Description: Large block,
may be a building block of the Roman fort. From a group of inscribed
stones, M.45, M.46, M.47,
M.48, M.49, and M.55.
Text: Graffiti on a poor surface in sizeable but roughly cut letters suggesting an informal text.
Letters: L presumably for ἔτους, possibly with a superscript bar.
Date: First - third century CE
Findspot: South of Berenike:
Esc-Sheleidima;
found and photographed by members of an Italian army unit in 1927.
Original location: Roman fort.
Last recorded location:
Findspot (1927)
Apparatus
2: ΡΙ might be ΠEnglish translation
Translation by: Charlotte Roueché
Year [- . . . ] ? Aripachthis [ . . .
Commentary
All or most of this group of texts seems to be from the Roman fort, one of a line of forts which probably marked the innermost defences of the Syrtic Limes. The line was probably established in the first century CE after the Marmaric War. Most have a more or less formal appearance.
The high proportion of Latin texts in this remote place must be due to the presence of soldiers and suggests a garrison unit recruited in the west – the cognomen Reburus (M.49.i) pointing to Spain or Gaul. But it is clear that Greeks of local origin (M.49.iv, vi) came here too and may well be civilian visitors to the shrine, though local recruiting is also possible.
Bibliography: For the fort see Goodchild, 1953, 67
Text constituted from: Transcribed from photographs (Reynolds).
