Base for statue of Maecius Felix, defensor of Venafrum and governor of Samnium. From Venafrum (Samnium). Later fourth century.
PROVENANCE AND LOCATION
City:
Venafrum
Province:
Samnium
Region:
Italy south of Rome, with Sicily
Details:
Uncertain provenance
Current Location:
Naples, Museo Archeologico Nazionale, broken in two – upper part in courtyard and lower part in deposit (inv. 3003)
OBJECT
Object:
Base
Material:
Local stone
Re-Use?
Unknown
Form:
Rectangular
Height(cm):
87
Width(cm):
77
Depth(cm):
47
Language:
Latin
Text Type:
Prose
SUBJECT
Honorand:
Maecius Felix, governor of Samnium
Position:
Provincial Governors
Gender:
Male
Awarder:
Council and people (ordo et populus) of Venafrum
Position:
Provincial Cities, their Institutions and Officials
DATE
Earliest:
350
Latest :
400
MAIN REFERENCE
Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum; , X, 4863
Capini, S., Molise. Repertorio delle Iscrizioni Latine. VII: Venafrum, Campobasso 1999, n. 27
INSCRIPTION
Text:
Maec̣ị Felicis, v(iri) p(erfectissimi). / Aequitate magnific̣ọ, / benivolentia colendo, / abstinentia continenṭịaq(ue) /(5) mirando, virtute cons/tantiaque conspicuo, / Maecio Felic̣ị, ̣v(iro) p(erfectissimo), / civitatis Venafranae [d]e/fensori, ordinis pos[ses]so/ris (!) populique, rectori /(11) provinciaẹ Samṇịị, ad / iniunctivae ṿịc̣ịs ̣ṃẹrito / ob insignia eius in rem / publicam bene gesta et /(15) ob recordationem omnium / beneficioruṃquae a ma/ioribus eius civitati sunt / `si`praestita, ordo splendidis/mus et universus populos (sic, for ‘populus’) /(20) urbis Venafranaẹ consti/tuit patrono.
Trans:
Statue of Maecius Felix, of perfectissimus rank. To him who is magnificent through his justice, who must be honoured for (his) benevolence; for his abstinence and reticency he must be admired; through virtue and steadfastness he is conspicuous. To Maecius Felix, of perfectissimus rank, defender of the city of Venafrum, of the class of landowners, and of the people, governor of the province of Samnium; with the intention to inflict recompensation to merit; because of his outstanding benefactions towards the common wealth, and as a memory of all the benefactions which by his forefathers have been bestowed on the city, the most splendid ordo and the entire people of the city of Venafrum set this up to the patron.
