Abstract:

This study presents a formal analysis and a proposed catalogue of the thirty-two plinths and two crowns identified in the city of Tarraco. Both elements were part of the tripartite honorific pedestal, a mass-produced epigraphic support that originated within the framework of the imperial cult reform under the rule of Vespasian, conceived as a standardised base for the bronze statues of the outgoing flamines provinciales. In the sections that follow, we define the plinths and crowns documented in the city, outlining their shape, dimensions, mouldings and material. We also present a preliminary catalogue of these elements which, despite the significance of this type of honorary monument in the city of Tarraco, have gone largely unnoticed in the otherwise thorough studies of the city’s epigraphy. The analysis conducted has enabled the identification of two recurring moulding groups among the plinths, as well as the establishment of a single grou- ping of the crowns. In addition, the examination of the blocks has led to the identification of four fragments which, due to their state of preservation and moulding profiles, may be interpreted either as plinths or crowns. The primary aim of this article is to provide a systematic foundation for future research through the consolidation, in a single publication, of all known plinths and crowns from Tarraco to date, accompanied by a preliminary typological analysis and a proposed classification based on their mouldings.