'Ε&piι Φλ(αουιου) Δημαρχου του με-
        γαλοπρεστατου και ευδο -
        χι&muωτατου αρχοντος εγε -
4.     νετο η προτου θεατρου
        πλαχωσις εως της προτε -
        ρας πλαχοσ(εως) επιμελ(εια) 'Αβρα -
        αμιου Ζηνοβιου πολιτ(ου)
8.     εν ετ(ε)ι            ΤΜΘ

Avraham Negev

During the governorship of the most magnificent and most glorious Flavius Demarchus was made the pavement of the old theatre, up to the old pavement, by the charge of the citizen Abraamius son of Zenobius. In year 349.

Year 349 A.E. = A.D. 454/5.

Nicholas Zachary

In the time of Mayor Flavius, the most magnificent and most glorius governor, was made the pavement in front of the theatre, up to the old pavement, by the charge of Abraamius Zenobius, Citizen. In year 349.

According to Mr. Zachary (a Greek resident of Starkville, Mississippi in 1980), Demarchus means Mayor. "Every Greek town has one." Demarchus can also be translated as tribune. To this writer, tribune seems to fit the text better. Professor Negev says that the title μεγαλοπρεστατου (magnificentissimus), used in respect to Flavius Demarchus, was given to officials of the highest rank. (1) Page 74.

Zenobius, a native of Elusa and renowned teacher of rhetoric in Antioch, Syria, died in Antioch in A.D. 355. The plaque dates from A.D. 454/455. According to Professor Negev, those two facts allow us to speculate that the pavement mentioned was laid to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of Zenobius.

Here is a site map of Elusa showing where the plaque was found. The map is a tracing from an aerial photograph. (The scale is approximate.) 1980 excavation areas are shown in green. Camp facilities (cleared out ruins) are shown in orange. [Added 7 Feb 2012.]