Description of Monument

Front of a white marble garland sarcophagus (2.27 × 0.96 × 0.09) damaged to the left and at the top along the edge, broken away at right. For description see Isik 100.

Description of Text

ll. 1-8 cut on the upper part of the front of the sarcophagus, avoiding the decorative features, except that l. 8 impinges on the upper moulding of the tabella; ll. 9-20 within the tabella. The text probably began on the lid.

Letters

Neatly designed, cut and aligned, in the second-to-fourth-century style, without any exaggerated features, ll. 1-10, 0.03; ll. 11-12, 0.025; ligatured ΜΕ (l.6), ΝΕ (l.11), ΝΗ (ll.1, 20), ΝΤ (l.14), ΤΕ (l.4, twice), ΤΗ (l.15). Star for denarius; small slanting stroke before the figure.

Date

Probably second to early third centuries (lettering, spelling)

Edition μιοανειιερασ Οεσομένων ἐν ᾗ σορῷ κηδευθήσεται αὐτὸς οὐδε νὶ δὲἔξεσ ται ἀπαλλο τριῶσαι το ῦτο τὸ ἡρῶον ἢ μέρ ος τι ἀπ' α ὐτοῦ οὐ τὲ διὰ συνχωρή σεως οὐτὲ δι' ἑτέρας τι νος οἰκονομίας τρό πῳ οὐδ ενὶ οὐδ ὲ ἐκθάψαι τινὰ τ ῶν ἐν ταφησο μένων ἔσ τω ἀσεβὴς καὶ ἐπ άρατος καὶ τυμβορύχο ς καὶ προσἀποτε ι σάτω ἱερὰ θεᾷ Ἀφροδείτῃ εἰς τειμὰς τῶν Σεβαστῶν δηνάρια Ϛ καὶ οὐδὲν ἥττον μένει πᾶν τὸ ἡρῶον τοῦ γένους ἀνεξαλλοτριωτὸν εἰς τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον τῆς ἐπιγραφῆς ἀπέτεθη ἀντίγραφον εἰς τὸ χρεοφυλακιον ἐπὶ στεφανηφόρου Ὑψικλέους τοῦ Κάστορος

Apparatus

l. 2, συγχώρησις appears in a number of funerary texts (e.g. 11.32=MAMA 537) and Cormack was probably right to restore it here, although when a verb is used παραχωρέω seems to be preferred at Aphrodisias

l. 6, ἐπεί has been inserted between the lines; it is possible that a longer formula has been omitted

Translation

- - - ] in which sarcophagus he himself [name] shall be buried but no one shall have the right to alienate this heroon (tomb) nor any part of it either by concession or by any other procedure in any way, nor to remove anyone of those who shall be buried in it; for (whoever does so) is to be (considered) sacrilegious and accursed and a tomb-breaker and [in addition] is to pay 6000 denarii (to be) sacred to the goddess Aphrodite, with a view to (erection of) statues of the Augusti; and none the less the whole heroon of the family will remain unalienated for all time. A copy of the inscribed text was deposited in the civic archive in the stephanephorate of Hypsicles son of Castor [in the month ...]

Commentary

This tomb, which is (or is to become) a heroon (a place for cult of the heroised dead) clearly comprised a number of burial places which may explain the comparatively large funerary fine. The sarcophagus was probably reserved for the owner since the space is rather small for another name at the end of l. 1.

The family was probably a notable one, since the text is comparatively unusual (a) in laying more stress on alienation of the tomb than on unauthorised burial or removal of bodies, but see also nos. 13.151 (=Isik 162), 11.52 (=Isik 187), 12.1108 (=MAMA 545) and 12.1107 (=MAMA 554); (b) in specifying that the fine is to provide statues of the emperors, but see also 13.156 (=MAMA 565); (c) in omitting reference to a payment to the successful prosecutor, but for another omission, partially remedied, see l. 6; (d) in introducing the concept of the heroisation of the dead, but see also 11.52 (=Isik 187) and 12.1108 (=MAMA 545).

The stephanephoros is not otherwise attested at present.

Locations

Bouleuterion/Odeon, North Area: NE Odeon, 73c Unknown Museum

Text Constituted From

Transcription (Reynolds)

History of Recording

Excavated by the NYU expedition in 1973 (73.266)

Bibliography

Published by Isik and Reynolds, no. 100

Photographs

Face (1973)