Description:
Limestone
paving slab
(w:
0.63 x h:
0.92 x depth not measurable).
Text: Inscribed on the exposed face of the paving slab.
Letters: Fifth to sixth century: 0.035; cursive alpha, lunate epsilon, lunate sigma and cursive omega; the second ο in line 2 is written
small.
Date: Fifth to sixth century CE
Findspot:
Ptolemais:
House of Paulus, in situ in room 1; found in 1957.
Original location: Unknown
Last recorded location:
Findspot.
English translation
Translation by: Editors
With good fortune. Under the most magnificent Paulos, consularis, this work took place.
Commentary
Line 3: Paulus (PLRE II, Paulus 14) is described as a consularis,which sometime describes a provincial governor, but is not recorded for governors of Pentapolis, unless Paulus' appointment was extraordinary; see the discussion by Kraeling loc. cit. Otherwise he must have been a distinguished local citizen; the phrasing, 'ἐπί, under' implies that he was holding an official position.. His rank, magnificentissimus, indicates a date in the later fifth or sixth century (see discussion at ALA VI.26). Kraeling assigned him responsibility for very considerable reorganisation of the building and notes that this would be surprising if he held office after the seat of government was moved from Ptolemais to Apollonia in the sicth century; it is probably better to suppose that his responsibility was limited to a "redecoration" which included laying the surviving pavement in which the inscription is embedded.
Bibliography: Kraeling, 1962, 14, and pl.LIII B, whence Robert, Bulletin Épigraphique, 1964.589; mentioned Kenrick, 2013, 72.
Text constituted from: Transcription (Reynolds).
Images
Fig. 1. Face (1954, The Oriental Institute - Chicago, 44391)