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16-09-2015, 09:40

Lists of local district officials (E62—64)

E62 is an inscription painted on a house front along the Street of Abundance near the Forum. It gives the names of the neighbourhood officials in charge of the crossroad cult for the years 47 and 46 BC. It may originally have been situated next to an altar, but no trace of one remains. It is painted in small black letters on a block of tufa covered by plaster and was not visible in AD 79. After excavation, however, once the plaster became exposed to the elements, it gradually peeled off, eventually revealing this inscription beneath. It is highly unusual for such an old painted inscription to be preserved. Other partially preserved lists of names of neighbourhood presidents have also been found painted at crossroads (CIL IV 7807, 7425, 7855).

E63 is written with charcoal inside a placard, above an altar fixed to a wall situated at the corner of I. xi. It gives the names of the local district officials, or more probably their attendants, in charge of the cult. Below the text were pictures relating to the cult, with two snakes below, and above two Lares with drinking-cups next to a figure sacrificing. Its excavators could discern five layers of painting, which indicates that the shrine’s painting was renewed over a period of some years. On the upper surface of the altar itself were found considerable quantities of ash and wood, perhaps the remnants of burnt offerings.

E64 is a painted placard containing the names of the presidents of this crossroad cult, who appear to be slaves. It accompanies an altar and painting on a corner of the Street of Abundance. The painting depicts a snake below, approaching offerings, and a sacrifice by the cult’s officials at an altar, flanked by two Lares. Above appears the inscription in a placard.



 

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