Description:
stele (w:
0.45 x h:
1.88 x d:
0.14) of hard grey limestone of marble-like quality.
Uniform with 919.
Text: Elegantly inscribed on the face within a moulded panel
(die,0.34
1.79): using indentation to mark lines of verse; the acrostic of the initial letters of the lines.
Letters: Third century lapidary capitals: 0.035.
Date: 201-259 CE (context)
Findspot:
Bu Njem:
Fort, in the Baths
Original location: Unknown
Last recorded location:
Lepcis Museum.
Interpretive
a
| Quaesii multum quot | memoriae tradere
| Agens prae cunctos in | hac castra milites
| (5) Uotum communem pro|que reditu exercitus
| Inter priores et fu|turos reddere
| Dum quaero mecum dig|(10)na diuom nomina
| Inueni tandem nomen | et numen deae
| Uotis perennem quem | dicare in hoc loco
| (15) Salutis igitur quan|dium cultores sient
| Qua potui sanxi nomen | et cunctis dedi
| Ueras salutis lymphas | (20) tantis ignibus
| In istis semper ha|renacis collibus
| Nutantis Austri solis | flammas feruidas
| (25) Tranquille ut nando | delenirent corpora
| Ita tu qui sentis mag|nam facti gratiam
| Aestuantis animae | (30) fucilari spiritum
| Noli pigere laudem | uoce reddere
| Ueram qui uoluit | esse te sanum tib[i]
| (35) Set protestare uel | salutis gratia
AcrosticQ. Auidius Quintianus
Diplomatic
a
| QUAESIIMULTUMQUOT | MEMORIAETRADERE
| AGENSPRAECUNCTOSIN | HACCASTRAMILITES
| (5) UOTUMCOMMUNEMPRO|QUEREDITUEXERCITUS
| INTERPRIORESETFU|TUROSREDDERE
| DUMQUAEROMECUMDIG|(10)NADIUOMNOMINA
| INUENITANDEMNOMEN | ETNUMENDEAE
| UOTISPERENNEMQUEM | DICAREINHOCLOCO
| (15) SALUTISIGITURQUAN|DIUMCULTORESSIENT
| QUAPOTUISANXINOMEN | ETCUNCTISDEDI
| UERASSALUTISLYMPHAS | (20) TANTISIGNIBUS
| INISTISSEMPERHA|RENACISCOLLIBUS
| NUTANTISAUSTRISOLIS | FLAMMASFERUIDAS
| (25) TRANQUILLEUTNANDO | DELENIRENTCORPORA
| ITATUQUISENTISMAG|NAMFACTIGRATIAM
| AESTUANTISANIMAE | (30) FUCILARISPIRITUM
| NOLIPIGERELAUDEM | UOCEREDDERE
| UERAMQUIUOLUIT | ESSETESANUMTIB[.]
| (35) SETPROTESTAREUEL | SALUTISGRATIA
AcrosticQAUIDIUSQUINTIANUS
English translation
Translation by: J. M. Reynolds
While acting in command of all the soldiers in this fort, I have much sought what to hand down to memory, in order to declare
to earlier and to future readers the vow which was common to all and made for the safe return of the army. While seeking in
my mind for appropriate divinities I have finally thought of the name and power of a never-failing goddess to whom to dedicate
this place; and so it is of Health that, insofar as I could, I have sanctified the name for as long as there are worshippers
here; to all I have given the true waters of Health in these fiery temperatures, so that, in the midst of the hills of sand,
they may ease their bodies from the burning flames of the southern sun by swimming in tranquillity. So do not be slow, you
who feel the great attraction of what I have done, to speak in praise of one who worked for your health, but testify for the
sake of Health.
Bibliography: Bartoccini, 1928a, 55 ff., with fig, whence AE, 1929.7b, Lavagnini, 1928, , whence AE, 1929 page 48; cf also Lavagnini, 1930, , whence AE, 1931 page 36; IRT, 1952, 918, whence IRT, 2009, 918; Adams, 1999 , whence AE 1999.1760; EDH 024265; Benseddik, 2010 44, 45; ; Musisque Deoque 245; for further bibliography see Adams, loc.cit.; For BSR images see BSR Digital Collections.
Images
Fig. 1. Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (Sopr. B. 1987)
