LONGINVS
TRIB[VNVS]
To Fortune
Sacred
Valerius
Longinus
Tribune.
The altar, when in its original position, was raised by means of two courses of masonry considerably above the level of the ground. The object of the second focus is a matter of conjecture. According to the grammarians, altare (alta ara, high altar) was dedicated only to the gods above, whilst the ara was both lower, and employed in sacrificing to the gods below as well as those above. Can Fortune have been viewed in the double capacity of a superior and inferior divinity, and can the tribune, Valerius Longinus, have sought to secure the favour of the powerful deity both in this life and the one to come!
