To Jupiter, Best and Greatest !

We visited the Roman museum at Maryport, at the site of the fort guarding the coast south of the Solway end of Hadrian's Wall.

Their main collection consists of 17 Altars found on the site of the fort there. Each year at the start of January a dedication ceremony to Jupiter took place to ensure good luck for the commander and unit for the following year.

This photo is a typical example.
It translates as follows:

I (ovi) = To Jupiter
O (ptimo) = Best
M (aximo) = Greatest

COH (ors) 1 = the First Cohort
HISP (anorum) = of Spaniards
EQ (uitata) = part mounted
CVI PRAEEST = commanded by
L(ucius) ANTISTIVS = Lucius Antistius Lupus Verianus
L(uci) F (ilius) = son of Lucius
QVIRINA (tribu) LVPVS = citizen in the Quirina voting list
VERIANUS PRAEF (ectus) = prefect
DOMV SICCA EX AFRICA = from SICCA in Africa
(Posuit) = set this up.

The engraving / carving looked a bit amateurish and was done by soldiers in the units who were allowed relief from menial duties if they acquired a skill useful to the unit.

It was probably a case of the Centurian saying 'come on Marcus it's that Jupiter ceremony coming up again in a week, can you knock us up another altar?'.

I found it fascinating to think that our lettering is largely unchanged from what the Romans gave us 2000 years ago.