To the north of the east part of the north mole is Monte Arena, apparently a large deposit of sand. To this deposit an inscription has been linked that was found in 1959 directly to the north, re-used in a late tomb. It carries the date September 17 210 AD. It stipulates where the saborrarii, dredgers, were allowed to take away sand. The sand could have been used as ballast for ships. The guild (corpus saburrariorum) is mentioned in two other inscriptions from Portus, one a dedication to Marcus Aurelius from 156 AD (EDR150002 and EDR150003).
SICVT CORAM PRAECEPIT
V(ir) P(erfectissimus) MESSIVS EXTRICATVS
PRAEF(ectus) ANN(onae) TITVLVS PONETVR
QVI DEMONSTRET EX QVO LOCI
IN QVEM LOCVM SABORRARIIS
SABORRAM TOLLERE LICEAT FACTVM
AVTEM OPVS EST VT IDEM TITVLO
RETRO OMNIVM PRAEFECTORVM
LITTERAE INSTRVANTVR QVIBVS
DE PODISMO EST STATVTVM QVIBVSQVE
SVAM AVCTORITATEM IDEM V(ir) P(erfectissimus)
MANERE PRAECEPIT TITVLVS
SCRIBTVS PER
IVLIVM MATERNVM
C(enturionem) FR(umentarium) XV KAL(endas) OCTOBR(es)
FAVSTINO ET RVFINO CO(n)S(ulibus)
CVRA(m) AGENTE M(arco) VARGVNTEIO
VICTORE
As Messius Extricatus, most excellent man,
prefect of the food supply, publicly ordered,
an inscription should be placed
indicating from where and
up to where the dredgers
will be allowed to take the sand.
On the other hand, in the inscription must appear,
of all the previous prefects,
the provisions with which
the foot-measures were established, and
ordered by the same most excellent man
to remain in force.
The inscription was composed by
Iulius Maternus,
grain centurion, 15 days before the kalends of October,
under the consuls Faustinus and Rufinus.
Executor was M. Vargunteius
Victor.EDR076710. Plaster cast in the Museo delle Navi, Fiumicino. Photo: Maurizio Milana.
