Roccagiovine Inscription Enlarged
Lucas Holstensius (1596-1661) first drew attention to this inscription in the seventeenth century in a posthumous publication. He saw that it might help locate the site of Horace's villa in the vicinity of Roccagiovine, since he apparently remembered that the first century B.C. antiquarian, Varro, equated the Roman goddess Victoria with the Sabine goddess Vacuna, near whose shrine Horace suggests that his estate is located. See L. Holstenius, Annotationes in Geographiam sacram Caroli a S. Paulo, Italiam antiquam Cluuerii, et Thesaurum geographicum Ortelii: quibus accedit Dissertatio duplex de sacramento confirmationis apud graecos (Rome 1666) 106: "Pag. 672 lin. 38 post Fanum putre Vacunae] Rocca giovane locus nunc dicitur. Name isthic Vespasianus Imperator Victoriae Templum vetustate collapsum restituit, ut testatur vetus lapis ibidem repertus."
The text and translation of the inscription follow:
Imp[erator] Caesar Vespasianus Aug[ustus] Pontifex Maximus Trib[uniciae] Potestatis Censor Aedem Victoriae [Vestust]ate Dilapsam Sua Impensa Restituit |
The Emperor Caesar Vespasian Augustus, Chief Pontiff, holding tribunician power, Censor, at his own expense restored the temple of Victory, which had decayed with age. |
