Description: Moulded marble
base (w:
1.19 x h:
1.19 x d:
1.46).
Text: Inscribed on one face (die, w:
0.93 x h:
0.83).
Letters: Fourth century CE capitals: 0.045-0.025.
Date: CE 324-326 (prosopography)
Findspot:
Lepcis Magna:
Forum Vetus, found re-used on the right of the nave in front of the altar of
Church II.
Original location: Unknown
Last recorded location:
Findspot
Interpretive
Cum basilica uetus ex maxima parte ruina esset deformata
conlabsu ac spatio sui breuiass[et ar]eam forensem [..]
[c. 5] diuino icta conflagrarat incendio ạdq(ue) is locus saecul[o]
fortunatissimo meliora deposceret tantae stragis labẹ suḅḷ[a-]
5[ta] tripertita porticus magnitudine sui ac Troadensium columna-
[r]um adornata operis prouincialium ac sum<p>tu publico disponen[te]
[La]enatio Romulo u(iro) p(erfectissimo) rectore prouinciae intra anni spatium per-
fecta ac dedicata est adq(ue) ad sempiternam memoriam statua[m]
marmoream suo numine radiantem Domino nostro ((palm))
10Constantino maximo uictori semper Aug(usto) idem u(ir) p(erfectissimus) dicata mente
constituit curante Cl(audio) Aurel(io) Generoso u(iro) e(gregio) cur(atore) r(ei) p(ublicae) et splendidissimo
ordine Coloniae ((palm)) Lepcimagnensium ((leaf))
Diplomatic
CUMBASILICAUETUSEXMAXIMAPARTERUINAESSETDEFORMATA
CONLABSUACSPATIOSUIBREUIASS[....]EAMFORENSEM[··]
[·····]DIUINOICTACONFLAGRARATINCENDIO.DQISLOCUSSAECUL[.]
FORTUNATISSIMOMELIORADEPOSCERETTANTAESTRAGISLAB.SU..[.-]
5[..]TRIPERTITAPORTICUSMAGNITUDINESUIACTROADENSIUMCOLUMNA
[.]UMADORNATAOPERISPROUINCIALIUMACSUMTUPUBLICODISPONEN[..]
[..]ENATIOROMULOUPRECTOREPROUINCIAEINTRAANNISPATIUMPER
FECTAACDEDICATAESTADQADSEMPITERNAMMEMORIAMSTATUA[.]
MARMOREAMSUONUMINERADIANTEMDOMINONOSTRO ⸙
10CONSTANTINOMAXIMOUICTORISEMPERAUGIDEMUPDICATAMENTE
CONSTITUITCURANTECLAURELGENEROSOUECURRPETSPLENDIDISSIMO
ORDINECOLONIAE ⸙ LEPCIMAGNENSIUM ❦
English translation
Translation by: J. M. Reynolds
Since the greatest part of the old basilica was damaged and fallen down and the space taken by its fallen debris had reduced
the open area of the forum [--- moreover?] struck by divine lightning [---] it had blazed with a fire and since in a most fortunate period that place demanded better things, the fallen parts were removed
and a tripartite portico built. It has been adorned by its own size and by columns of Troadensian marble, by the works of
the provincials and at public expense with Laenatius Romulus, excellent man ( i.e. equestrian), governor of the province, managing it; it was completed and dedicated within the space of a year; and moreover to his eternal
memory a marble statue radiant with his divine power to our Lord Constantine greatest victor, perpetual Augustus, was erected
by the same excellent man; Claudius Aurelius Generosus, eminent man ( i.e. equestrian), curator of the city and the most splendid city council of the colony of Lepcimagnensians overseeing the work.
Italian translation
Translation source: Tantillo-Bigi, 2010
Poiché l’antica basilica era in massima parte sfigurata dalla rovina, (e), per effetto del crollo, con lo spazio (occupato
dai suoi detriti) riduceva l’area del foro, [ché] colpita da un . . . divino era stata arsa dal fuoco, e (poiché) quel luogo,
in un’età felicissima, richiedeva cose migliori, rimosso lo scempio di tanta distruzione, un portico a tre lati ornato dalla
propria stessa imponenza e da quella delle colonne di marmo di Troade, con l’opera prestata dai provinciali e con denaro pubblico,
per disposizione di Laenatius Romulus, uomo perfettissimo, reggente della provincia, fu completato e dedicato nell’arco di
un solo anno. E, a sempiterna memoria, quello stesso uomo perfettissimo, con spirito devoto, innalzò una statua di marmo,
radiante del suo nume, al nostro signore Costantino, massimo, vincitore, per sempre Augusto. A cura di Claudius Aurelius Generosus,
uomo egregio, curatore della repubblica, e dell’ordine splendidissimo della colonia di Leptis Magna.
English translation
Translation source: LSA, 2012
When the old basilica was mainly in ruin, deformed by collapse, so that it curtailed the area of the forum, and struck by
divine... it burned in a fire, and when the place in a more fortunate era demanded better, the blemish of the debris was taken
away, and a tripartite portico decorated by its own magnitude and by columns from Troas, from provincial labour and public
expense made available by Laenatius Romulus, of perfectissimus rank, governor of the province, was completed and dedicated
in the space of one year. And, as eternal memory, the same man of perfectissimus rank, with devoted spirit, set up a marble
statue that was radiant by his divine spirit to our lord Constantine, most powerful victor, eternal Augustus. (The work was)
overseen by Claudius Aurelius Generosus, of egregius rank, curator of the republic and of the most splendid ordo of the colony
of Leptis Magna.
Bibliography: Bartoccini, 1931, 34 ff., fig. 8, whence AE 1934.172; Aurigemma, 1939, 109 ff., fig. 1, whence AE 1948.37; IRT, 1952, 467, whence Chastagnol, 1966 , IRT, 2009, 467; Tantillo-Bigi, 2010, 71, whence LSA, 2012, 2213 (Tantillo and Bigi), EDH (Bigi, 2014) 026977; for BSR images see BSR Digital Collections.
Images
Fig. 1. Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 323 Lastre)
Fig. 2. Face, drawing: Bigi (2009)
Fig. 3. View: Tantillo (2006)
Fig. 4. Front face, view: Tantillo (2006)
Fig. 5. Front face, text: Tantillo (2005)