WP 0005

IRT2021
Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania 2021

0913. Dedication to Septimius Severus, Caracalla and Geta

Description: Panel (w: 0.93 x h: 0.71 x d: 0.16) of fine grey limestone.
Text: Inscribed on the surviving face.
Letters: Mannered capitals: 0.075.

Date: CE 202: GODOT (internal date)

Findspot: Bu Njem: Fort; found in the Baths
Original location: Unknown
Last recorded location: Tripoli Castle.

Interpretive

Imp(eratori) Caes(ari) L(ucio) Septimio Seuero
Pio Pertinaci Aug(usto) Arab(ico) Adi-
ab(enico) Parth(ico) pont(ifici) max(imo) tr(ibunicia) pot(estate) X
imp(eratori) XI co(n)s(uli) III p(atri) p(atriae) et Imp(eratori) Caes(ari)
5 M(arco) Aurelio Antonino Aug(usto) tr(ibunicia) pot(estate) III
co(n)s(uli) et L(ucio) Se⟦p⟧timio ⟦Getae ⟧Caes(ari) Aug(usto)
per uexillationem ⟦leg(ionis) UI Aug(ustae)⟧

Diplomatic

IMPCAESLSEPTIMIOSEUERO
PIOPERTINACIAUGARABADI
ABPARTHPONTMAXTRPOTX
IMPXICOSIIIPPETIMPCAES
5MAURELIOANTONINOAUGTRPOTIII
COSETLSE⟦P⟧TIMIO⟦GETAE⟧CAESAUG
PERUEXILLATIONEM⟦LEGUIAUG⟧

6: The P has been deliberately erased, presumably in error for the P of Publio, Geta's alternative praenomen. IRT, 1952
3: XI Di Vita-Évrard and Rebuffat, 1987
5: UI Di Vita-Évrard and Rebuffat, 1987
7: The name of the legion, erased after its damnatio in 238, has been Inscribed. IRT, 1952

English translation

Translation by: J. M. Reynolds

To emperor Caesar Lucius Septimius Severus Pius Pertinax Augustus, victor in Arabia, victor in Adiabene, victor in Parthia, chief priest, holding tribunician power for the tenth time, acclaimed victor eleven times, consul three times, father of the country , and to emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, holding tribunician power for the third time, consul, and to Lucius Septimius Geta (erased) Caesar Augustus set up using a detachment of legion III Augusta (erased from legion).

Commentary

Line 2: tribunician power ten times: 10 Dec. 201 - 9 Dec. 202; but he was not cos. III until 1 Jan. 202. Caracalla was trib. pot. III from 10 Dec. 199 - 9 Dec. 200; but not cos. until 1 Jan. 202. Geta did not receive the title Augustus officially until 209, but many of the Tripolitanian inscriptions which so designate him may well be, as here, of earlier date. Name erased after damnatio in 212.

Bibliography: Bartoccini, 1928a, 52 ff. with fig; IRT, 1952, 913, whence IRT, 2009, 913, whence EDH 059753 Di Vita-Évrard and Rebuffat, 1987 , whence AE 1987.994; for BSR images see BSR Digital Collections.

Images

   Fig. 1. Above, 913; below, 914: Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. B. 1985)

   Fig. 2. Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR

   Fig. 3. Above: 913; below, from left: 872, 914, 654: Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR


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