WP 0005

IRT2021
Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania 2021

0526. Honours for Decimius Hilarianus Hesperius

Description: Moulded base of marble (w: 0.69 x h: 1.45 x d: 0.69).
Text: Inscribed line 1 on the upper moulding, 2 ff. within a moulded panle (w: 0.41 x h: 0.65) from which a previous inscription has been erased.
Letters: Fourth century CE capitals: line 1, 0.06, lines 2 ff., 0.03.

Date: After 376 CE (prosopography)

Findspot: Lepcis Magna: Forum Severianum, East end.
Original location: Unknown
Last recorded location: Findspot

Interpretive

Esperii u(iri) c(larissimi)
( vac. 1 line)
Decimio Esperio u(iro) c(larissimo) ex procon-
sule prouin(ciae) Africae iudici
sacrarum cognitionum
5prosapiae dignitatum et crescenti (sic)
per gradus et merita gloriar<um>
ob honorim iustitiae quam (sic)
causae Tripolitanorum
deligatae sacro iudici<o> (sic)
10exhibuit praestanti
patro<no> ( vac. 4) Lepcimagnen-
sis cliens semper ordo
cum populo conlocauit

Diplomatic

ESPERIIUC
     vacat
DECIMIOESPERIOUCEXPROCON
SULEPROUINAFRICAEIUDICI
SACRARUMCOGNITIONUM
5PROSAPIAEDIGNITATUMETCRESCENTI(sic)
PERGRADUSETMERITAGLORIAR
OBHONORIMIUSTITIAEQUAM(sic)
CAUSAETRIPOLITANORUM
DELIGATAESACROIUDICI(sic)
10EXHIBUITPRAESTANTI
PATRO        LEPCIMAGNEN
SISCLIENSSEMPERORDO
CUMPOPULOCONLOCAUIT

5: dignitatum for dignitatem Tantillo-Bigi, 2010 ; et for ac Tantillo-Bigi, 2010
7: optionorim IRT, 1952

English translation

Translation by: J. M. Reynolds

(scil. In honour) of Esperius, splendid man (i.e. of senatorial status). To Decimius Esperius, splendid man (i.e. of senatorial status), former proconsul of the province of Africa, a juryman in the imperial court, of an office-holding family, moreover a man increasing (in dignity) stage by stage and through the fame won ?on account of the justice which he displayed in the case of the Tripolitanians which was referred to the emperor as judge. To an outstanding patron, the city council of Lepcis Magna, always his client, together with the people, erected (scil. this).

Italian translation

Translation source: Tantillo-Bigi, 2010

Hesperius, uomo chiarissimo! A Decimus Hesperius, uomo chiarissimo, ex proconsole della Prouincia d’Africa, giudice dei sacri appelli, che accresce la dignità  della sua schiatta attraverso i gradini (della sua carriera) e la gloria dei suoi meriti, per l’onore (?) della giustizia che rese alla causa dei Tripolitani, affidatagli per sacro giudizio, all’eccellente patrono, l’ordine di Leptis Magna, per sempre suo cliente, insieme al popolo collocò.

English translation

Translation source: LSA, 2012

[Statue of] Hesperius, of clarissimus rank. To Decimius Hesperius, of clarissimus rank, former governor (proconsul) of the province of Africa, judge in the imperial court of appeal, who enhances the dignity of his family through high offices and merits of glory; for the honour of the justice which he showed to the case of the Tripolitanians, that was assigned [to him] by sacred decision [of the emperor], to the outstanding patron, the council of Lepcis Magna, forever his client, together with the people, set this up.

Bibliography: IRT, 1952, 526, whence IRT, 2009, 526; Guey, 1953 345, whence AE 1954.201f; Tantillo-Bigi, 2010, 23, whence LSA, 2012, 2169 (Tantillo and Bigi), EDH (Bigi, 2014) 018200; for BSR images see BSR Digital Collections.

Images

   Fig. 1. Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. DLM 376)

   Fig. 2. Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. CLM 18)