187 - Roman Sandstone Altar for the God Serapis by Gaius Petronius Paetus. Excessively Rare Antiquity

Roman Sandstone Altar for the God Serapis by Gaius Petronius Paetus. Excessively Rare Antiquity 2nd century A.D. Rectangular in profile with stepped base and capital; dished socket to the upper face; incised rectangular panel to obverse with six lines of inscription in sans-serif capitals: 'SERAPI DEO / MAGNO / SACRVM / C. PETRONVS / C. F. VEL / PAETUS' (Sacred to the great god Serapis, G(aius) Petron(i)us Paetus, son of Gaius, (enrolled in the) tribus Velina). Britannia Vol.XXXI, (2000: 448-9) fig.14, plate XXIV. 9.1 kg, 26.5 cm (10 1/2 in.). [No Reserve] Acquired at auction in London, December 1993. From the private collection of Peter Clayton, FCILIP, Dip, Arch, FSA, FRNS, Hemel Hempstead, Hampshire, UK; formed since the 1950s. Accompanied by copies of Roger Tomalin's article in Britannia, in which this altar is published. Accompanied by an old handwritten information card by Peter Clayton. When the Britannia article was published in 2000, there was only one other dedication to the god Serapis known from Britain, found at York (p.448). Meanwhile, the Roman Inscriptions of Britain database records five entries. The altar was said to have been found in Yorkshire, although this is disputed. The dedicant possessed Roman citizenship, and he provides his name on this altar with all elements like praenomen, filiation, and tribus. This onomastic observation points to the end of the first century or the first half of the second century A.D. TimeLine Auctions follows a rigorous vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists. See our website for more information.