English: From Flickr. A 1st-century CE inscription showing a long i letter with an apex on top in the first word (dÍs mánibus), which is an uncommon feature of interest. Another point of interest is the apex on -áe- in práetor, probably reflecting a long open e, IPA [ɛː], after a monophthongization of the -ae- diphthong.

Description used by Flickr user Merryjack, who uploaded it on 2012-06-29, quoting a presentation by the University of Sydney, available here (a dead link at the time of this writing, 2021-03-03):

"50 Objects 50 Stories Exhibition

From the Bay of Naples, acquired by Sir Charles Nicholson from Joseph Di Crisco in Naples 1857 or 1858, marble 40 cm h. x 27cm w.

Roman funerary monument for a man named Gaius Gentius Valens. Made from dark grey limestone. The Latin inscription is complete and is enclosed within double lines, with letters of better form and more carefully cut than usual, though the last lines are cramped, making letters E, T, and I almost indistinguishable.

Notes Transcription (Turner, 2015) DIS MANIBUS C[AIO] GENTIO VALENTI MILITI EX CLASSE PRAETORIA[NA] MISE NENSE EX IIII MINER[VA] NATION[E] DALM[ATICA] VIX[IT] ANN[IS] XL IN HIS MIL[ITAVIT] ANN[IS] XIX HEREDES BENE MERITO

Translation (Turner, 2015) TO THE GUARDIAN SPIRITS OF THE UNDERWORLD FOR GAIUS GENTIUS VALENS A SAILOR IN THE PRAETORIAN FLEET AT MISENUM ON THE QUADRIREME ‘MINERVA’. FROM DALMATIA HE LIVED 40 YEARS AND SERVED ON THIS [SHIP] 19 YEARS.

This is the funerary relief of a sailor based at Misenum who sailed on the Minerva, a quadrireme in the Praetorian fleet. His name was Gaius Gentius VALENS and he came from Dalmatia on the east coast of the Adriatic. He was 40 years old when he died having served in the navy for 19 years. The inscription is undated however the honorific "Praetorian" was first given to the Misenum fleet in 69 AD.

Did Gaius sail with Pliny the Elder, Admiral of the Praetorian fleet, on 24 August 79 AD to rescue those trapped by the eruption of Vesuvius? Approaching Stabiae, the helmsman of Pliny's ship wanted to turn back, but the Admiral landed with the immortal words, Fortes fortuna juvat - '(the goddess) Fortuna favours the brave'. It didn't help. Overweight and in poor health, Pliny died on the beach, overcome by volcanic fumes."