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Inscription #

880. Building inscription

Description:: Block of limestone, shaped to form the arch of a door.
Text:: Inscribed above the arch within a rectangular recessed panel (w: 0.96 x h: 0.39), at the left-hand, surviving end of which is a bow-shaped, moulded feature.
Letters:: Capitals, lapidary to irregular: 0.04-0.05.
Date:: A.D. 244-246 (reign)
Findspot:: Upper Sofeggin Basin : Saniet Duib; In the gasr, on the Wadi Duib, 40 km. South East of Zintan (map ref. U 7335), the left half in situ over the entrance doorway, the right half re-used in the later walling which flanks the doorway on the left.
Original Location:: Unknown
Last recorded location:: Findspot
Bibliography:: Goodchild and Ward Perkins, Journal of Roman Studies, XXXIX: 91-2, pi. xn; L'Année Epigraphique (Revue des Publications épigraphiques relatives à l'Antiquité romaine: annual supplement to Rev. Arch.), 1950:128. 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)

Imp(erator) Caes(ar) 〚 [M(arcus) Iulius Ph]ilippus 〛 inuic̣tu[s Aug(ustus)]
eṭ 〚 Ṃ(arcus) Ịul(ius) P̣[hilippus〛 Ca]esar n(oster) regionem limi[tis Ten]-
theitani parṭiṭam et ẹ[ius] uiam incursib(us) barba[ro]-
rum constituto nouo centenario 〚[·· ? ··]〛
5 〚[··]Ạ[·]〛Ṣ prae[cl]userunt Cominio Cassiano leg(ato) Aug(ustorum)
pr(o) pr(aetore) Gaḷlican[o ·· 6-7··] u(iro) e(gregio) praep(osito) limitis cura
Numisii Maximi domo [·· 4··]sia trib(uni)

IMPCAES〚[·····]ILIPPVS〛INVI·TV[······]
E·〚··VL·[·········〛···]ESARNREGIONEMLIMI[········]
THEITANIPAR·I·AMET·[····]VIAMINCVRSIBBARBA[···]
RVMCONSTITVTONOVOCENTENARIO〚[·· ? ··]〛
5〚[··]·[·]〛·PRAE[···]VSERVNTCOMINIOCASSIANOLEGAVG
PRPRGA·LICAN[···· 6-7··]VEPRAEPLIMITISCVRA
NVMISIIMAXIMIDOMO[·· 4··]SIATRIB

<ab>

<expan>

<abbr>

Imp

</abbr>

<ex>

erator

</ex>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

Caes

</abbr>

<ex>

</ex>

</expan>

<del>

<expan>

<abbr>

</abbr>

<ex>

arcus

</ex>

</expan>

Iulius

</supplied>

</supplied>

ilippus

</del>

inui

</unclear>

</supplied>

<expan>

<abbr>

Aug

</abbr>

<ex>

ustus

</ex>

</expan>

</supplied>

</unclear>

<del>

<expan>

<abbr>

</unclear>

</abbr>

<ex>

arcus

</ex>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

</unclear>

</abbr>

<ex>

ius

</ex>

</expan>

</unclear>

hilippus

</supplied>

</del>

</supplied>

esar

<expan>

<abbr>

</abbr>

<ex>

oster

</ex>

</expan>

regionem

limi

tis

</supplied>

Ten

</supplied>

theitani

par

</unclear>

</unclear>

</unclear>

ius

</supplied>

uiam

<expan>

<abbr>

incursib

</abbr>

<ex>

</ex>

</expan>

barba

</supplied>

rum

constituto

nouo

centenario

<del>

</del>

<del>

<orig >

</unclear>

</orig>

</del>

<orig >

</unclear>

</orig>

prae

</supplied>

userunt

Cominio

Cassiano

<expan>

<abbr>

leg

</abbr>

<ex>

ato

</ex>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

Aug

</abbr>

<ex>

ustorum

</ex>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

</abbr>

<ex>

</ex>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

</abbr>

<ex>

aetore

</ex>

</expan>

</unclear>

lican

</supplied>

<expan>

<abbr>

</abbr>

<ex>

iro

</ex>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

</abbr>

<ex>

gregio

</ex>

</expan>

<expan>

<abbr>

praep

</abbr>

<ex>

osito

</ex>

</expan>

limitis

cura

Numisii

Maximi

domo

sia

<expan>

<abbr>

trib

</abbr>

<ex>

uni

</ex>

</expan>

</ab>

3, uiam: obuiam, as suggested in Melanges de l'Universite Saint Joseph, XXVIII (1949-50) 316, is not a possible reading, since an upright is visible after <<et>>. ; peruiam is a possible alternative.

5, Aug(ustorum): AVGG.

Translation:

Emperor Caesar [Marcus Julius] Philippus (names erased), unconquered [Augustus] and Marcus Julius P[hilippus] (names erased) our Caesar, by building a new fort [·· ? ··] (erased) preserved the area distinguished as the frontier district of Tentheis (?Tentheitanus), and the road along it, from the attacks of barbarians; Cominius Cassianus, agent of the emperors with propraetorian powers and Gallicanus [·· c. 7 ··], of equestrian status, in charge of the frontier, Numisius Maximus, whose home town is [·· c. 7 ··], tribune, saw to the work.