One of the honours most sought after by the civic elites was the award by the municipal curia of a public space in which to put up a statue for prominent members of the community. The donors of the statues were usually the honourees themselves or their close relatives. It was common for the donors to provide the funds needed to pay for the statues, and this was clearly stated in many of the inscriptions on the statue pedestals.

Donors sought to have a monument to raise their own and their family’s standing in the eyes of other townspeople and to be remembered by future generations.

These monuments were usually placed in the most iconic sites in public spaces, especially in the forum near the monuments to divinities and emperors.

None of the statues which once adorned the city have been recovered in Tortosa, although several pedestals with their dedications have been found.

L(ucio)·MVNNIO·L(uci)·F(ilio)

GAL(eria)·PLACIDO

II·VIR(o)·FLAMINI

ROM(ae)·ET·AVG(usti)

L(ucius)·MVNNIVS

PLACIDVS·EX

TEST(amento)·PATRIS

To Luci Muni Placidus, son of Luci, of the Galeria Tribe, duumvir, flamen of Rome and of Augustus. Lucius M. Placidus (his son) erected this stone by testamentary disposition of his parents.

 

Sandstone pedestal with an inscription dedicated to Lucius Muni-Placidus, a municipal magistrate.

This inscription was found in 1900 during excavations near the cathedral.

Dated to the 2nd century CE.

C(aio)· CASSIO ·C(ai) ·F(ilio)

GAL(eria) ·NIGRO

C(aius)· CASSIVS ·AVITVS

PATRI· OMNIBVS

HONORIBVS

FVNCTO· DE ·SVA

PECVNIA

POSVIT

To Gai Cassi Niger, son of Cassi, of the Galeria tribe, having completed all the magistracies. Gai Cassi Avit has erected this monument to his father with his money.

‘Broccatello’ limestone pedestal with an inscription dedicated to Caio Cassio Nigro, a municipal magistrate.

This inscription comes from the now defunct Sant Nicolau church in Tortosa’s Remolins district. Reused as a building component.

Dated to between the 1st and 2nd centuries CE.