Description of Monument

White marble statue base shaft, with moulded panels on all four sides, the moulding extensively damaged, broken at the back (0.52 × 1.24 × 0.49). There is a clamp-hole on the top, and a groove down the left side.

Description of Text

Inscribed on the front panel (die, 0.35 × 1.075). The text must have begun on a crowning feature, now lost.

Letters

0.025; ligatures ΤΗΝ, l.7; ΗΝ, l.9; ΤΗ, l.12. apices on first Ι, l.7, second Ε, l.11.

Date

Third century A.D. (nomenclature).

Edition ἡ βουλὴ καὶ ὁ δῆμος ἐτείμησαν Αὐρηλίαν Ἀπφίαν Ἐπικτή του τοῦ Τειθω νου τοῦ Ἑρμογέ νους τοῦ Ζήνω νος Γανυμή δους τὴν ἱέρειαν τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος ἐπὶ τῇ περὶ τὴν θεὸν ἐξαιρέτῳ θρησκείᾳ καὶ ἐ πὶ τῇ τοῦ βίου σε μνῇ τε καὶ ἀγα θῃ προαιρέσει

Apparatus

The first line must have been cut on an upper moulding.

Translation

The council and the people honoured Aurelia Apphia daughter of Epiktetos Ganymedes son of Teuthonos son of Hermogenes son of Zenon, priestess of Artemis, for her outstanding conduct of the cult and for the distinguished and good way of life.

Commentary

The layout of the text, which leaves a large area of the inscribed panel vacant, suggests that the base was not originally designed for this text and that the cutter was not a very skilful workman (although his letters are quite well-designed his detailed spacing is uneven).

We can only guess at the description of those who conferred the honour, but what is proposed is likely enough. There may also have been some statement of the type of honours conferred (e.g. great, greatest, first) taking up a second line on the moulding.

The honourand belonged to a family which in all probability only received Roman citizenship in the third century A.D., clearly as a result of the Edict of Caracalla (211/2); but it appears that this is true of a number of comparatively important Aphrodisians. Although several of the names borne by her ancestors are common enough in the city, none can be identified at present. It appears that she belonged to the first generation of Roman citizens in her family, so that the date should be comparatively soon after 211/2.

An important cult of Artemis at Aphrodisias is also attested in 12.609 where the eminence of the priestess (another Apphia but that is a very common name) is clear since she was also a high priestess of the imperial cult.

Locations

Unknown Temple/Church: re-used in the north side of the chancel-barrier rail, at east end. Findspot (1994)

Text Constituted From

Transcription (Reynolds).

History of Recording

Excavated by the NYU expedition (Temple 14; SBI 92).

Bibliography

Unpublished.

Photographs

Face (1976)

Top (1994)

Left side (1994)