="worddiv" />
ani
<expan>
<abbr>
f
</abbr>
<ex>
ili
</ex>
</expan>
<del>
Domitiani
</del>
<lb n="4" />
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usti
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Germ
</abbr>
<ex>
anici
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
pont
</abbr>
<ex>
ificis
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="5" />
<expan>
<abbr>
max
</abbr>
<ex>
imi
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
trib
</abbr>
<ex>
unicia
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
pot
</abbr>
<ex>
estate
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="6" >
VI
</num>
<lb n="6" />
<expan>
<abbr>
imp
</abbr>
<ex>
eratoris
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="14" >
XIIII
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
co
</abbr>
<ex>
n
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
ulis
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="13" >
XIII
</num>
<lb n="7" />
<expan>
<abbr>
cens
</abbr>
<ex>
oris
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
perpet
</abbr>
<ex>
ui
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
atris
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
atriae
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="8" />
iussu
Suelli
Flac
<lb n="9" type="worddiv" />
ci
<expan>
<abbr>
leg
</abbr>
<ex>
ati
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usti
</ex>
</expan>
pro
<expan>
<abbr>
pr
</abbr>
<ex>
aetore
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="10" />
terminus
positi
inter
na
<lb n="11" type="worddiv" />
tionem
Muduciuuiorum
<lb n="12" />
e
<supplied reason="lost" >
t
</supplied>
<unclear reason="" >
Z
</unclear>
amuciorum
ex
conuen
<lb n="13" type="worddiv" />
tione
utrarum
que
<lb n="14" />
nationum
</ab>

3, Erased very half-heartedly after Domitian's damnatio in 96.

10, positi : sic:

Translation:

[On] the authority of the son of deified Vespasian, emperor Domitian (name erased) Augustu,s Germanicus, chief priest, holding tribinician power for the sixth time, acclaimed victor fourteen times, consul for the thirteenth time, perpetual censor, father of the country, by the command of Suellius Flaccus, legate of Augustus with praetorian powers, the boundary stone(s) were set up between the tribe of the Muduciuui and that of the Zamucii, in accordance with the agreement of both tribes.

Commentary:

l. 5. trib. pot. VI. c. 14 Sept. 86 - 13 Sept. 87.

l. 6. cos. XIII. 1 Jan. 87.

ll. 8-9. Suellus Flaccus. PW IV A 581, 2.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DTV 32 Lastre)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DTV 32 Lastre)

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