DOI issue:
Egypt
DOI article:Daszewski, Wiktor Andrzej; Zych, Iwona; Bąkowska, Grażyna; Błaszczyk, Artur: Marina el-Alamein: excavation report, 2005
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42091#0087
MARINA EL-ALAMEIN
EGYPT
ROOM WITH INSCRIPTION
Opposite the eastern entrance, in the
western wall of the civic basilica, there was
another doorway (1.75 m wide, 1.64 m
between the doorjambs) leading to a pas-
sage or room (?) paved with broken tiles of
gray marble [Fig. 7]. A double set of
sockets testifies to the presence of another
double-winged door.
A masonry pedestal (presumably for
a statue; three small pieces of white-marble
sculpture were found in the fill nearby) was
discovered built against the northern wall
of this space, c. 1.50 m into the room. It
was 0.68 m wide, projecting 0.40 m from
the wall, and 1 m high. A marble slab with
an inscription was set into the front. The
slab was 1.5 cm thick. Only the lower
26 cm ol the marble slab survive, preserving
three full lines and a fragmentary fourth
line of text in Greek [Fig. 8]. The text was
of religious or honorific character. The
surviving part contains a dating formula,
which was read by Dr. Adam Lajtar from
Warsaw University as:
{ - - - /. Under Titus Flavius Titianus,
Praefect of Egypt, in the 14th year of the Lord
Hadrian, Hathyr 20 (= 15 November 129
AD).5
Actually, the name of the prefect of
Egypt had been erased from the
inscription, suggesting that he had become
the object of damnatio memoriae. The
inscription from Marina is the only source
so far to indicate that Titus Flavius
Titianus, whose term in office as prefect of
Egypt was the longest, fell into disgrace
with the Emperor at the end of his life.
Fig. 8. Pedestal bearing an inscription with the dating formula of the Prefect of Egypt Titus
Flavius Titianus (AD 129) (Photo W.A. Daszewski)
5 For the Greek text and discussion, cf. A. Lajtar, "Four inscriptions from Marina el-Alamein",j[/P XXXV (2005), 100-103.
83
EGYPT
ROOM WITH INSCRIPTION
Opposite the eastern entrance, in the
western wall of the civic basilica, there was
another doorway (1.75 m wide, 1.64 m
between the doorjambs) leading to a pas-
sage or room (?) paved with broken tiles of
gray marble [Fig. 7]. A double set of
sockets testifies to the presence of another
double-winged door.
A masonry pedestal (presumably for
a statue; three small pieces of white-marble
sculpture were found in the fill nearby) was
discovered built against the northern wall
of this space, c. 1.50 m into the room. It
was 0.68 m wide, projecting 0.40 m from
the wall, and 1 m high. A marble slab with
an inscription was set into the front. The
slab was 1.5 cm thick. Only the lower
26 cm ol the marble slab survive, preserving
three full lines and a fragmentary fourth
line of text in Greek [Fig. 8]. The text was
of religious or honorific character. The
surviving part contains a dating formula,
which was read by Dr. Adam Lajtar from
Warsaw University as:
{ - - - /. Under Titus Flavius Titianus,
Praefect of Egypt, in the 14th year of the Lord
Hadrian, Hathyr 20 (= 15 November 129
AD).5
Actually, the name of the prefect of
Egypt had been erased from the
inscription, suggesting that he had become
the object of damnatio memoriae. The
inscription from Marina is the only source
so far to indicate that Titus Flavius
Titianus, whose term in office as prefect of
Egypt was the longest, fell into disgrace
with the Emperor at the end of his life.
Fig. 8. Pedestal bearing an inscription with the dating formula of the Prefect of Egypt Titus
Flavius Titianus (AD 129) (Photo W.A. Daszewski)
5 For the Greek text and discussion, cf. A. Lajtar, "Four inscriptions from Marina el-Alamein",j[/P XXXV (2005), 100-103.
83