IRCyr   Inscriptions of Roman Cyrenaica

M.275. Boundary marker

Description: Brown limestone stele, tapering a little towards the top, reconstructed from several pieces (w: 0.685-0.62 x h: 1.83 x d: 0.42). Fragment c: from the right side of the stele (w: 0.53 x h: 0.41 x d: 0.06).
Text: Inscribed on three sides. The stone is of poor quality and the inequalities of the stone which made cutting difficult or impossible in many places have imposed an odd layout. a: The front face, very badly worn. b: The reverse face, on a prepared surface, which is considerably worn. c. The left side of the stele.
Letters: a: Average 0.04. c. Average 0.045-0.05. b: Average 0.04; ΟΣ at the of line 4 and Σ at the end of line 8 distinctly smaller; superscript bar above the figure line 7.

Date: CE 53

Findspot: Gebel Akhdar: East of Cyrene Beit Tamer: found in 1952.
Original location: Unknown
Last recorded location: Cyrene Museum

Interpretive

a
[Ti(berius) Claudius]
C̣aesa[r Augustus]
Geṛ[manicus]
- - - - - - - - - -
5per L(ucium) Ac[ili]um Str[a-]
bọnem ḷ[e]g̣ạṭuṃ suum p̣ṛaeḍịạ [a] p̣ṛịụạṭịṣ
poss( vac. 1)es[sa P(opulo) R(omano)] res( vac. 1)ti-
( vac. 3)tuit ( vac. 3)
b
[Τι(βέριος)] Κλαύδιος ( vac. 1)
[ ( vac. 1)? Κ]α̣ῖσαρ Σεβαστὸς
[ ( vac. 3)?] Γερμαν[ι]κὸς ( vac. 1)
[ ( vac. 3)? ἀρχ]ι̣ερεὺς μέγιστος
5 ( vac. 1) δημ̣α̣ρ[χικῆ]ς ἐξου-
σ[ία]ς τὸ ι̣γ̣´ Α̣ὐ̣τοκρά-
τ̣[ω]ρ̣ τὸ κζ´ π̣ατ̣[ὴρ]
πα̣τρ( vac. 1)ίδος τιμητὴς
[ ( vac. 3)? ὕπα]τ̣ος [τὸ ε´ ]
10 διὰ Λ(ευκὶου) Ἀκ̣[ιλίο]υ ( vac. 1)
Σ̣τ̣ρ̣ά̣β̣ - ( vac. 5)
ω̣ν̣ο̣ς̣ τοῦ ( vac. 3)
ἰδίου πρεσβε̣υ̣τοῦ
χωρία ὑπὸ ἰδιωτῶν ( vac. 1)
15 ( vac. 1) κατεχόμενα Δήμῳ
( vac. 1) Ῥωμαίων ἀπο- ( vac. 3)
( vac. 1)κατέστησε ( vac. 3)
c
------
[---] Kλαύδι̣ος [---]
[Κ]αῖσα[ρ] Σεβαστὸς
[Γ]ερμ[ανι]κὸς
[...] ἀρχ( vac. 1)ιερεὺς μέγιστος
5[...] δ̣η̣μαρχ̣[ικ]ῆ̣ς ἐξου-
[...]σ[ία]ς τὸ η̣´ Αὐτοκρά-
[τωρ] τὸ κζ´ πατ̣[ὴρ]
[πατρ]ίδος τιμητὴς
[ὕπατ]ος [τὸ ε´ ]
( vac. 1 line)
10 διὰ Λ(ευκὶου) Ἀκ̣[ιλίου]
( vac. 1 line)
[Στράβωνο]ς τοῦ
( vac. 1 line)
ἰδίου π̣ρ̣ε̣σβ̣ε̣[υτ]οῦ
ΧΟΜ̣ [---] Ο
ΕΝΑΛ̣Ω
15ΟΚΑ
κατέστησεν̣

