ISic003580: Monumental fragment recording a basilica

Photo J. Prag courtesy Soprintendenza BBCCAA di Messina
ID
ISic003580
Language
Latin
Text type
building
Object type
plaque
Status
No data
Links
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Edition

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Apparatus criticus

  • Text from autopsy

Physical description

Support

Description
Six joining fragments of an off-white coarse marble with occasional grey veins / mottling. Height (max) 27.7 cm; width (max) 89 cm; depth c.2.7 cm (base) to 4 cm (top). Fragments 1-4 (lower left to right) preserve the lower margin more or less intact, but are broken at the top, left and right; fragments 5 and 6 preserve some (6) or all (5) of the upper margin, but are broken on the other three sides. It is possible that fragment 6 preserves some of its original right margin, but far from certain. Fragment 6 is weathered and encrusted, in contrast to the other fragments. Fragments 1-4 preserve a line of chiselling along the lower margin, which may mark the later removal of a moulding, or some other act of later reuse; below that line of chiselling, the original surface slopes inwards at 45 degrees towards the bottom. The face slopes outwards slightly prior to the line of chiselling. The upper edge is perpendicular and roughly finished.
Object type
plaque
Material
marble
Condition
No data
Dimensions
height: 27.7 cm, width: 89 cm, depth: 2.7-4.0 cm

Inscription

Layout
A single monumental line of text is preserved across the face.
Text condition
No data
Lettering

Letter heights
Line 1: 150-155mm
Interlinear heights
Interlineation line 1 to 2: N/Amm

Provenance

Place of origin
Halaesa
Provenance found
Excavated in 1971, in room 7 of the west portico of the agora
Map

Current location

Place
Halaesa, Italy
Repository
Antiquarium e sito archeologico di Halaesa , 30591
Autopsy
On display in the lapidarium on site
Map

Date

1st — 2nd century CE (AD 1 – AD 200)
Evidence
lettering

Text type

building

commentary

The scale of the text suggests that it comes from the facade of a building, presumably the basilica to which the text refers, and it is likely that it records re(building) and/or decoration of the basilica (whether the statues, marble facing, portico, pavement or other elements of the basilica). The text and the act it records may be contemporary with the fragmentary honorific (ISic000802) which appears to record work involving the basilica. The building is also mentioned in the bronze honorific for Nemenios (SEG 59.1100), which is of an earlier date and probably refers to an earlier phase of the same building (first century BC). This text is likely to belong to the first or second century AD.

There continues to be debate over whether the term 'basilica' is intended to designate, or originally evolved to designate, building form or simply function. Buildings termed ‘basilica’, especially in the Republican period, have considerable variety of form; but they also have considerable variety of use (see Gros, P. 1996. L’architecture romaine au début du IIIe siècle av. J.-C. à la fin du Haut-Empire, vol. 1, Les monuments publics (Paris), at 238-55). As David has noted, basilicae served a judicial role alongside others, hosting the tribunals of Roman officials (David, J.-M. 1983. Le tribunal dans le basilique: évolution fonctionelle et symbolique de la République à l’Empire. In AA.VV. Architecture et société de l'archaïsme grec à la fin de la république romaine (Rome 2-4 décembre 1980) (CEFR 66). Rome: EFR. 219-241, at 219-28). Cicero’s Verrines attest to the use of porticoes in the agorai of the cities of Sicily by Verres and his subordinates for the administration of provincial government (Cic. Verr. 3.77, 4.85-86), and it is therefore very likely that the building called the basilica at Halaesa is part or the whole of the porticoed building standing on the agora (cf. Scibona, G. 2009b. L'Agorà (scavi 1970-2004). In G. Scibona and G. Tigano (eds), Alaisa-Halaesa. Scavi e ricerche (1970-2007) (Messina: Regione Siciliana) 9-43, at 27 n.64, 42-43).

The excavator, Giacomo Scibona, suggested that text ISic003581 (and possibly ISic003582) were also part of this text. The height of the stone is broadly similar across all three (27.5-29 cm), and the letter heights are not dissimilar (150-155 mm in 35; 155 in ISic003581; 155-165 in ISic003582); however, there is some variation in the letter forms and the style of their cutting, and the form of the slabs varies (this text is 4cm thick at the top, down to c.2.7 cm along the bottom; ISic003581 is 3.5cm thick at the top and 4 cm thick at the bottom; ISic003582 is thinner, 2cm at top, 2.7cm at bottom, and has a moulding along the bottom edge). It is possible that this variation of physical form is a result of later re-cutting. Without more evidence, it is safer to treat them separately, although it certainly possible that ISic003581 belongs with this text.

Bibliography

Digital editions
Printed editions
  • J.R.W. Prag e G. Tigano, Alesa Archonidea: il lapidarium, Introduzione all’archeologia di Halaesa 8 (Palermo: Regione Siciliana, Assessorato beni culturali e identità siciliana, Dipartimento beni culturali e identità siciliana, 2017), at no.11 Zotero FAIR

Citation and editorial status

Editor
Jonathan Prag
Principal contributor
Jonathan Prag
Contributors
Last revision
1/19/2021