IRCyr   Inscriptions of Roman Cyrenaica

M.225. Mile ?V: Milestone of Nero

Description: Columnar milestone; surface very corroded. No measurements
Text: Inscribed on the face, Latin preceding Greek.
Letters: No measurements.

Date: 54-55 CE

Findspot: Gebel Akhdar: East of Cyrene: Beside the Cyrene to Apollonia road, between 10 and 11 km from Apollonia, with M.223; found in 1915.
Original location: Cyrene to Apollonia Road, Mile ?VII/VIII.
Last recorded location: Cyrene Museum garden

Interpretive

⟦Nero⟧ Claudius [Drusus]
Caẹṣạr Ạụg̣ụṣtus
Gẹr[m]ạṇi[cu]ṣ [I]ṃp(erator)
uiạ[s fe]c̣ịṭ p̣ẹṛ
5L(ucium) ((stop)) P̣ẹ[dium Blaes]um
p[roco(n)s(ulem) Cretae] e[t]
[Cyrenarum? ( vac. )]
[Νέρων Κλαύδιος Δροῦσος]
Καῖ̣σ̣[αρ Σεβαστὸς]
10Γερμα̣[νικ]ὸ[ς]
Α̣ὐ̣[τοκράτωρ]
ὁδοὺ̣ς ἐ[π]όησε δ̣ι̣ὰ̣
Λ(ουκίου) ((stop)) Πεδ̣ί̣ο̣[υ Βλαίσου]
ἀνθ̣υ̣π̣[άτου Κρήτης καὶ]
15[Κυρήνης? ( vac. )]
[------]

Diplomatic

⟦NERO⟧CLAUDIUS[......]
CA...R.....TUS
G.R[.]..I[..].[.].P
UI.[...]......
5L ..[.........]UM
P[.....][......]E[.]
[............]
[....................]
ΚΑ..[..........]
10ΓΕΡΜ.[...]Ο[.]
..[........]
ΟΔΟ.ΣΕ[.]ΟΗΣΕ...
Λ ΠΕ...[........]
ΑΝ...[.............]
15[..........]
[------]

Apparatus

1: [Ti] Claudius taking this to be the Emperor Claudius Ghislanzoni, 1916
2: C[aesar A]ugu[stus] Ghislanzoni, 1916
4: vi[am . . . Ghislanzoni, 1916
5: L . . . M . . . Ghislanzoni, 1916
6: R .. . E . . . Ghislanzoni, 1916
8: [Τι(βέριος) Κλαύδιος] Ghislanzoni, 1916
12: ὁδὸν [ . . . Ghislanzoni, 1916 ; . Π . . . Ghislanzoni, 1916 ; ΑΝ . . . Ghislanzoni, 1916

English translation

Translation by: Editors

(Latin) Nero Claudius Drusus Caesar Augustus Germanicus Imperator made roads through the agency of Lucius Pedius Blaesus, proconsul of Crete and Cyrene

(Greek) Nero Claudius Drusus Caesar Augustus Germanicus Imperator made roads through the agency of Lucius Pedius Blaesus, proconsul of Crete and Cyrene

Commentary

Lines 1-3: The titulature suggests the first months of Nero’s reign

Lines 5 (and 13): Pedius Blaesus (PIR2, P 0212, Thomassen, Laterculi 38.023) is on record in Tacitus, Annales 14.18 (available at Perseus) and  Hist. 1.77.6 (available at Perseus) as a proconsul prosecuted by Cyrene and condemned for extortion in 59 CE but reinstated by Otho.

Line 16: The mileage figure may have been 7 or 8 in the light of the distance from Cyrene

Bibliography: Ghislanzoni, 1916, 159, whence Friedmann, 1930, I.6, SEG 9.250, PHI 324100; mentioned, Goodchild, 1950, 8.a; republished Reynolds, 2004, 1, whence SEG 54.1779, AE 2004.1662, whence EDH HD067790
Text constituted from: Transcription (Reynolds).

Images

None available (2020).