IRT: 0565. Honours for Flavius Nepotianus

Description: Moulded base of marble (w: 0.62 x h: 1.53 x d: 1.70).
Text: Inscribed on one face: lines i and 2 on the upper moulding, lines 3 ff. within a moulded panel (die, w: 0.31 x h: 0.80); there are formal sprays at either end of line 1 and at the end of line 25.
Letters: Fourth century CE capitals: line 1, 0.05; remainder, 0.03-0.035.

Date: 350-360 CE . (prosopography)

Findspot: Lepcis Magna: Forum Severianum: Severan Basilica, West colonnade at the south end.
Original location: Unknown
Last recorded location: Findspot

Interpretive

((palm)) Nepotianii ((palm))
( vac. 1 line)
Fl(auio) Nepotiano u(iro) p(erfectissimo) com(iti) et praesidi prouin(ciae) Trip(olitanae)
( vac. 1 line)
iustitia et integritati prae-
cipuo moderatione ac benigni-
5tatẹ praestantissimo abstinen-
tiae et honestatis officiorumq(ue)
omnium cultori rei etiam mili-
taris peritissimo armis consi-
li(i)sq(ue) incomparabili quod idem
10ordines uniuersosq(ue) prouin-
ciales iuridicendo f̣ide bene-
uolentia multis beneficiis
cumụḷạuerit quod barbaro-
rum insolentiam exercitio
15scientiae militaris adtriberit
quod limitis defensionem tui-
tionemq(ue) perpetuam futuris etia(m)
temporibus munitam securamq(ue)
ab omni hostile incursione prae-
20stiterit quod ciuitatum moenia ope-
rum instauratione uel nouitate de-
corauerit ordo ciuitatis Lepcimag(nensis)
cum populo statuam marmoream
ob haec merita decretis et sufragiis
25concinnentibus conlocauit ((palm))

Diplomatic

⸙ NEPOTIANII ⸙
vacat
FLNEPOTIANOUPCOMETPRAESIDIPROUINTRIP
vacat
IUSTITIAETINTEGRITATIPRAE
CIPUOMODERATIONEACBENIGNI
5TAT.PRAESTANTISSIMOABSTINEN
TIAEETHONESTATISOFFICIORUMQ
OMNIUMCULTORIREIETIAMMILI
TARISPERITISSIMOARMISCONSI
LISQINCOMPARABILIQUODIDEM
10ORDINESUNIUERSOSQPROUIN
CIALESIURIDICENDO.IDEBENE
UOLENTIAMULTISBENEFICIIS
CUM...UERITQUODBARBARO
RUMINSOLENTIAMEXERCITIO
15SCIENTIAEMILITARISADTRIBERIT
QUODLIMITISDEFENSIONEMTUI
TIONEMQPERPETUAMFUTURISETIA
TEMPORIBUSMUNITAMSECURAMQ
ABOMNIHOSTILEINCURSIONEPRAE
20STITERITQUODCIUITATUMMOENIAOPE
RUMINSTAURATIONEUELNOUITATEDE
CORAUERITORDOCIUITATISLEPCIMAG
CUMPOPULOSTATUAMMARMOREAM
OBHAECMERITADECRETISETSUFRAGIIS
25CONCINNENTIBUSCONLOCAUIT ⸙

12: uiti(i)s IRT, 1952; (a)uitis Degrassi A., 1954; multis Oliver, 1955

English translation

Translation by: J. M. Reynolds

(scil. In honour) of Flavius Nepotianus. To Flavius Nepotianus excellent man (of equestrian status), count and governor of the province of Tripolitania, in justice and integrity an outstanding man, in good guidance and benevolence exceptional, concerned for benevolence and honourable feeling and all public duties, very knowledgeable also in military science, experienced in arms and councils of war; because he provided with benevolence many benefits to councils and to all inhabitants of the province by dispensing justice with good faith; because he wore down the arrogance of the barbarians by the exercise of military skill; because he provided permanent defense and protection of the frontier even for the future times and secure against every hostile invader; because he adorned the walls of the cities by renewal of works or new building; the council of the city of Lepcis Magna, with the people, put up a marble statue on account of these merits, with decrees and votes (scil. all) in accord.

Italian translation

Translation source: Tantillo-Bigi, 2010

Nepotianus! A Flavius Nepotianus, uomo perfettissimo, conte e governatore della Prouincia di Tripolitania. Eminente per giustizia e integrità, eccellentissimo per moderazione e benignità, devoto fautore della probità, dell’onestà e di tutti i pubblici doveri, quanto mai esperto anche delle cose militari, impareggiabile nelle armi e nelle decisioni; per aver accresciuto gli ordini e i provinciali tutti con il rendere giustizia secondo rettitudine e benevolenza, e con molti benefici; per aver schiacciato l’insolenza dei barbari mettendo in pratica la sua scienza militare; per aver reso la difesa della frontiera e la sua ininterrotta protezione munite e sicure anche per i tempi a venire contro ogni incursione nemica; per aver ornato gli edifici delle città con il restauro delle fabbriche o con nuove costruzioni; per questi meriti, l’ordine della città di Leptis Magna insieme al popolo, riecheggiando all’unisono i decreti e i suffragi, collocò una statua marmorea.

English translation

Translation source: LSA, 2012

(Statue of) Nepotianus. To Flavius Nepotianus, of perfectissimus rank, military commander and governor (comes et praeses) of the province of Tripolitania. Exceptional in justice and integrity, outstanding in moderation and benignity, a cultivator of abstinence and honesty and of all duties, very experienced also in military affairs, incomparable in arms and in counseline Because he increased the councils (ordines) and all the provincials with many benefits by administrating with benevolent loyalty; because he crushed the insolence of the barbarians with the use of military science; because he established defence and permanent protection for the borders, also for future times, fortified and secure from any hostile incursion; because he adorned the buildings of the cities both by restoration and by new building. The council (ordo) of the city of Lepcis Magna with the people (populus) set up a marble statue on account of these merits, with all decrees (= of the ordo) and votes (= of the people) in unison.