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Fragmentary plaque, probably from base for statue of the deified Constantine I, emperor. Ostia (hinterland of Rome). 337-350

INSCRIPTION:
Small part of three lines survive. Letter height 15.5-15 cm.

[--- d]ivo Cons[tanti]no [---] / [---] max[---] / [---]O[---].

The inscription is too fragmentary to allow a proper translation. However, the surviving part of l.1 clearly records a reference to ‘divo Constantino’.

Wickert, in CIL, suggests [---d]ivo Cons[tanti]no [patri] / [principum] max[imorum ---], based on comparison with the tect of LSA-273.

DESCRIPTION (CIL):
Fragmentary plaque, probably from base for statue. The dimension of the letters (c. 15cm) suggests a very large monument.

PROVENANCE AND LOCATION:
Our fragment was discovered in the latrine of via di the casa dei triclini. It was recorded as on that street, affixed to the wall (CIL).

HONORAND, AWARDER AND DATE:
The identity of the awarder does not survive. The inscription records a dedication to the deified Constantine, and therefore should be dated to after his death in 337 and (probably) the middle of the fourth century.

Carlos Machado

Main Reference

Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum; , XIV, 4406

L'Année épigraphique, Paris, 2000, +00043