Roman Engraving Discovered in Bulgaria

PLOVDIV, BULGARIA—A stone engraved with an inscription praising Diocletian, who was Roman emperor from A.D. 284 to 305, has been unearthed in Plovdiv, according to a report in the Sofia Globe. Archaeologist Elena Bozhinova of Plovdiv’s Regional Archaeological Museum said the stone, which was recycled during the medieval period, may have been part of a massive pedestal for an equestrian statue of the ruler. A preliminary translation of the inscription reads: “To our master, the most devout Gaius Valerius Diocletianus, a happy, invincible Augustus. Dedicated by the sublime Emilius Alexander, governor of the province of Thrace, devoted to his divinity.” To read about another discovery in Bulgaria, go to “A Final Journey by Horse.”