nouom: although the last
two letters of the word are somewhat abraded and may be obscured by dirt, the
penultimate looks much more like o than u. The word
is an insertion above the line. See Adams (1994).
faustum: despite
the loss of the bottoms of letters, the reading is not in doubt. The phrase is
formulaic and is frequently found on lamps and containers, see CIL 2.4969.3,
annum nouum faustum felicem mih(i) hu[n]c (inscribed lamp; for
tibi see e.g. CIL 10.8053.5.i) and cf. Seneca, Ep. 87.3.
Flavianus' letter presumably contained a verb in the lost portion, cf. perhaps
Fronto, ad M.Caes. 5.45 (Teubner ed., p.77), annum nouum
faustum tibi et ad omnia, quae recte cupis, prosperum cum tibi tum domino
nostro patri tuo et matri et uxori et filiae ceterisque omnibus, quos merito
diligis, precor.