Base for statue of Constantine I, emperor. Lepcis Magna (Tripolitania). 324-326.
PROVENANCE AND LOCATION
City:
Lepcis Magna
Province:
Tripolitania
Region:
North Africa, Eastern (Tripolitania and Cyrenaica)
Details:
Old Forum
Current Location:
Re-used in church on west side of the forum, probably as ambo
OBJECT
Object:
Base, for marble statue
Material:
Marble
Re-Use?
Yes
Form:
Rectangular
Height(cm):
146
Width(cm):
119
Depth(cm):
119
Language:
Latin
Text Type:
Prose
SUBJECT
Honorand:
Constantine I
Position:
Emperors
Gender:
Male
Awarder:
Laenatius Romulus, governor of Tripolitania
Position:
Provincial Governors
DATE
Earliest:
324
Latest :
326
MAIN REFERENCE
Tantillo, I. and F. Bigi (eds.), Leptis Magna. Una città e le sue iscrizioni in epoca tardoromana, Cassino 2010, 451-6, no. 71, figs. 8.6, 10.81, pl. XX
Tantillo, I. 'Riflessioni su Costantino e il sole', Mélanges de l'Ecole française de Rome. Antiquité. 115.2 , Rome 2003, 986-996, fig. 1
Reynolds, J. M. & J. B. Ward-Perkins, The Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania. In collaboration with S. Aurigemma, R. Bartoccini, G. Caputo, R. Goodchild, P. Romanelli, Roma 1952, no. 467
INSCRIPTION
Text:
Cum basilica vetus ex maxima parte ruina esset deformata / conlabsu ac spatio sui breviass[et ar]eam forensem ++ / [.?]++++ divino icta conflagrarat incendio adq(ue) is locus saecul[o] /(4) fortunatissimo meliora deposceret tantae stragis labe subl[a]/ta tripertita porticus magnitudine sui ac Troadensium columna/rum adornata operis provincialium ac sum(p)tu publico disponen(te) / [La]enatio Romulo v(iro) p(erfectissimo) rectore provinciae intra anni spatium per/fecta ac dedicata est adq(ue) ad sempiternam memoriam statuam / marmoream suo numine radiantem domino nostro /(10) Constantino maximo victori semper Aug(usto) idem v(ir) p(erfectissimus) dicata mente / constituit (vac. c.4) curante Cl(audio) Aurel(io) Generoso v(iro) e(gregio) cur(atore) r(ei) p(ublicae) et splendidissimo / ordine coloniae Lepcimagnensium.
Trans:
When the old basilica was mainly in ruin, deformed by collapse, so that it curtailed the area of the forum, and struck by divine... it burned in a fire, and when the place in a more fortunate era demanded better, the blemish of the debris was taken away, and a tripartite portico decorated by its own magnitude and by columns from Troas, from provincial labour and public expense made available by Laenatius Romulus, of perfectissimus rank, governor of the province, was completed and dedicated in the space of one year. And, as eternal memory, the same man of perfectissimus rank, with devoted spirit, set up a marble statue that was radiant by his divine spirit to our lord Constantine, most powerful victor, eternal Augustus. (The work was) overseen by Claudius Aurelius Generosus, of egregius rank, curator of the republic and of the most splendid ordo of the colony of Leptis Magna.
