WP 0005

IRT2021
Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania 2021

0230. Dedication to Commodus

Description: Four inscribed marble blocks (lengths respectively, 2.52, 2.13, 1.42 (incomplete) and 2.05 w: 2.05 x h: 0.95 x d: 0.90) from the left-hand part of the architrave of a temple, of which a large part of the pediment, with figures of the Tyche of Oea, of Apollo, of Minerva, and of the Dioscuri, also survives.
Text: There are mouldings at top and bottom, and centrally between the two lines of the inscription. There were originally 5, or possibly 6, blocks to the complete architrave, those at the ends being longer than those in the centre.
Letters: Lapidary capitals: line 1, 0.155; line 2, 0.085

Date: CE 183-185 (titulature)

Findspot: Tripoli: Oea: Arch of Marcus Aurelius. Found during the isolation and restoration of the arch.
Original location: Findspot
Last recorded location: Findspot

Interpretive

Imp(eratori) Caes(ari) M(arco) Aurelio Commodo Antonino Aug(usto) Pio p(atri) p(atriae) L(ucius) Aemilius L(uci) fil(ius) Quir(ina tribu) [--- c]o(n)s(ul) proco(n)s(ul) Asiae Genio Co[loniae ---]
item (sestertiis) X centena mil(ia) n(ummum) legauit ex cu[ius usu]r(is) sportulae ciuibus et ḷuḍ[i --- darent]ur quod opus Sulla frater et [---]

Diplomatic

IMPCAESMAURELIOCOMMODOANTONINOAUGPIOPPLAEMILIUSLFILQUIR[---.]OSPROCOSASIAEGENIOCO[......---]
ITEM 𐆘 XCENTENAMILNLEGAUITEXCU[......]RSPORTULAECIUIBUSET.U.[.---......]URQUODOPUSSULLAFRATERET[---]

English translation

Translation by: J. M. Reynolds

To Emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus Pius, Father of the Country; Lucius Aemilius [---], son of Lucius, of the Roman voting tribe Quirina, consul, proconsul (i.e. governor) of Asia, to the Genius of the colony [---]; likewise he beqeathed 100,000 sesterces, from the interest of which food boxes should be provided for the citizens, and games [---]. This matter his brother Sulla and [---]

Commentary

Commodus was Pius in 183; Felix in 185.

Aemilius Frontinus: PIR, A 345, https://pir.bbaw.de/id/985

Bibliography: Caputo, 1940a, 35, figs. 2-5, whence AE, 1942-43.1; discussed Barbieri, 1941, 196, 292 ff., whence AE, 1945.32, 1945.68; IRT, 1952, 230, whence IRT, 2009, 230, whence EDH 019884; for BSR images see BSR Digital Collections.

Images

   Fig. 1. Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DTV 299 Leica)

   Fig. 2. Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DTV 302 Leica)

   Fig. 3. Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DTV 307 Leica)

   Fig. 4. Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DTV 306 Leica)