455. Dedication to Gordian III

Description:
Rectangular base (w: 0.56 x h: 1.16 x d: 0.62) of coarse brown limestone, badly weathered. . 
Text:
Inscribed on one face within a moulded panel (die, w: 0.41 x h: 1.02) 
Letters:
Irregular capitals: 0.04. 
Date:
A.D. 238-244 (reign)  
Findspot:
Lepcis Magna: Forum Severianum, North portico, near the entrance. 
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Findspot 
Bibliography:
U. Ciotti, Bollettino dell'Istituto Nazionale d'Arte e d'Archeologia XI:119, n. 25. 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)
M(arco) Ant[o]nio
Gordiano Pio
Felici Aug[usto]
5 [pontif(ici) m]axịṃo
[trib(unicia) pot(estate)(?)] [co](n)s(uli)
[p(atri) p(atriae) proco(n)s(uli) ·· ? ··] A[··]T
[·· 4··]B[·· ? ··]
[---]
10 [·· 4··]SV[·· 4··]
[·· c. 6··]AM[·]
[·· c. 6··]PḶỊ[··]
[·· c. 7··]NV[··]
[---]
[····]CAES
MANT[··]NIO
GORDIANOPIO
FELICIAVG[·····]
5[·········]AX··O
[·····(?)][···]S
[···· ? ··]A[··]T
[·· 4··]B[·· ? ··]
[---]
10[·· 4··]SV[·· 4··]
[·· c. 6··]AM[·]
[·· c. 6··]P··[··]
[·· c. 7··]NV[··]
[---]
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
Imp
</abbr>
<ex>
eratori
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<expan>
<abbr>
Caes
</abbr>
<ex>
ari
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="2" />
<expan>
<abbr>
M
</abbr>
<ex>
arco
</ex>
</expan>
Ant
<supplied reason="lost" >
o
</supplied>
nio
<lb n="3" />
Gordiano
Pio
<lb n="4" />
Felici
Aug
<supplied reason="lost" >
usto
</supplied>
<lb n="5" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
pontif
</abbr>
<ex>
ici
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
m
</supplied>
ax
<unclear reason="" >
im
</unclear>
o
<lb n="6" />
<supplied reason="lost" cert="low" >
<expan>
<abbr>
trib
</abbr>
<ex>
unicia
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
pot
</abbr>
<ex>
estate
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<expan>
<abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
co
</supplied>
</abbr>
<ex>
n
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
uli
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="7" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
atri
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
p
</abbr>
<ex>
atriae
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
proco
</abbr>
<ex>
n
</ex>
<abbr>
s
</abbr>
<ex>
uli
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<orig >
a
</orig>
<gap reason="lost" extent="2" unit="character" />
<orig >
t
</orig>
<lb n="8" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="4" unit="character" />
<orig >
b
</orig>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<lb n="9" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="line" />
<lb n="10" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="4" unit="character" />
<orig >
su
</orig>
<gap reason="lost" extent="4" unit="character" />
<lb n="11" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="6" unit="character" precision="circa" />
<orig >
am
</orig>
<gap reason="lost" extent="1" unit="character" />
<lb n="12" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="6" unit="character" precision="circa" />
<orig >
p
<unclear reason="" >
li
</unclear>
</orig>
<gap reason="lost" extent="2" unit="character" />
<lb n="13" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="7" unit="character" precision="circa" />
<orig >
nu
</orig>
<gap reason="lost" extent="2" unit="character" />
<lb n="14" />
<gap reason="lost" extent="3" unit="line" />
</ab>

Translation:

To [emperor] Caesar Marcus Antonius Gordianus Pius, Felix, Augustus, chief [priest holding tribunician power for the ? time], consul, father of the country, proconsul [·· ? ··]

Commentary:

Marcus Antonius Gordianus Pius Felix Augustus. 238-244.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 600)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 600)

(cc) You may download this inscription in EpiDoc XML. (You may need the EpiDoc DTD v. 6 to validate this file.)