DiscussionRecord of gilded bronze statue of Iulius Festus Hymetius, governor of Africa Proconsularis (mentioned on base in Rome, LSA-1439). Carthage (Africa Proconsularis). 375-378. SOURCEHonorific inscription to Iulius Festus Hymetius set up in Rome, CIL VI, 1736 (+p. 4747): Hymetii. / [---] Iulio Festo Hymetio, c(larissimo) v(iro), / correctori Tusciae et Umbriae, praetori urbano, / consulari Campaniae cum Samnio, /(5) vicario urbis Romae aeternae, proconsuli / provinciae Africae, ob insignia eius / in rem publicam merita et ob depulsam / ab eadem provincia famis et inopiae vastitatem / consiliis et provisionibus et quod caste /(10) in eadem provincia integreque versatus est, / [qu]od neque aequitati in cognoscendo / neque iustitiae defuerit, quod studium / sacerdotii provinciae restituerit / ut nunc a conpetitoribus adpetatur, /(15) quod antea formidini fuerit ob quae eadem / provincia Africa decretis ad divinos principes / dominos nostros missis / Valentem, Gratianum et Valentinianum, / perpetuos Augustos, /(20) statuam unam apud Carthaginem sub auro / alteram quoque Romae eidem sub auro / postulandam esse credidit, quod nulli / proconsulum vel ex proconsulibus / statuendam antea postularit. // DD(ominis) nn(ostris) Val[ente V et Valentiniano co(n)s(ulibus?)]. '(Statue) of Hymetius. To …Iulius Festus Hymetius, of clarissimus rank, governor (corrector of Tuscia et Umbria, urban praetor, governor (consularis) of Campania with Samnium, vicar of the eternal city of Rome, governor (proconsul) of the province of Africa. On account of his distinguished services towards the Commonwealth (res publica); and because the desolation of hunger and neediness was driven away from the same province by planning and provisions; and because he occupied himself in that same province with chaste and honest affairs; because he did not lack in the recogniton of fairness or justice; because he restored the rigour of priests to the province so that now what had been before dreaded is sought after by plaintifs; because of such things this same province of Africa with decrees having been sent to the divine princes our lords, Valens, Gratian, and Valentinian, perpetual Augusti, believed that for him a gilded statue at Carthage and another gilded one at Rome should be demanded since for no proconsul or ex-proconsul before had it requested a statue to be set up. [On the left side] In the consulship of our lords Valens, for the fifth time, and Valentinian (II)… ' (transl. C. Machado). The inscription in Rome (LSA-1439) which carried a gilded statue to Hymetius records that another such statue was set up in Carthage. LOCATION Both, the statue in Carthago and the belonging inscription are today lost. HONORAND, AWARDER AND DATE Iulius Festus Hymetius was governor of Africa in 366-368 (PLRE I, Hymetius). The dedication in Rome was made years later, in 376-378, as indicated by the imperial names (see LSA-1439), and so was probably our dedication in Carthago. The statue was set up by the province of Africa (line 16). Main ReferenceCorpus Inscriptionum Latinarum; , VI, 1736 (+p. 4747)Discussion ReferencesJones, A. H. M. et al., The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire. Vol. I 260-395, Cambridge et al. 1971 (1975), p. 330 |
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