Reviziono čitanje natpisa koji je res publica Aqu(a)e posvetila Dioklecijanu
A Revised Reading of the Inscription Dedicated by the Res Publica Aquarum to Diocletian

Summary/Abstract: This paper presents a revised reading of the inscription dedicated by the res publica Aquarum to Emperor Diocletian. The analysis focuses on the problematic letter /S.../, found after the name Aqu(a)e, which has long raised questions regarding the possible epithet of the city. Earlier hypotheses included Aquae Sulphurae, Aquae Sulfuratae, Aquae Sanae, or Aquae Silviae. A recent proposal, S(plendidissimus ordo), is critically evaluated and dismissed due to epigraphic and syntactic inconsistencies. Instead, the study argues for the reconstruction S(plendidissima), a common honorary epithet in Roman municipal and colonial titulature, attested in parallels from Italica, Tipasa, and Carthage. Such a formula highlights prestige and loyalty rather than constituting a fixed part of the toponym. The comparison with the Krivoglavci inscription (M.AQ) further confirms that Aqu(a)e functioned independently as the city’s name. Thus, the reading res publica Aquarum splendidissima aligns with the widespread imperial practice of emphasizing symbolic honorifics at a time when municipal autonomy was steadily declining, while also suggesting the context of Diocletian’s building and renovation programs.

• Details
• Contents