DiscussionFragment of base for statue, probably of Constantine I or one of his sons (Crispus, Constantine II, or Constantius II), emperor. Lepcis Magna (Tripolitania). 324-326. INSCRIPTIONPartly preserved in five lines: - - - - - - / [- - - tr]ipertit[a porticus] / [magnitu]dine su[i ac Troa]/[dens]ium column[arum ado]/[rnat]a operis pr[ovincialium] /(5) [ac sump]tu p[ublico] / - - - - - - '...a tripartite portico, decorated by its own magnitude and by columns from Troas, was made and dedicated from provincial labour and public expense…' Letter height 3.5 cm. DESCRIPTION Two adjacent fragments of a white marble base; H 20.7, W 17.3, D 4.7 cm. The fragments are from an inscribed face and preserve five lines from the centre of the inscription (see also below, ‘Honorand, Awarder and Date’). Our inscription is carved over an erased earlier one. PROVENANCE AND CURRENT LOCATION The inscription was found in the area of Wadi Lebdah. It is now in the store rooms of the Lepcis museum. HONORAND AWARDER AND DATE The name of the honorand and of the awarder are not preserved in the inscription; however, it reproduces lines 5-6 from the inscription to Constantine I set up by the governor Laenatius Romulus in 324/6, on occasion of repair work on the tripertita porticus (here line 1) on the Old forum (LSA-2213). It is possible that this was a base for another statue to Constantine, or to one of his sons (Crispus, Constantine II, or Constantius II). It cannot entirely be excluded, however, that this fragment belongs to a mutilated inscription by which the governor himself was honoured (LSA-2180). Main ReferenceTantillo, I. and F. Bigi (eds.), Leptis Magna. Una città e le sue iscrizioni in epoca tardoromana, Cassino 2010, 456-7, no. 72, figs. 10.82-83Reynolds, 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. 771 |
Last Statues of Antiquity
LSA Database