868. Dedication to Jupiter Dolichenus

Description:
Altar (w: 0.57 x h: 0.78 x d: 0.60, height incomplete) of soft brown limestone.  
Text:
Inscribed on one face (die, w: 0.43 x h: 0.66). 
Letters:
Capitals, with many ligatures: 0.045.  
Date:
A.D. 198-210 (reign) 
Findspot:
Eastern Djebel: From a building in the centre of the ruins of the Roman road-station at Ain Wif (map ref. Q 643965, probably the classical Thanadassa), on the plateau above the spring. 
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Tripoli Castle.  
Bibliography:
Goodchild and Ward Perkins, Journal of Roman Studies, XXXIX:86, pi. XI, 4; L'Année Epigraphique (Revue des Publications épigraphiques relatives à l'Antiquité romaine: annual supplement to Rev. Arch.), 1950:126. 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) 
[I(oui)] O(ptimo) M(aximo) D(olicheno)
[pr]o salute et uictoria [dom]-
inor(um) nostror(um) imp(eratorum) L(uci) Sep[t(imi)]
Seueri Pii Pert(inacis) Aug(usti) et M(arci) Aurel[i]
5 Antonin(i) Aug(usti) Aug(usti) n(ostri) f(ili) et 〚P̣(ubli)〛
〚S[eptimi Getae]〛 Aug(usti) Aug(usti)
n(ostri) fil(i) Aug(usti) n(ostri) fratr(is) et Iuliae
Aug(ustae) matr(is) castr(orum) M(arcus) Caninius
Adiutor Faustinianus praef(ectus)
10 coh(ortis) II H(a)m(iorum) praep(ositus) uex(illationi) 〚le[g(ionis)]〛
[〚III〛] Aug(ustae) p(iae) u(indicis) aram po[su]-
it et dedicauit
[··]OMD
[···]OSALVTEETVICTORIA[····]
INORNOSTRORIMPLSEP[······]
SEVERIPIIPERTAVGETMAVREL[··]
5ANTONINAVGAVGNFET〚·〛
〚S[·············]〛AVGAVG
NFILAVGNFRATRETIVLIAE
AVGMATRCASTRMCANINIVS
ADIVTORFAVSTINIANVSPRAEF
10COHIIHMPRAEPVEX〚LE[········]〛
[····]AVGPVARAMPO[···]
ITETDEDICAVIT
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
I
</abbr>
<ex>
oui
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<expan>
<abbr>
O
</abbr>
<ex>
ptimo
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
M
</abbr>
<ex>
aximo
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
D
</abbr>
<ex>
olicheno
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="2" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
pr
</supplied>
o
salute
et
uictoria
<expan>
<abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
dom
</supplied>
<lb n="3" type="worddiv" />
inor
</abbr>
<ex>
um
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
nostror
</abbr>
<ex>
um
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
imp
</abbr>
<ex>
eratorum
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
L
</abbr>
<ex>
uci
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Sep
<supplied reason="lost" >
t
</supplied>
</abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<ex>
imi
</ex>
</supplied>
</expan>
<lb n="4" />
Seueri
Pii
<expan>
<abbr>
Pert
</abbr>
<ex>
inacis
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usti
</ex>
</expan>
et
<expan>
<abbr>
M
</abbr>
<ex>
arci
</ex>
</expan>
Aurel
<supplied reason="lost" >
i
</supplied>
<lb n="5" />
<expan>
<abbr>
Antonin
</abbr>
<ex>
i
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usti
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usti
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
n
</abbr>
<ex>
ostri
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
f
</abbr>
<ex>
ili
</ex>
</expan>
et
<del>
<expan>
<abbr>
<unclear reason="" >
P
</unclear>
</abbr>
<ex>
ubli
</ex>
</expan>
</del>
<lb n="6" />
<del>
S
<supplied reason="lost" >
eptimi
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
Getae
</supplied>
</del>
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usti
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usti
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="7" />
<expan>
<abbr>
n
</abbr>
<ex>
ostri
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
fil
</abbr>
<ex>
i
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usti
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
n
</abbr>
<ex>
ostri
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
fratr
</abbr>
<ex>
is
</ex>
</expan>
et
Iuliae
<lb n="8" />
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
ustae
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
matr
</abbr>
<ex>
is
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
castr
</abbr>
<ex>
orum
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
M
</abbr>
<ex>
arcus
</ex>
</expan>
Caninius
<lb n="9" />
Adiutor
Faustinianus
<expan>
<abbr>
praef
</abbr>
<ex>
ectus
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="10" />
<expan>
<abbr>
coh
</abbr>
<ex>
ortis
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="2" >
II
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
H
</abbr>
<ex>
a
</ex>
<abbr>
m
</abbr>
<ex>
iorum
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
praep
</abbr>
<ex>
ositus
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
uex
</abbr>
<ex>
illationi
</ex>
</expan>
<del>
<expan>
<abbr>
le
<supplied reason="lost" >
g
</supplied>
</abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<ex>
ionis
</ex>
</supplied>
</expan>
</del>
<lb n="11" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
<del>
<num value="3" >
III
</num>
</del>
</supplied>
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
ustae
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
iae
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
u
</abbr>
<ex>
indicis
</ex>
</expan>
aram
po
<supplied reason="lost" >
su
</supplied>
<lb n="12" type="worddiv" />
it
et
dedicauit
</ab>

3, IMPP.

6, P. Septimius Geta: Erased after damnatio in 212.

10, H(a)m(iorum): HM or ligatured THM.

11, legio III´: Erased after damnatio in 238.

Translation:

[To Jupiter], best, greatest, Dolichenian, for the safety and victory of our lords Lucius Septimius Severus Pius Pertinax Augustus and Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, son of our Augustus, and Publius Septimius Geta (name erased) Augustus, son of our Augustus, brother of our Augustus, and Julia Augusta, mother of the camps; Marcus Caninius Adiutor Faustinianus, commander of the second cohort of Hamii, appointed in charge of the detachment of Legion II (figure erased) Augusta, pia, vindex, had the altar set up and dedicated it.

Commentary:

ll. 5-6. Augustus. Caracalla was Augustus from 198, Geta from 209; but the latter figures as Augustus in Tripolitanian inscriptions as early as 201, see 913, 914, 915, 916.

l.10. Cohors II Hamiorum is known hitherto from a single text only, CIL VIII 10654, from Hr. Bou Sboa, between Theveste and Thelepte.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 48.XII.19)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 48.XII.19)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 48.XII.18)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 48.XII.18)

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