Extra Content

Discussion

Base for statue of Constantius II, or just possibly Constantius I, emperors. Thamugadi (Numidia). 324-337 or 293-305

INSCRIPTION
In eight lines:

D(omino) n(ostro), Fl(avio) Con/stantio, / nobilissi/mo Caesari, / (5) ordo col(oniae) / Thamug(adensium), / numini eius / devotus.

'To our lord, Flavius Constantius, most noble Caesar; the council (ordo) of the colony of the Thamugadenses, devoted to his divine spirit, [set this up].'

DESCRIPTION (from Zimmer and Wesch-Klein, and their published photo)
Rectangular base, with separately worked plinth and crown. The inscription is framed within a moulding. On the back of the base is an erased dedication to Diocletian (LSA-2372). H 116, W 50 cm, depth unrecorded.

PROVENANCE AND CURRENT LOCATION
Found in the forum, where it still stands. The plan published by Zimmer and Wesch-Klein shows it on the north side.

HONORAND, AWARDER AND DATE
The dedication to 'Flavius Constantius' provides no clue as to whether the honorand was Constantius I (Caesar 293-305), or Constantius II (Caesar 324-37, during the reign of his father Constantine). Wesch-Klein identifies the honorand as either Constantius I or II, while Lepelley attributes our base to Constantius I, suggesting that this was a posthumous dedication carved to replace an earlier one, erased in 310-312 when Maxentius ruled over Africa (LSA-2379).

In our opinion, Constantius II is much the most likely honorand, since we do not think that a base dedicated to Diocletian (see above, 'Description') could have been appropriated for another emperor while Diocletian was still in power (as he was throughout the time that Constantius I was Caesar), and since we think that any posthumous dedication to Constantius I would have recognised him as 'divus, divine', as happened on a posthumous dedication to Galerius in Thamugadi, erected almost certainly around 312 (see LSA-2373).

The awarder was the city, as usual in Africa for imperial statues.

FURTHER DISCUSSION
The re-use of statue bases, as here (a base dedicated to Diocletian, re-used for Constantius), seems to have been common under the reigns of Constantine and his sons (see LSA-2234, LSA-2242 and perhaps LSA-2250). Lepelley demonstrated that African cities experienced an economic and financial crisis in this period, largely due to the demands of imperial taxation (Lepelley, 1979, 97-8). The re-use of older material may have been one way to save money, while maintaining an active statue habit.

Gabriel de Bruyn

Main Reference

Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum; , VIII, no. 17883

Lepelley, C., Les cités de l'Afrique romaine au Bas-Empire, t. 2, Notices d'histoire municipale, Paris 1981, p. 450, n°8

Zimmer, G., Wesch-Klein, G., Locus datus decreto decurionum : zur Statuenaufstellung zweier Forumsanlagen im römischen Afrika, München, 1989, p. 71, T5