Diplomatic

a
[...........]
.AESA[.........]
GE.[.......]
- - - - - - - - - -
5PERLAC[...]UMSTR[.-]
B.NEM.[.]...U.SUUM..AE...[.]........
POSS  ES[.....]RES  TI
      TUIT      
b
[...]ΚΛΑΥΔΙΟΣ  
[..].ΙΣΑΡΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΣ
[...]ΓΕΡΜΑΝ[.]ΚΟΣ  
[......].ΕΡΕΥΣΜΕΓΙΣΤΟΣ
5  ΔΗ..Ρ[....]ΣΕΞΟΥ
Σ[..]ΣΤΟ....ΤΟΚΡΑ
.[.].ΤΟΚΖ.Α.[..]
Π.ΤΡ  ΙΔΟΣΤΙΜΗΤΗΣ
[......].ΟΣ[...]
10ΔΙΑΛΑ.[....]Υ  
.....-           
....ΤΟΥ      
ΙΔΙΟΥΠΡΕΣΒ..ΤΟΥ
ΧΩΡΙΑΥΠΟΙΔΙΩΤΩΝ  
15  ΚΑΤΕΧΟΜΕΝΑΔΗΜΩ
  ΡΩΜΑΙΩΝΑΠΟ-       
  ΚΑΤΕΣΤΗΣΕ      
c
------
[---]KΛΑΥΔ.ΟΣ[---]
[.]ΑΙΣΑ[.]ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΣ
[.]ΕΡΜ[...]ΚΟΣ
[···]ΑΡΧ  ΙΕΡΕΥΣΜΕΓΙΣΤΟΣ
5[···]..ΜΑΡ.[..].ΣΕΞΟΥ
[···]Σ[..]ΣΤΟ.ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑ
[...]ΤΟΚΖΠΑ.[..]
[....]ΙΔΟΣΤΙΜΗΤΗΣ
[....]ΟΣ[...]
     vacat
10ΔΙΑΛΑ.[.....]
     vacat
[........]ΣΤΟΥ
     vacat
ΙΔΙΟΥ...Σ..[..]ΟΥ
ΧΟ.[---]Ο
ΕΝΑ.Ω
15ΟΚΑ
ΚΑΤΕΣΤΗΣΕ.

Apparatus

English translation

Translation by: Charlotte Roueché

(Latin): [Ti(berius)] Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, pontifex maximus, holding tribunician power for the thirteenth time, acclaimed imperator for the twenty-seventh time, father of the fatherland, censor, consul [for the fifth time]; by the action of L(ucius) Ac[ili]us Strabo, his personal envoy, he restored [to the Roman People] properties which had been occupied by private persons.

(Greek: face b): [Ti(berius) Claudius] Caesar [Augustus] Germanicus, high priest (i.e. pontifex maximus), holding tribunician power for the thirteenth time, acclaimed imperator for the twenty-seventh time, father of the fatherland, censor consi=ul [for the fifth time]; by the action of L(ucius) Ac[iliu]s Strabo, his personal envoy, he restored to the Roman People properties which had been occupied by private persons.

(Greek: face c): [Ti(berius)] Claudius Caesar [Augustus] Ger[manicus high priest (i.e. pontifex maximus), holding tribunician power for the eighth time, acclaimed imperator for the twenty-seventh time, father of the fatherland, censor [ . . . ]; by the action of L(ucius) Ac[iliu]s Strabo, his personal envoy, he restored [ . .]

Commentary

a, the principal text, is in worse condition; b gives the fuller text and enables the restorations. c appears to represent a first attempt at inscribing b, on an unsatisfactory surface.

Claudius became pater patriae in January 42, censor in 47, consul for the 5th and last time in 51, imperator for the 27th and last time in 52 and held the tribunician power for the 13th time from January 53 - January 54. Although Tac. Ann. XIV. 18 (available at Perseus) states that Acilius Strabo was commissioned by Claudius this, with M.141 and M.238, currently provide the only epigraphic evidence for his activity before the accession of Nero. .

For Acilius Strabo see PIR2 A 0082, and addenda; he was active in Cyrenaica under Claudius and Nero: A.25, A.50, A.68, C.434, C.748, M.125, M.141, M.143, M.153, M.172, M.238, M.251, M.275, and perhaps M.68; for his appointment see on M.141.

Bibliography: Faces b and a: Reynolds, 1971c, 1, whence (a)AE 1974.682, andEDH HD011697, whence also SEG 26.1819, whence PHI 324714.
Text constituted from: Transcription (Reynolds).

Images

   Fig. 1. Face b, at the time of discovery, with fragments of upper left corner missing

   Fig. 2. Face b (Department of Antiquities, F 4661)

   Fig. 3. Face b