Creative Commons licence Attribution 2.5 (
All reuse or distribution of this work must contain somewhere a link back to the URL
Originally published in
Fragment of a
First century B.C.; ave.
There is considerable variation in the horizontal spacing (e.g. in ll.18 and 28, in both of which the supplements seem certain, from 55 letters to 67 plus a stop); but the total line-length cannot be the only criterion for restoration, for although the spacing overall is variable, the variation in the number of letters within the short areas to be filled at the left-hand side cannot be so very great.
Above 1. 1 the bases of letters cut on the block above can be seen.
ll. 3, 10, and probably 12, 27, the penultimate letter of a word or syllable is so close to the right edge of the stone that the final letter must have been cut either on the adjoining block or at the beginning of the next line.
l.7 it is possible that there was an unfilled space at the right end of the line after ΤΟ but since this would impose τὸ ψήφισμα (or τὸ δόγμα) whereas l. 18 indicates that the ambassadors took more than one decree, the smooth surface is probably misleading
1. 29 the cutter has written Π for Γ and started ἕνεκεν but had no room to complete it.
[Decision of the koinon ; proposal] of the presidents and the secretary. Since, in view of the fact that the cities [and the nations are oppressed ?everywhere] by the publicans and the [ . . . ? . . .] that have come into being, and [have been reduced] to the utmost despair at the hands of some, the koinon of the Greeks met and unanimously decided, [? at a special session] in the city of Ephesos, to send ambassadors to [the Senate and] magistrates, chosen from among men of the first rank and the most highly honoured, to [? report to them] concerning the aforesaid matters and the other [? affairs of the koinon] and to beg them to assist and [? protect] the province [which is being ruined]; and given that among the ambassadors chosen were [Dionysios and Hier]okles, sons of Jason the son of Skymnos, Aphrodisians, who also [exercised] citizenship in Tralles, who were not in residence [? there], the presidents sent a letter [about these men] to the people of Aphrodisias and about their selection [to go as ambassadors] for the common good of the Greeks, [among whom] they had a reputation for excellence and glory, as the detailed [testimonials] in the letter despatched on account of them make clear ; [and so], since the men, [who were present] and called upon by the People in the assembly which was summoned, [agreed] to carry out the embassy, and in its course endured many [and considerable] dangers, delivered the decrees [to the Senate] and magistrates, waited constantly, on every [occasion], on the magistrates, were involved in many serious contests [on behalf of] the koinon of the Greeks and were present at all of them, carried out their embassy with success and good fortune, in a manner worthy of the koinon of the Greeks and of [their] own reputation, and successfully secured the most important interests of [all] the peoples and nations [in Asia] ; for these reasons [it was agreed] by the koinon of [the Greeks] in Asia to decree praise to the aforesaid men and to crown each of them with a golden [crown] in consideration of their courage and zeal [and to set up] also bronze statues of them among whatever people or nation they wish, carrying the [inscription] ‘The peoples of Asia and the nations honoured for their excellence Dionysios and Hierokles [sons of Jason] the son of Skymnos who have successfully secured the most important matters '.
For further detailed discussion of the text and of the content see
Transcription (Reynolds); publications.
Recorded by the NYU expedition in 1966 (
Published by
KTE