IRCyr   Inscriptions of Roman Cyrenaica

C.167. Building inscription for cisterns

Description: Re-used marble stele of a type commonly used for funerary texts (but also for some public texts), laid on its side (w: 1.10 x h: 0.43 - 0.50 x d: 0.23 - 0.25). The use as a threshold was its third usage - no trace survives of its first as a stele; the inscriptions are the record of its second, when it perhaps stood in the place of a lintel above the door of a cistern. The previous bilingual version, C.166 was never completed or exposed; this wholly Greek version was then cut on the reverse face.
Text: Inscribed on what must have been the exposed face, worn smooth in the upper right quarter; holes for three sockets later cut into the text.
Letters: Second century CE: lines 1-3, 0.035; lines 4-8, 0.03; line 9, 0.025; lunate epsilon and sigma, cursive mu, omega

Date: 165-169 CE

Findspot: Cyrene: Found in 1956, re-used for a third time as a threshold in the south west entrance to the East Church.
Original location: The major public cisterns in this east area of the city lie not far SE of the East Church and this inscription is most likely to have come from them.
Last recorded location: Standing in the nave of the East Church.

Interpretive

Ὑπὲρ νείκαϲ [τῶν Αὐτοκρατόρων Καιϲάρων Μάρκω]
Αὐρηλίω [Ἀντωνείνω καὶ Λουκίω Αὐρηλίω Οὐήρω Ϲε-]
βαϲτῶν Ἀρμενιακῶν [Παρθικῶν μεγίϲτων Μηδικῶν ἁ] [πό-]
λιϲ ἁ Κυρα[να]ίων ἁ ματρόπ[ο]λιϲ τᾶϲ [Ἑξαπόλιοϲ? τὰ? ὑδρε]γ̣δ[ο-]
5χία ἐκ τῶ[ν δα]μοϲίων χρημάτων κατε[ϲ]κεύαϲεν· [ἐ]πὶ Πομπωνίω
Ναιουανῶ τῶ κρατίϲτωι ἀνθυπάτωι ἀρξαμένωι καὶ ὀρύξαντοϲ ἐκ
θεμε[λίων κατ’αὐ]θεντείαϲ καὶ εὐεργεσίαϲ τῶν θειοτάτων Αὐτο-
κρατό[ρων κα]ὶ ἀφιερώσαντοϲ μετ[ὰ Ϲειλί]ωι Πλα(υ)τίωι
( vac. 1) Ἁ̣[τεριαν]ῶι τῶι κρατίϲτωι ταμία

Diplomatic

ΥΠΕΡΝΕΙΚΑϹ[............................]
ΑΥΡΗΛΙΩ[................................-]
ΒΑϹΤΩΝΑΡΜΕΝΙΑΚΩΝ[........................][..-]
ΛΙϹΑΚΥΡΑ[..]ΙΩΝΑΜΑΤΡΟΠ[.]ΛΙϹΤΑϹ[...............].Δ[.-]
5ΧΙΑΕΚΤΩ[...]ΜΟϹΙΩΝΧΡΗΜΑΤΩΝΚΑΤΕ[.]ΚΕΥΑϹΕΝ[.]ΠΙΠΟΜΠΩΝΙΩ
ΝΑΙΟΥΑΝΩΤΩΚΡΑΤΙϹΤΩΙΑΝΘΥΠΑΤΩΙΑΡΞΑΜΕΝΩΙΚΑΙΟΡΥΞΑΝΤΟϹΕΚ
ΘΕΜΕ[..........]ΘΕΝΤΕΙΑϹΚΑΙΕΥΕΡΓΕΣΙΑϹΤΩΝΘΕΙΟΤΑΤΩΝΑΥΤΟ
ΚΡΑΤΟ[.....]ΙΑΦΙΕΡΩΣΑΝΤΟϹΜΕΤ[......]ΩΙΠΛΑΤΙΩΙ
  .[......]ΩΙΤΩΙΚΡΑΤΙϹΤΩΙΤΑΜΙΑ

English translation

Translation by: Editors

On behalf of the victory of [the emperors Caesars Marcus] Aurelius [Antoninus and Lucius Verus] Augusti, victors in Armenia, [greatest victors in Parthia, victors in Media, the] city of the Cyrenaeans, the metropolis of [the six cities?] constructed [the] cisterns, from public funds, in the time of Pomponios Naiouianos (i.e. Pomponius Naevianus) the most excellent proconsul, who began and dug out (i.e. the cisterns) by the authority and generosity of the most divine emperors, and who consecrated (i.e. them) with Silios Plautios Haterianos (i.e. Silius Plautius Haterianus) the most excellent quaestor.

Commentary

Line 3: On the date of the imperial titles, see on C.166

Lines 4-5: The major public cisterns in this east area of the city lie not far south east of the East Church and this inscription is most likely to have come from them.

Line 4: See C.173, C.307 d.; this seems the most likely restoration

Line 5: Pomponius Naevianus (PIR 2, P 0741) is otherwise unknown

Line 8: For Silvius Plautius Haterianus see on C.166.

Bibliography: Reynolds, 1959, 3.b, fig. 4, whence Robert, Bulletin Épigraphique, 1960.437, SEG 18.740, PHI 324444.
Text constituted from: Transcription (Reynolds).

Images

   Fig. 1. Face

   Fig. 2. Face

   Fig. 3. Right end (Reynolds VI.24)

   Fig. 4. Face (Reynolds III.93.1)

   Fig. 5. Face

   Fig. 6. Lower right corner (Reynolds III.93.2)