913. Dedication to Septimius Severus, Caracalla and Geta

Description:
Panel (w: 0.93 x h: 0.71 x d: 0.16) of fine grey limestone.  
Text:
Inscribed on the surviving face. 
Letters:
Mannered capitals: 0.075.  
Date:
A.D. 202. (titulature) 
Findspot:
Bu-Ngem: Fort at Bu-Ngem; Found in the Baths (map ref. X 5206) 
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Tripoli Castle.  
Bibliography:
Bartoccini, Africa Italiana (Rivista di Storia e d'Arte a cura del Ministero delle Colonie) 8 vols., Bergamo, 1927-1940, II:52 ff. with fig. 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(eratori) Caes(ari) L(ucio) Septimio Seuero
Pio Pertinaci Aug(usto) Arab(ico) Adi-
ab(enico) Parth(ico) pont(ifici) max(imo) tr(ibunicia) pot(estate) X
imp(eratori) XI co(n)s(uli) III p(atri) p(atriae) et Imp(eratori) Caes(ari)
5 M(arco) Aurelio Antonino Aug(usto) tr(ibunicia) pot(estate) III
co(n)s(uli) et L(ucio) Se〚p〛timio 〚Getae 〛Caes(ari) Aug(usto)
per uexillationem 〚leg(ionis)〛 〚III 〛 〚Aug(ustae)〛
IMPCAESLSEPTIMIOSEVERO
PIOPERTINACIAVGARABADI
ABPARTHPONTMAXTRPOTX
IMPXICOSIIIPPETIMPCAES
5MAVRELIOANTONINOAVGTRPOTIII
COSETLSE〚P〛TIMIO〚GETAE〛CAESAVG
PERVEXILLATIONEM〚LEG〛〚III〛〚AVG〛
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<expan>
<abbr>
Imp
</abbr>
<ex>
eratori
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Caes
</abbr>
<ex>
ari
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
L
</abbr>
<ex>
ucio
</ex>
</expan>
Septimio
Seuero
<lb n="2" />
Pio
Pertinaci
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usto
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Arab
</abbr>
<ex>
ico
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Adi
<lb n="3" type="worddiv" />
ab
</abbr>
<ex>
enico
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Parth
</abbr>
<ex>
ico
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
pont
</abbr>
<ex>
ifici
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
max
</abbr>
<ex>
imo
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
tr
</abbr>
<ex>
ibunicia
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
pot
</abbr>
<ex>
estate
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="10" >
X
</num>
<lb n="4" />
<expan>
<abbr>
imp
</abbr>
<ex>
eratori
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="11" >
XI
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
co
</abbr>
<ex>
n
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
uli
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="3" >
III
</num>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
atri
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
atriae
</ex>
</expan>
et
<expan>
<abbr>
Imp
</abbr>
<ex>
eratori
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Caes
</abbr>
<ex>
ari
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="5" />
<expan>
<abbr>
M
</abbr>
<ex>
arco
</ex>
</expan>
Aurelio
Antonino
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usto
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
tr
</abbr>
<ex>
ibunicia
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
pot
</abbr>
<ex>
estate
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="3" >
III
</num>
<lb n="6" />
<expan>
<abbr>
co
</abbr>
<ex>
n
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
uli
</ex>
</expan>
et
<expan>
<abbr>
L
</abbr>
<ex>
ucio
</ex>
</expan>
Se
<del>
p
</del>
timio
<del>
Getae
</del>
<expan>
<abbr>
Caes
</abbr>
<ex>
ari
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usto
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="7" />
per
uexillationem
<del>
<expan>
<abbr>
leg
</abbr>
<ex>
ionis
</ex>
</expan>
</del>
<del>
<num value="3" >
III
</num>
</del>
<del>
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
ustae
</ex>
</expan>
</del>
</ab>

6, The P has been deliberately erased, presumably in error for the P of Publio, Geta's alternative praenomen.

6, Geta did not receive the title Augustus officially until 209, but many of the Tripolitanian inscriptions which so designate him may well be, as here, of earlier date. Name erased after damnatio in 212.

7, The name of the legion, erased after its damnatio in 238, has been reinscribed.

Translation:

To emperor Caesar Lucius Septimius Severus Pius Pertinax Augustus, victor in Arabia, victor in Adiabene, victor in Parthia, chief priest, holding tribunician power for the tenth time, acclaimed victor eleven times, consul three times, father of the country , and to emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, holding tribunician power for the third time, consul, and to Lucius Septimius Geta (erased) Caesar Augustus set up using a detachment of legion III Augusta (erased from legion).

Commentary:

l. 2: tribunician power ten times: 10 Dec. 201 - 9 Dec. 202; but he was not cos. III until 1 Jan. 202. Caracalla was trib. pot. III from 10 Dec. 199 - 9 Dec. 200; but not cos. until 1 Jan. 202.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. B. 1985)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. B. 1985)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR

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