1. <rs type="textType">Acclamation</rs>s for Albinos, <term lang="la">clarissimus</term>; 2. Acclamation for the city

Description of Monument

Nineteen out of an original twenty white marble columns, all on identical bases. The columns, 0.75 in diameter, are smooth to a height of 1.73, and fluted above. They are made in two sections; the join between the two is not always at the same point, being sometimes below, and sometimes above the line where the fluting begins, but the overall effect is uniform and elegant.

Description of Text

Each of the surviving columns bears an inscription, cut just below the fluting, at a distance varying from 0.3 to 0.05, on the west face of the column. The inscriptions were, therefore, on the face sheltered by the roof of the portico, and have preserved traces of red paint in the letters. They form a series to be read from left to right—that is, from north to south. They were probably carved in that order; the lettering is at its most formal at the northern end of the portico, and becomes more cursive towards the south

Description of Letters

The letters are clearly cut, with deep triangular trenches. They vary substantially in size—mostly between 0.04 and 0.07, but occasionally 0.03 to 0.09—and in form, with both square and lunate versions of alpha, delta, epsilon, mu and omega. Scroll for abbreviation in ix, xiii, xvi, xvii, xx; letter above line in v.

Shallow lettering, 0.035 - 0.05.

Date

Sixth century A.D. (lettering)

Edition

εἰς τὸν κόσμονὅλον εἷς ὁ θεός.

πολλὰ τὰἔτη τῶνβασιλέων

πολλὰ τὰἔτη τῶνἐπάρχων

πολλὰ τὰἔτη τῆςσυνκλήτου

πολλὰ τὰἔτη τῆςμητροπόλεως

περδε Ἀλβῖνεαὔξι ὁ κτίστης τῆς στοᾶς

φιλόπατρεικύρι διαμίνης ἡμῖν

The surface is worn, and the upper edge is chipped. τὰ σὰ κτίσματααἰωνία ὑπόμνησιςἈλβῖνε φιλοκτίστα

This inscription has been almost entirely erased by a large cavity cut into the column, almost certainly intended to lodge one end of a beam; this was presumably done at a time when the portico had fallen into partial disrepair, and was being occupied by squatters.ιτιζασσημογοιονἈλβῖνε λαμπρότατε.

περδεἈλβῖνε ηδετί ἐχαρίσω.

ὅλη ἡ πόλις τοῦτο λέγι· τοὺς ἐχθρούςσου τῷ ποταμῷ.ὁ μέγας θεὸς τοῦτο παράσχῃ.

This column is lost; but there can be no doubt that it was inscribed.

The inscription on this column is divided by the join between the upper and lower sections of the column. Since my first publication of the texts in 1984, the upper section of the column has been moved, revealing the whole of the first line. The lower part was copied by Mendel, and published by Grégoire under IGC 274; he seems to have assumed that it was on the same stone as iv. αὔξι Ἀλβῖνοςὁ λανπρότατος τῇ συνκλήτῳ.

As in xiii, the inscription spanned the join between the upper and lower sections of the column; the upper section is now lost, and may have contained a further line, although what remains makes sense as it stands. Immediately below the inscription is a small naked female figure—perhaps Tyche?; compare 83.xx. ὁ φθόνος τύχην οὐ νικᾷ.

This inscription also spans the join between the upper and lower sections of the column, both of which survive. αὔξι Ἀλβῖνοςὁ κτίστης καὶ τούτουτοῦ ἔργου.

The surface is chipped below, at the left. χρήματα παρίδεςκαὶ δόξαν ἐκτήσωἈλβῖνε λανπρότατε

ἐκ προγόνωνφιλόπατρι Ἀλβῖνελανπρότατε ἄφθονά σοι γένοιτο

The column is cracked, and the surface broken away at the left. κτίσμα πόλι παρέχωνκαὶ ἐν τούτῳ εὐφημῖτε

τοῖς κτίσμασίν σουτὴν πόλιν ἐφέδρυναςἈλβῖνε φιλόπατρι

The column is cracked, and parts of the surface are lost. ἡ πόλις ὅλη ὁμοφώνωςεὐφημήσασα λέγι· ὁ σοῦληθαργῶν, Ἀλβῖνε λανπρότατε θεὸν οὐκ οἶδενImmediately below and to the left is a small seated male figure, holding something in each hand; above this, in small letters, is inscribedπάπααι

Some way below this is cut a further inscription, in shallow lettering, apparently different from that of 83.xx. νικᾷ ἡ τύχη τῆς πόλεως

Apparatus

1. iv and xiii Grégoire wrote συγκλήτου, συγκλήτῳ; his copy of xiii from Mendel had ΛΑΝΤΡ.

