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Discussion

Base for statue of Sextus Claudius Petronius Probus. Gortyna (Creta). 372-388

INSCRIPTION
In twelve lines:

Θείῳ θεσπίσματι / κ(αὶ) δόγματι τῆς Κρητῶν / ἐπαρχίας, Πετρώνιον / Πρόβον τὸν λαμπρ(ότατον) /(5) κ(αὶ) ἐξοχώτατον / ἀπὸ ὑπάτων, / ἔπαρχον τοῦ πραιτωρίου, / τὸν εὐεργέτην καὶ / σωτῆρα τοῦ ἔθνους, /(10) Φλ(αουίος) Φουρσίδ(ιος) Ἀριστίδης / ὁ λ(αμπρότατος) ὑπατικὸς τῆς Κρητῶν / ἐπαρχείας ἀνέστησεν.

'By divine (=imperial) decision and by decree of the province of the Cretans, Flavius Fursidius Aristides, the governor (consularis) of the province of the Cretans, of clarissimus rank, set this up to the senator Petronius Probus, the most excellent former consul, and praetorian prefect, the benefactor and saviour of the people'.

Letter height 4 - 6 cm.

The opening formula, Θείῳ θεσπίσματι (by divine decision), might be taken as a religious statement, but is in fact certainly a reference to imperial permission (equivalent to the Latin divina sententia).

DESCRIPTION (from Guarducci 1950 and the published drawing)
Tall rectangular base of local limestone, broken and lost on top. Height 123 cm, width 48 cm. The epigraphic field is cut back from the surface, framed by a simple moulding, and slightly convex. Left and right margins chipped. No published photo.

PROVENANCE/ LOCATION
The base was excavated in the praetorium of Gortyna. It is today standing on the archaeological site at Gortyna.

HONORAND, AWARDER AND DATE
The honorand of the dedication Sextus Claudius Petronius Probus was a leading member of the Roman senatorial aristocracy, consul in 371 and four times praetorian prefect (PLRE I, 736-40 Sex. Claudius Petronius Probus 5). The inscription styles him 'former consul', ἀπὸ ὑπάτων, thereby providing the year after his consulship as a terminus post quem. He was holding a praetorian prefecture when awarded the statue in Gortyn (ἔπαρχον τοῦ πραιτωρίου), this being traditionally related to his third prefecture of 368-75 (Guarducci 1950, 343; with De Tommaso 2000, 387 extending the date of this office slightly to 376/7; PLRE I, 738 is more cautious: 'after 371'). Since his prefecture is not numbered in the inscription, we can see no reason why Probus' fourth time in office (383 until his death in 388) should be excluded.

The awarder, the governor (consularis) Flavius Fursidius Aristides is only known from this inscription (PLRE I, 105 Fl. Fursidius Aristides, dating him to Probus' third prefecture, without further justification).

FURTHER DISCUSSION
Sextus Claudius Petronius Probus was awarded another statue in Gortyna by the governor Oecumenius Dositheus Asclepiodotus (LSA-779).

The opening formula with its reference to the imperial permission suggests that the statue was of bronze (Feissel 1984).

Francesca Bigi - Ignazio Tantillo - Ulrich Gehn

Main Reference

Guarducci, M., Inscriptiones Creticae. Vol 4. Tituli Gortynii, Roma 1950, no. 312

Discussion References

De Tommaso, G., Nota su alcune Iscrizioni del Pretorio di Dositeo, Gortina V.1. Lo Scavo del Pretorio (1989-1995) - Vol. V. 1* - , 384-8, Padova 2000,

Feissel, D. 'Notes d' Épigraphie chrétienne', Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique 108, 545-579, Paris 1984, 549

Jones, A. H. M. et al., The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire. Vol. I 260-395, Cambridge et al. 1971 (1975),

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