<rs type="textType">Subscript</rs> of Octavian (?)/Augustus to Samos

Joyce M. Reynolds1982

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Originally published in Reynolds (1982).

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Description of Monument

Archive wall, column 4, second course

Description of Text

Inscribed area, 2.03 x 0.295. In l.l, the letters ΕΓΡΑ are cut on an inset piece of stone, presumably replacing a piece on which the cutter had made an error.

Letters

Second to third cent. A.D.: ave. 0.02; ligatures: ΤΗ l.2, ΗΜ, ΗΝ, ΝΗ, l.3, ΗΝ, ΗΜ, ΝΜ, ΝΕ, l. 4, ΝΜ, ΜΗΝ, l.5, ΗΝ, ΝΗ, ΝΜ twice, ΗΜ l. 6; three apices in l. 5; diaeretic dots in l.1 ; star-shaped stops at each end of l. 7.

Date

Inscription: second to third centuries A.D. (lettering, context). Document: early 38 B.C. (content)

Edition αὐτοκράτωρ Καῖσαρ θεοῦ Ἰουλίου υἱὸς Αὔγουστος Σαμίοις ὑπὸ τὸ ἀξίωμα ὑπέγραψεν ἔξεστιν ὑμεῖν αὐτοῖς ὁρᾶν ὅτι τὸ φιλάνθρωπον τῆς ἐλευθερίας οὐδενὶ δέδωκα δήμῳ πλὴν τῷ τῶν Ἀφροδεισιέων ὃς ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ τὰ ἐμὰ φρονήσας δοριάλωτος διὰ τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς εὔνοιαν ἐγένετο οὐ γάρ ἐστιν δίκαιον τὸ πάντων μέγιστον φιλάνθρωπον εἰκῇ καὶ χωρὶς αἰτίας χαρίζεσθαι ἐγὼ δὲ ὑμεῖν μὲν εὐνοῶ καὶ βουλοίμην ἂν τῇ γυναικί μου ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν σπουδαζούσῃ χαρίζεσθαι ἀλλὰ οὐχ ὥστε καταλῦσαι τὴν συνήθειάν μου· οὐδὲ γὰρ τῶν χρημάτων μοι μέλει ἃ εἰς τὸν φόρον τελεῖτε ἀλλὰ τὰ τειμιώτατα φιλάνθρωπα χωρὶς αἰτίας εὐλόγου δεδωκέναιv οὐδενὶ βούλομαι
Translation

Imperator Caesar Augustus, son of divus Julius, wrote to the Samians underneath their petition:

You yourselves can see that I have given the privilege of freedom to no people except the Aphrodisians, who took my side in the war and were captured by storm because of their devotion to us. For it is not right to give the favour of the greatest privilege of all at random and without cause. I am well-disposed to you and should like to do a favour to my wife who is active in your behalf, but not to the point of breaking my custom. For I am not concerned for the money which you pay towards the tribute, but I am not willing to give the most highly prized privileges to anyone without good cause.

Commentary

See Aphrodisias and Rome, 104-106.

Locations

Theatre: north parodos wall Theatre: north parodos wall Findspot

Text Constituted From

transcription (Reynolds)

History of Recording

Recorded by the NYU expedition in 1967.

Bibliography

Published by Reynolds, A&R 13 whence SEG 32, 1982.833, BE 1983.374; AnnEpig 1984, 867; SEG 34, 1984.1044, SEG 35, 1985.1081, McCabe PHI Aphrodisias 37 . Discussed, Millar, Emperor in the Roman World, 243, 431-432; by R. Bernhardt, Historia 29 (1980), 190ff.

Photographs

View, below 8.29, above 8.33, 8.28, 8.102 (1977)
View, below 8.29, above 8.33, 8.28 (1977)
View, above , 8.33, 8.28, 8.102 (1977)
Archive Wall view (1994)