1. viii: l.1, where Fellows saw some traces of letters, was omitted by Reinach.

1. xix: l.2, the Ο of πόλιν is written above the Π.

Translation

1. i. God is one, for the whole world!

ii. Many years for the emperors!

iii. Many years for the eparchs!

iv. Many years for the Senate!

v. Many years for the metropolis!

vi. PERDE Albinos - up with the builder of the stoa!

vii. Lord, lover of your country, remain for us!

viii. Your buildings are an eternal reminder, Albinos, you who love to build.

ix. Albinos clarissimus.

x. PERDE Albinos, behold what you have given!

xi. The whole city says this: 'Your enemies to the river! May the great God provide this!'

xii. is lost.

xiii. Up with Albinos clarissimus, to the Senate!

xiv. envy does not vanquish fortune.

xv. Up with Albinos, the builder of this work also!

xvi. You have disregarded wealth and obtained glory, Albinos clarissimus.

xvii. Albinos clarissimus, like your ancestors a lover of your country. may you receive plenty.

xviii. Providing a building for the city, he is acclaimed in it also.

xix. With your buildings you have made the city brilliant, Albinos, lover of your country.

xx. The whole city, having acclaimed you with one voice, says: 'He who forgets you, Albinos clarissimus, does not know God.'

2. The fortune of the city triumphs!

Commentary

For Albinos see also 4.20 and discussion at VI.6.

Locations

Found: South Agora: west portico: i: 'Galerie de l'Est (partie Nord). iv: 'Galerie de l'Est (partie Nord)' Boulanger; xiii: 'Galerie de l'Est: plus à l'Est' (than 4.10 =ALA 26) (Boulanger).. Original location: Findspot. Last recorded location: Findspot (re-erected)..

History of Recording

i Excavated by Mendel in 1905; copied by Boulanger (notebook A, 61, no. 20, whence B, 13, no 13). iv Excavated by Mendel in 1905; copied by Boulanger (notebook A, 61, no. 19, whence B, 13, no 12); viii copied by Fellows, recorded by Gaudin (33); xi: First letters of ll. 1 and 2 uncovered by Mendel and copied by Boulanger, (notebook A, 60, no. 25; not transcribed in B); xiii Lines 2-3 Copied by Mendel in 1905; by Boulanger in 1913 (Notebook A, p.53, no. 3). All recorded by the NYU expedition.

Bibliography

i, iv published from Mendel by Grégoire, IGC 271, 274, whence i published by Peterson, 78 no. 4; viii published by Fellows, no. 63, whence CIG 2809b (p. 1112); by Reinach, no. 212, from Gaudin, whence Grégoire, IGC 273. 83, i-xx, and 84 published by Roueché, (1984), 191-3 nos. 1-20, whence SEG 1984.1046-1065, BE 1987.466; An.Ép. 1984.883; republished by Roueché, Aphrodisias in Late Antiquity nos. 83.i-xx, 84 whence McCabe PHI Aphrodisias 656, 845-862, 864; vi and vii discussed by Daniel, ZPE 61, 1985, 127-130; vi by D. Bain, 'Six Greek verbs of sexual congress', CQ 41 (1991), 51-77, 53; vi, vii, x, xi cited in Steinepigramme 02/09/01.

Text Constituted From

Publications; Boulanger notebooks; transcription (Roueché).

Photographs

View (1992)

i. re-erected (1992)

i. Detail (1977)

ii. re-erected (1992)

ii. Detail (1973)

iii. re-erected (1992)

iii. Detail (1973)

iv re-erected (1992)

iv. Detail (1976)

v. re-erected (1992)

v. Detail (1973)

vi. re-erected (1992)

vi. Detail (1973)

vii. re-erected (1992)

vii. Detail (1976)

viii. re-erected (1992)

viii. Detail (1976)

ix. Detail (1973)

x. re-erected (1992)

x. Face (1976)

x. Detail (1975)

xi. re-erected (1992)

xi. Detail (1976)

xiii. re-erected (1992)

xiii. Assembled (1985)

xiv. re-erected (1992)

xiv. Detail (1973)

xv. re-erected (1992)

xv. Lower part: Detail (1975)

xv. Upper part: Detail (1975)

xvi. re-erected (1992)

xvi. Detail (1975)

xvii. re-erected (1992)

xvii. Detail (1975)

xviii. re-erected (1992)

xviii. Detail (1975)

xix. re-erected (1992)

xix. Detail (1975)

xx. re-erected (1992)

xx. View (1973)

xx. Detail (1975)

84. View (1972)

84. View (1973)

Representations

i. & iv. Transcription by Boulanger, Notebook A, page 61

xiii Lower part: Transcription by Boulanger, Notebook A, Page 51