38. 39. & 40. Verse honours for Ampelius, father of the city, and Dulcitius, governor, on the Agora Gate

Description of Monument

'Agora Gate', at the east end of the South Agora.

Description of texts: Nos, 38, 39 and 40 are all cut, clearly set out as a group, on the façade, on the highest remaining course of blocks, which was capped above by a moulded course. 38 is cut on the northernmost of a series of projecting bastions; 39 is on the next bastion to the south, whose surface is largely lost; three loose fragments were found in 1983. The third bastion shows no sign of any inscription; 40 is cut on the fourth. 38 and 39 are on a smooth face, but 40 is cut partly on a rough surface.

Description of Letters

The lettering of all three is elongated, elegant and lunate, but the scripts are all slightly different. 38: av. 0.04; 39: 0.055-0.06, with traces of red paint in letters; 40: 0.04-0.05, phi 0.09, with traces of red paint in letters.

Date

Mid fifth century (titulature).

Edition

ἴδμονι θεσμοσύνης γλυκερῷ γενετῆρι τιθήνης Ἀμπελίῳ Νύμφαι χάριν ἴσχομεν οὕνεκα θάμβος χώρῳ φυνικόεντι καὶ ἀγλαὸν ὤπασε κάλλος ὄφρα καὶ ἡμετέροις τις ἐν ὕδασιν ὄμμα τιταίνων αὐτὸν ἀεὶ καὶ χῶρον ὁμοῦ Νύμφας τε λιγαίνοι. Τραλλιανὸς ῥητὴρ τάδ' ἐγράψατο Πυθιόδωρος.

καὶ τόδε Νυμφάων τέμενος κλ ἔγειρε Δουλκίτιος κτίστης τῆς Ἀφροδισιάδος οὐδὲν φεισάμενος πλούτου δόξης χάριν ἐσθλῆς· ἥδε γὰρ ἀίδιον μνῆμα βροτοῖσιν πέλει.

τὸν καὶ ἀγωνοθέτην καὶ κτίστην καὶ φιλότιμον καὶ Μαιουμάρχην Δουλκίτιον, ξεῖνε, μέλπε τὸν ἡγεμόνα ὅστις κἀμὲ καμοῦξαν ἀμετρήτοις ἐνιαυτοῖς ἤγειρεν κρατερὴν χεῖρ' ἐπορεξάμενος.

Apparatus

39: l.1: Νυμφάων τέμενος cj. Feissel

l.2: The initial Α in Ἀφροδισίαδος is written Λ. and the remaining traces of the first Ο look more like an Α.

l. 3: φεισάμενος conjectured by Merkelbach

l. 4: ἀίδιον conjectured by Merkelbach

Translation

38: To Ampelius, learned in law, sweet father of his motherland, we Nymphs are grateful, because he gave wonder and splendid beauty to this place of palms, so that anyone who, among our waters, turns his glance around, may always sing the praise both of him, and of the place, and of the Nymphs as well. Pythiodorus, the speaker from Tralles, wrote this.

39: Dulcitius, founder of Aphrodisias, raised up this work also ; he was unsparing of wealth for the sake of good reputation, which is a permanent memorial for mortals.

40: Stranger, sing of Dulcitius, the governor, giver of games and founder and lover of honour and Maioumarch, who, stretching out his strong hand, raised me too, who had suffered for unnumbered years.

Commentary

See discussion at IV.19.

For Ampelius, see also 42, 43, 44 and list of local officials Ampelius.

For Dulcitius, see also 41 and List of Governors, Dulcitius.

Found

Agora Gate: on the façade, and three further loose fragments fallen from it; see plan 2.

Original Location

Findspot.

Last Recorded Location

Findspot.

History of Recording

Excavated in 1980 by the NYU expedition (80.28, 29 and 53).

Bibliography

Published by Roueché, Aphrodisias in Late Antiquity nos. 38, 39, 40 and plates x and xi, whence PHI 714, 704, 717, Steinepigramme 02/09/03, 02/09/08, 02/09/07; 40 republished by Roueché, PPA 65 whence Mentzou-Meimares BZ 89 (1996), 58-73, whence SEG 1996.1395.

Text Constituted From

Transcription (Roueché).

Photographs

38, 39, 40: View (1980)

38: Face (1980)

39: Main text (1980)

39 Upper left fragment (1983)

39: Fragment. lines 1-3 (1983)

39: Fragment, line 4 (1983)

40: Face (1980)

Category of Text

honours verse

Category of Monument

monumental façade.