918. Verse inscription by Q. Avidius Quintianus

Description:
Stele (w: 0.45 x h: 1.88 x d: 0.14) of hard grey limestone of marble-like quality. Uniform with 919. 
Text:
Inscribed on the face within a moulded panel (die,0.34 1.79). Uniform with 919. 
Letters:
Third century lapidary capitals: 0.035. 
Date:
Third century A.D. (lettering) 
Findspot:
Bu-Ngem: Baths at Bu-Ngem (map ref. X 5206) 
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Lepcis Museum.  
Bibliography:
Bartoccini, Africa Italiana (Rivista di Storia e d'Arte a cura del Ministero delle Colonie) 8 vols., Bergamo, 1927-1940,II:55 ff., with fig.; Lavagnini, Rivista di Filologia e di Instruzione classica, IV:416; L'Année Epigraphique (Revue des Publications épigraphiques relatives à l'Antiquité romaine: annual supplement to Rev. Arch.), 1929:7 b. 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) 
Quaesii multum quot
memoriae tradere
Agens prae cunctos in
hac castra milites
5Votum communem pro-
que reditu exercitus
Inter priores et fu-
turos reddere
Dum quaero mecum dig-
10na diuom nomina
Inueni tandem nomen
et numen deae
Votis perennem quem
dicare in hoc loco
15 Salutis igitur quan-
dium cultores sient
Qua potui sanxi nomen
et cunctis dedi
Veras salutis lymphas
20tantis ignibus
In istis semper ha-
renacis collibus
Nutantis Austri solis
flammas feruidas
25Tranquille ut nando
delenirent corpora
Ita tu qui sentis mag-
nam facti gratiam
Aestuantis animae
30fucilari spiritum
Noli pigere laudem
uoce reddere
Veram qui uoluit
esse te sanum tib[i]
35 Set protestare uel
salutis gratia
QVAESIIMVLTVMQVOT
MEMORIAETRADERE
AGENSPRAECVNCTOSIN
HACCASTRAMILITES
5VOTVMCOMMVNEMPRO
QVEREDITVEXERCITVS
INTERPRIORESETFV
TVROSREDDERE
DVMQVAEROMECVMDIG
10NADIVOMNOMINA
INVENITANDEMNOMEN
ETNVMENDEAE
VOTISPERENNEMQVEM
DICAREINHOCLOCO
15SALVTISIGITVRQVAN
DIVMCVLTORESSIENT
QVAPOTVISANXINOMEN
ETCVNCTISDEDI
VERASSALVTISLYMPHAS
20TANTISIGNIBVS
INISTISSEMPERHA
RENACISCOLLIBVS
NVTANTISAVSTRISOLIS
FLAMMASFERVIDAS
25TRANQVILLEVTNANDO
DELENIRENTCORPORA
ITATVQVISENTISMAG
NAMFACTIGRATIAM
AESTVANTISANIMAE
30FVCILARISPIRITVM
NOLIPIGERELAVDEM
VOCEREDDERE
VERAMQVIVOLVIT
ESSETESANVMTIB[··]
35SETPROTESTAREVEL
SALVTISGRATIA
<lg>
<l >
<lb n="1" />
Quaesii
multum
quot
<lb n="2" />
memoriae
tradere
</l>
<l >
<lb n="3" />
Agens
prae
cunctos
in
<lb n="4" />
hac
castra
milites
</l>
<l >
<lb n="5" />
Votum
communem
pro
<lb n="6" type="worddiv" />
que
reditu
exercitus
</l>
<l >
<lb n="7" />
Inter
priores
et
fu
<lb n="8" type="worddiv" />
turos
reddere
</l>
<l >
<lb n="9" />
Dum
quaero
mecum
dig
<lb n="10" type="worddiv" />
na
diuom
nomina
</l>
<l >
<lb n="11" />
Inueni
tandem
nomen
<lb n="12" />
et
numen
deae
</l>
<l >
<lb n="13" />
Votis
perennem
quem
<lb n="14" />
dicare
in
hoc
loco
</l>
<l >
<lb n="15" />
Salutis
igitur
quan
<lb n="16" type="worddiv" />
dium
cultores
sient
</l>
<l >
<lb n="17" />
Qua
potui
sanxi
nomen
<lb n="18" />
et
cunctis
dedi
</l>
<l >
<lb n="19" />
Veras
salutis
lymphas
<lb n="20" />
tantis
ignibus
</l>
<l >
<lb n="21" />
In
istis
semper
ha
<lb n="22" type="worddiv" />
renacis
collibus
</l>
<l >
<lb n="23" />
Nutantis
Austri
solis
<lb n="24" />
flammas
feruidas
</l>
<l >
<lb n="25" />
Tranquille
ut
nando
<lb n="26" />
delenirent
corpora
</l>
<l >
<lb n="27" />
Ita
tu
qui
sentis
mag
<lb n="28" type="worddiv" />
nam
facti
gratiam
</l>
<l >
<lb n="29" />
Aestuantis
animae
<lb n="30" />
fucilari
spiritum
</l>
<l >
<lb n="31" />
Noli
pigere
laudem
<lb n="32" />
uoce
reddere
</l>
<l >
<lb n="33" />
Veram
qui
uoluit
<lb n="34" />
esse
te
sanum
tib
<supplied reason="lost" >
i
</supplied>
</l>
<l >
<lb n="35" />
Set
protestare
uel
<lb n="36" />
salutis
gratia
</l>
</lg>

The verse form and the acrostic are discussed by Lavagnini (loc. cit.). Q. Avidius Quintianus is no doubt to be identified with the centurio of the companion stele, 919.

Translation:

While acting in command of all the soldiers in this fort, I have much sought what to hand down to memory, in order to declare to earlier and to future readers the vow which was common to all and made for the safe return of the army. While seeking in my mind for appropriate divinities I have finally thought of the name and power of a never-failing goddess to whom to dedicate this place; and so it is of Health that, insofar as I could, I have sanctified the name for as long as there are worshippers here; to all I have given the true waters of Health in these fiery temperatures, so that, in the midst of the hills of sand, they may ease their bodies from the burning flames of the southern sun by swimming in tranquillity. So do not be slow, you who feel the great attraction of what I have done, to speak in praise of one who worked for your health, but testify for the sake of Health.

Commentary:

No comment.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. B. 1987)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. B. 1987)

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