301. Dedication to Mars Augustus

Description:
Panel (w: 0.86 x h: 0.57 x d: 0.30) of fine grey limestone, inscribed within a narrow border (die, w: 0.79 x h: 0.51).  
Text:
Inscribed on the surviving face. 
Letters:
Irregular capitals: 0.04. 
Date:
A.D. 6 (prosopography)  
Findspot:
Lepcis Magna: Findspot unrecorded 
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Lepcis Museum. 
Bibliography:
Romanelli, Epigraphica (Rivista Italiana di Epigrafia), Milano, vol. I, 1939 I: 99ff., fig 9; L'Année Epigraphique (Revue des Publications épigraphiques relatives à l'Antiquité romaine: annual supplement to Rev. Arch.), 1940:68 Aurigemma, Africa Italiana (Rivista di Storia e d'Arte a cura del Ministero delle Colonie) 8 vols., Bergamo, 1927-1940, VIII:12 ff., fig. 7. 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) 
Marti Augusto sacrum
auspiciis Imp(eratoris) Caesaris Aug(usti)
pontificis maxumi patris
patriae ductu Cossi Lentuli
5co(n)s(ulis) XVuiri sacris faciundis
proco(n)s(ulis) prouincia Africa
bello Gaetulico liberata
ciuitas Lepcitana
MARTIAVGVSTOSACRVM
AVSPICIISIMPCAESARISAVG
PONTIFICISMAXVMIPATRIS
PATRIAEDVCTVCOSSILENTVLI
5COSXVVIRISACRISFACIVNDIS
PROCOSPROVINCIAAFRICA
BELLOGAETVLICOLIBERATA
CIVITASLEPCITANA
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
Marti
Augusto
sacrum
<lb n="2" />
auspiciis
<expan>
<abbr>
Imp
</abbr>
<ex>
eratoris
</ex>
</expan>
Caesaris
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
usti
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="3" />
pontificis
maxumi
patris
<lb n="4" />
patriae
ductu
Cossi
Lentuli
<lb n="5" />
<expan>
<abbr>
co
</abbr>
<ex>
n
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
ulis
</ex>
</expan>
<num value="15" >
XV
</num>
uiri
sacris
faciundis
<lb n="6" />
<expan>
<abbr>
proco
</abbr>
<ex>
n
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
ulis
</ex>
</expan>
prouincia
Africa
<lb n="7" />
bello
Gaetulico
liberata
<lb n="8" />
ciuitas
Lepcitana
</ab>

Translation:

Sacred to Mars Augustus. Under the auspices of the emperor Caesar Augustus, chief priest, father of the country, and the leadership of Cossus Lentulus, consul, member of the committee of the fifteen for religious ceremonies (at Rome), proconsul, the province of Africa was freed from the war with the Gaetuli. The city of Lepcis (set this up).

Commentary:

l. 4. Cossus Cornelius Lentulus, cos. B.C. 1, procos. Africae c. A.D. 6, = PIR (2) C 1380.

l. 7. See Dio Cassius LV, 28, 3- 4.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 329)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 329)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM Lastre)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM Lastre)

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