<rs type="textType">Letter</rs> of Severus Alexander to Aphrodisias

Joyce M. Reynolds1982

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Originally published in Reynolds (1982).

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Description of Monument

Archive wall, column 5, on the third and fourth courses. The left-hand part is cut on one and a half blocks which are intact, the right-hand part shows increasing damage and the right end is almost wholly lost except for a few small fragments found fallen.

Description of Text

lnscribed area in situ, 1.56 x 0.145; line 1 outspaced.

Letters

second to third centuries A.D.: l.1, 0.018, l.2, 0. 02, ll.3 ff., av. 0.018 ; ligatured ΜΕ in l.1, ΗΜ in 1.3, ΗΝ in 1.4, ΝΕ in l.5; diaeresis in l.5 ; bar above the figure in 1.2.

Date

A.D. 224 (titulature, lettering).

Edition αὐτοκράτωρ Καῖσαρ θεοῦ Σεουήρου Εὐσεβοῦς ἔκγονος θεοῦ Ἀντωνείνου Εὐσεβοῦς μεγίστου υἱός Μᾶρκος Αὐρήλιος Σεουῆρος Ἀλέξανδρος Εὐσεβὴς Εὐτυχὴς Σεβαστός ἀρχιερεὺς μέγιστος δημαρχικῆς ἐξουσίας τὸ γ ὕπατος πατὴρ πατρίδος Ἀφροδεισιέων τοῖς ἄρχουσι καὶ τῷ δήμῳ χαίρειν τὸ μὲν παρελέσθαι τι τῶν ὑπαρξάντων τῇ πόλει δικαίων ἀλλότριόν ἐστι τῆς ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ τῇ ἐμῇ περὶ πάντας κηδεμονίας τὸ δὲ κατὰ ταὐτὰ γενέσθαι τὴν περὶ τῆς παρούσης ἀξιώσεως εεε λό γον ἔχει τὸν προσήκοντα ἀκροάσεται δὴ ὑμῶν ἴσον καὶ κοινὸν ἑαυτὸν καθιστὰς κριτήν ἐπρέσβευεν εὐτυχεῖτε
Apparatus

l. 1. The letters ΡΟΣ are cut in an erased area.

1. 4. Only the upper horizontals survive for the letters printed Ε̣Ε̣Ε̣; each might also be Γ̣ Ζ̣, Ξ̣, Π̣, Σ̣, or Τ̣.

Translation

Imperator Caesar M. Aure[lius Severus [Alexan]der, Pius, Felix, Augustus, [son] of divus Antoninus, Pius, Maximus, grandson of divus Severus, Pius, Pontifex Maximus, holding the tribunician power for the third time, consul, [father] of his country, [to the Magistrates] and People of the Aphrodisians, greetings.

To take away anything from the rights belonging to the city is foreign to the guardianship [extended to all in my] reign, but to bring under the same principle the [.. ? ..] in the matter of the present petition [.. ? ..] has the appropriate ?reputation (?value) ; he will listen, [offering] himself as your fair [?judge] and open to all. [.. ? .. was ambassador. Farewell].

Commentary

See Aphrodisias and Rome, 129-131.

Locations

Theatre: north parodos wall, and fragments found fallen Theatre: north parodos wall Findspot; fragments in Museum

Text Constituted From

transcription (Reynolds)This edition: Reynolds (2007)

History of Recording

Recorded by the NYU expedition in 1967; a few small fragments found fallen (inv. nos. 67. 454, 67.457, 67.459 and unnumbered items).

Bibliography

Published by Reynolds, A&R 19 whence SEG 32, 1982.1097, BE 1983.380; AnnEpig 1984, 873, McCabe PHI Aphrodisias 56 .

Photographs

Left end in situ, view below 8.35, 8.36, 8.37, above 8.103 (1977)
Left end in situ, view below 8.36, 8.37, above 8.103 (1977)
Archive Wall view (1994)