The Verulamium Basilica inscription

Archaeology (Verulamium Museum)

The Verulamium Basilica inscription, reconstructed from fragments of the original which were found under St Michael's School playground in the 1950s. It is written in a shortened form of Latin and is likely to have read: "TO THE EMPEROR TITUS CAESAR VESPASIAN, CHIEF PRIEST, HOLDING THE POWER OF A TRIBUNE FOR THE NINTH TIME, DECLARED COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF FOR TEH FIFTEENTH TIME, HOLDING THE OFFICE OF CONSUL FOR THE SEVENTH TIME, AND CONSUL ELECT FOR THE EIGHTH TIME, WITH THE TITLE OF 'CENSOR' AND 'FATHER OF HIS COUNTRY'; AND TO CAESAR DOMITIAN, SON OF THE DEIFIED VESPASIAN, HOLDING THE OFFICE OF CONSUL FOR THE SIXTH TIME AND CONSUL ELECT FOR THE SEVENTH TIME, LEADER OF YOUTH AND MEMBER OF ALL COLLEGES OF PRIESTS. DURING THE GOVERNORSHIP OF GNAEUS JULIUS AGRICOLA, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE EMPEROR AND WITH THE RANK OF PRAETOR. THE MUNICIPIUM OF VERULAMIUM [SET THIS UP TO THE EMPEROR] ON THE COMPLETION OF THE BASILICA." The basilica was an enormous hall over 106m (350 feet) long - the size of a cathedral - and would have dominated Roman Verulamium. It served as a town hall, religious centre and law court.

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Amy Cooke

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