Augustus' inscription
of the Aqua Augusta / Serino aqueduct
Untill 1938 the construction of the Serino aqueduct was credited to Claudius. Based on the inscription below from the 4th c AD (317 - 326)
it is thought that Augustus was the builder; perhaps Claudius was reponsible for the extension to Misenum.
The stone of marble was found in 1938 near the Acquaro source and measured 186 x 86 cm and was 17 cm thick. In 1940 the two pieces were built into a wall of a building in Naples but disappeared. It was last seen by Mariniello in 1981.
It reads:
DD. NN. FL. CONSTAN
TINVS MAX. PIVS
FELIX VICTOR AVG.
ET FL. IVL. CRISPVS ET
FL. CL. CONSTANT.N.S
NOBB. CAESS.
FONTIS AVGVSTEI
AQVAEDVCTVM
LONGA INCVRIA
ET VETVSTATE CONR.PT.M
PRO MAGNIFICENTIA
LIBERALITATIS CONS.ETAE
SVA PECVNIA R.F.CI IVSSER.NT
ET VSVI CI.TAT.M INFRA
SCRIPTARVM REDDIDERVNT
DEDICANTE CEIONIO IVLIANO VC
CONS. CAMP. CVRANTE
PONTIANO V. P. PRAEP. EIVSDEM
AQVAEDVCTVS
NOMINA CIVITATIVM
PVTEOLANA NEAPOLITANA NOLANA
ATELLANA CVMANA ACERRANA
BAIANA MISENVM
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CIL X 1805, AE 1939, 131 = AE 1983, 194
Source: SGOBBO I., Notizie degli scavi di Antichita 1938, p. 75ff
As it reads in Latin:
Dd. nn. Fl. Constantinus Max. Pius Felix Victor Aug. et Fl. Iul. Crispus et Fl. Cl. Constant[i]n[u]s, nobb. Caess. fontis Augustei
aquaeductum longa incuria et vetustate conr[u]pt[u]m pro magnificentia liberalitatis cons[v]etae sua pecunia r[e]f[i]ci iusser[u]nt et usui
ci[vi]tat[iu]m infra scriptarum reddiderunt, dedicante Ceionio Iuliano uccons. camp. curante pontiano u. p. praep. eiusdem aquaeductus,
nomina civitatium Puteolana, Neapolitana, Nolana, Atellana, Cumana, Acerrana, Baiana, Misenum
Source: De relatie van de keizers Claudius, Nero en Trajanus met de Italische steden", thesis in Dutch of G. Meire (1998) note 234
As it reads in English:
Our Lords the Emperor Constantine the great, pious, successful and victorious and Flavius Julius Crispus and Flavius Claudius Constantinus,
most noble Caesars, have ordered the aqueduct of the Augustean spring that had been ruined by long neglect and old age to be restored
on their costs by their usual greatness and generosity, and they have given back its use to the towns described below.
Inaugurated by Ceionius Julianus, most noble Lord, consul [governor] of Campania. Carried out by Pontianus, most excellent Lord and
overseer of the said aqueduct.
The names of the towns are Puteoli, Napels, Nola, Atella, Cuma, Acerra, Baia and Misenum.
Translation: C.W. Passchier
As it reads in Italian:
I nostri Signori Flavio Costantino Massimo Pio Felice Vittore Augusto e i nobili figli di Cesare, Flavio Giulio Crispo e Flavio Claudio Costantino
ordinarono che fosse rifatto a loro spese, per la loro magnificenza, l'acquedotto della fonte augustea andato fuori uso per la lunga incuria
ed antichità e lo restituirono all'uso delle città sotto scritto; lo inaugurò Ceionio Iuliano, uomo illustrissimo, Consolare della Campania;
se ne occupè Ponziano, uomo perfettissimo, sovrintendente dello stesso acquedotto; i nomi delle città sono: Pozzuoli, Napoli, Nola, Atella,
Cuma, Acerra, Baia, Miseno.
Source: PhD-thesis dr. Angela Fusco (2013) pag 84-85 (paragraph 2.3.2)
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Baiae inscription
This inscription was found in 1977 in a Roman road tunnel that ran from Lake Lucrinus towards Baiae. It was monumental in character, with large letters cut in the tuff wall of the
tunnel so that they could be seen by those ascending from Lucrinus to Baiae. These letters were within a tabula pseudoansata almost a meter high and one and a half meters wide.
The inscription was above the entrance to a side-tunnel that was filled with earth after a few meters.
It reads:
HAVSTVS ADAPERT(us)
PERM[i]S(su) AC [cu]R(a)? D(ecimi) SAT[ri] RA[g]O
NIANI CVRATORIS AQVAE
AVGVSTAE III K(alendas) IANVARIAS
IVNIO BLAESIO SER(vio) LEN[tulo co(n)s(ulibus)]
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AE 1974, 266 = AE 1998, 366
Translation in English:
Access (to water) opened by permission and under the supervision (?) of Decimus Satrius Ragonianus, curator Aquae Augustae, on the third day before
the Kalends of January, while Junius Blaesius and Servius Lentulus were consuls.
The preservation and height of the inscription as well as conditions within the tunnel made reading of the inscription very difficult. This was particularly
the case for line two, especially the name of the curator.
The inscription closes by giving the date of the 30th of December, AD 10, making this curator the earliest attested municipal curator aquae/aquarum.
Text and translation: D. Keenan-Jones (2010)
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