DiscussionLost base for statue of Decius Marius Venantius Basilius, consul and prefect of the City. Rome, Colosseum. 484. INSCRIPTIONIn twelve lines. Venanti, / v(iri) c(larissimi), / co(n)s(ulis). / Decius Marius Ve/nantius Basilius, /(6) v(ir) c(larissimus) et inl(ustris), praefectus / urbi, patricius, cons(ul) / ordinarius, arenam / et podium quae abomi/nandi terrae motus /(11) ruina prostra/vit, sumptu proprio restituit. '[Statue of] Venantius, of clarissimus rank, consul. Decius Marius Venantius Basilius, of clarissimus and illustrious rank, prefect of the City, patrician, consul, restored with his own wealth the arena and podium which an abomindable earthquake threw to the ground in ruin.' The inscription records works carried out by Basilius in the Colosseum. Although it does not mention a statue explicitly, it was carved into a statue-base, and the genitive at the beginning of the inscription indicates the existence of one such honorific monument. In this case, the inscription would work like a caption, identifying the man represented on the statue, responsible for the works that made the Colosseum ready for use again. DESCRIPTION There is no description available. PROVENANCE AND CURRENT LOCATION Our inscription was found in the Colosseum. It is now lost. HONORAND, AWARDER AND DATE Decius Marius Venantius Basilius was consul and prefect of the City in 484 (PLRE II, 218 Basilius 13; Orlandi 2004). The inscription does not mention an awarder, suggesting that the statue was set up by Basilius himself, in the place (or in addition to) of a normal building inscription. Main ReferenceCorpus Inscriptionum Latinarum; , VI, 1716a=32094a (+p. 4342)Orlandi, S., Roma. Anfiteatri e strutture annesse con una nuova edizione e commento delle iscrizioni del Colosseo. Epigrafia anfiteatrale dell’Occidente romano 6, Rome 2004, 51-66 n. 5 Discussion ReferencesMartindale, J. R., The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire. Vol. II A.D. 395-527, Cambridge 1980, p. 218 (Basilius 13) |
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