DiscussionBadly damaged base for statue of 'Rom..ius' (perhaps Laenatius Romulus). Lepcis Magna (Tripolitania). Probably 324-326. INSCRIPTIONFragmentarily preserved in ten lines: ROM[..]II / M[- 15? -]AE / RIT[- 15? -]AE / I[- 15? -]AE /(5) D[- 15? -]I / [- 15? -]MO / [-15?-]RIO / I[- 15? -] / RE[- 15? -] /(10) AD[- 15? -] / - - - - - - ‘(Statue of) Rom..ius....’. Letter height 3.5-4 cm. The poor state of preservation of the surface has caused the loss of most of the inscription; it is legible, with difficulty, only along the right and left margins. The only part that can tentatively be restored is the signum in line 1 (see below, ‘Honorand and Date’). DESCRIPTION Upper portion of a Proconnesian marble base with mouldings at top; H 82, W 89, D 88 cm. The lower half is broken off; the surface is badly worn (see above ‘Inscription’). All sides of the base are decorated with a moulded frame; on the right side there is a lituus and on the left side an urceus in relief within these frames. On the top face there are two oval cavities with small round holes next to them; in the left one there is an additional rectangular hole. These are the traces of the fixings for a bronze statue; the feet are directed towards the original front and this bronze statue belonged to the first use of the base. The decoration and the dimensions of the base are similar to those of the base dedicated to the legate Lucius Volusius Bassus Cerealis (LSA-2170) from the late 3rd century with which it probably once formed a pair. Our inscription is carved on the opposite face of an earlier one, probably of the 2nd century (IRT 518). PROVENANCE AND CURRENT LOCATION The inscription was found on the Old forum of Lepcis Magna, at the eastern side of the Tripertita Porticus. HONORAND AND DATE The extant letters of the signum suggest a completion to Romulii, and a possible identification of the honorand with the governor (praeses) Laenatius Romulus. This governor was responsible for a major building-repair at the Tripartita porticus where our inscription was found (Tantillo & Bigi 2010 no. 71), making an association with him very possible. Laenatius Romulus held the governorship of Tripolitania in 324/6 (see LSA-2179). Main ReferenceTantillo, I. and F. Bigi (eds.), Leptis Magna. Una città e le sue iscrizioni in epoca tardoromana, Cassino 2010, 376-7, no. 34, figs. 7.16, 10.39, pl. IXReynolds, 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. 736 |
Last Statues of Antiquity
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