THE 



PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS 



OF THE 



ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON; 



ABRIDGED, 



Remarks by Mr. John fVard, F. R. S. on an Ancient Roman Inscription, in the 

 Possession of Richard Rawlinson, LL. D., F. R. S. found in that part of 

 Italy which formerly belonged to the Sabines. N° 494, p. 293. 



This inscription is cut in a small brass plate. Tlie words of the inscription, 

 as they stand on the plate, with some account how and where it was found, were 

 formerly published by Fabretti. They are as follow: 



FLORAE 



•ti plavtivs drosvs 



MAG II 

 V. S. L. M. 



The plate, and the inscription on it, so exactly agree with this account of Fa- 

 bretti, as to leave no doubt of their being the same with those described by him. 

 The present possessor of the plate purchased it at Rome, in Jan. 1720, n. s. 

 At which time a small brass label was fixed to it, containing the following words 

 cut in capital letters, ex regiis Christina thesavris. 



The words of the inscription may be read at length, with the proper supple- 

 ments, in the following manner: 



Florae Tiberius Plautius Drosus, pagi magister anni secundi, votum solvit 

 libens merito. 



The goddess Flora was thought by the Romans to preside over fields and trees, 

 and therefore they addressed to her to favour them with prosperous and fruitful 

 seasons. It appears from passages of Varro, referred to by Fabretti, that she 

 was first a Sabine deity, and introduced at Rome by king Tatius in the time of 

 Romulus, many ages before the institution of the Floralia. For that festival was 

 not observed till the year of the city 513, when the expence of it was ordered 



VOL. x. B 



