530. Authorisation by Fulvius Plautianus

Description:
a) Block of black marble, broken in two pieces (together, w: 2.07 x h: 0.30 x d: 0.60). b) Fragment of a similar block (w: 0.70 x h: 0.30 x d: 0.60). 
Text:
Inscribed in irregular characters on one roughly-dressed face.  
Letters:
Roughly incised capitals: 0.04. 
Date:
A.D. 202-205 (prosopography) 
Findspot:
Lepcis Magna: Colonnaded Street, outside the Forum Severianum.  
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Findspot 
Bibliography:
Not previously published. 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) 
a
[Di]mittendus ị[n] sp]lendidissimam coloniam
Leptim Magn[a]m iussu Fului Plautiani c(larissimi) u(iri)
praef(ecti) praet(orio) ac [ne]cessari dominorum nostrorum
b
Dimittendus [·· ? ··]
Leptim Magnam [·· ? ··]
praef(ecti) prae[t(orio) ·· ? ··]
a
[···]MITTENDVS·[··]···]LENDIDISSIMAMCOLONIAM
LEPTIMMAGN[··]MIVSSVFVLVIPLAVTIANICV
PRAEFPRAETAC[···]CESSARIDOMINORVMNOSTRORVM
b
DIMITTENDVS[·· ? ··]
LEPTIMMAGNAM[·· ? ··]
PRAEFPRAE[········· ? ··]
<div type="textpart" n="a" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
Di
</supplied>
mittendus
<unclear reason="damage" >
i
</unclear>
<supplied reason="lost" >
n
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
sp
</supplied>
lendidissimam
coloniam
<lb n="2" />
Leptim
Magn
<supplied reason="lost" >
a
</supplied>
m
iussu
Fului
Plautiani
<expan>
<abbr>
c
</abbr>
<ex>
larissimi
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
u
</abbr>
<ex>
iri
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="3" />
<expan>
<abbr>
praef
</abbr>
<ex>
ecti
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
praet
</abbr>
<ex>
orio
</ex>
</expan>
ac
<supplied reason="lost" >
ne
</supplied>
cessari
dominorum
nostrorum
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart" n="b" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
Dimittendus
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<lb n="2" />
Leptim
Magnam
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
<lb n="3" />
<expan>
<abbr>
praef
</abbr>
<ex>
ecti
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
prae
<supplied reason="lost" >
t
</supplied>
</abbr>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<ex>
orio
</ex>
</supplied>
</expan>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</ab>
</div>

Translation:

(a) For dispatch to the most splendid colony of Leptis Magna on the order of Fulvius Plautianus, of senatorial status, praetorian prefect and relation of our lords.

(b) For dispatch t[o the most splendid colony of] Leptis Magna [on the order of Fulvius Plautianus, of senatorial status,] praetorian prefect [and relation of our lords].

Commentary:

Worked fragments of the same marble have been found inside the Forum Severianum. The marble was evidently shipped in bulk, to be worked locally, and the texts are in effect consignment notes from the quarries.

a) l. 2. PIR (2) F 554; also in 521. The present text, which was not displayed monumentally, has escaped erasure after the damnatio of Plautianus in 205.

a) l. 3. praefectus praetorius ac necessarius from 202, when Plautianus' daughter married Caracalla.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 1097)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 1097)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 1096)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 1096)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 51.VI.30)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 51.VI.30)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 51.VI.19)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 51.VI.19)

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