<rs type="textType">Letter</rs> from a proconsul to Aphrodisias.

Joyce M. Reynolds1982

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Originally published in Reynolds (1982).

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Description of Monument

White marble statue base shaft.

Description of Text

Inscribed on two adjacent faces.

Letters

Third century; 0.016. Omega normally cut as a circle slightly open at the bottom. Ligatures: ΝΕ l.2, ΝΗ l.5, ΜΗ, ΤΗ, ΝΠΡ l.7, ΝΤ, ΗΜ l.8, ΗΜΗ, ΝΤΗ l.12, ΤΗ, ΝΚ l.13, ΤΗ l.14 (twice), ΝΗ l.15, ΤΗ l.16, ΗΜ, ΤΗ l.17, ΗΜ l.18, ΜΗ l.19, ΗΤ, ΜΗ l.20, ΜΗ l.21, ΗΜΕ, ΝΤΗΠ l.22, ΝΤ l.24, ΝΗ l.26, ΜΗΤ, ΤΗ l.28, ΗΜ, ΤΗΝΠ l.29. Deliberate erasures in ll. 8, 16, 16, 27, 28.

Date

A.D. 222-235 (reign)

Edition κε εὐτυχεῖς δηλαδὴ ἀκόλουθόν ἐστι τὰς πόλεις τὰς καθωσιωμένας τῇ μεγάλῃ αὐτοῦ Τύχῃ φιλεῖν τε καὶ τειμᾶν ὅπερ με ποιεῖν ἡδέως καὶ αὐτοὶ ἴστε ἐξαιρέτως δὲ τὰς τειμηθείσας τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ ὑπὸ τῶν προγόνων τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν αὐτοκράτορος Ἀλεξάνδρου βεβαιοῦντος αὐτοῦ αὐτὴν καὶ αὔξοντος τὰ δίκαια οἷς εὐθυμεῖσθε καὶ ἡδέως ἐλεύσομαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐπιδημήσω ἐν τῇ λαμπροτάτῃ πόλει ὑμῶν καὶ τῇ πατρίῳ ὑμῶν θεᾷ θύσω ὑπέρ τε τῆς σωτηρίας καὶ αἰωνίου διαμονῆς τοῦ τε κυρίου ἡμῶν αὐτοκράτορος Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ τῆς κυρίας ἡμῶν Σεβαστῆς Μαμαίας μητρὸς τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν καὶ στρατοπέδων εἰ μήτε νόμος τῆς πόλεως ὑμῶν μήτε δόγμα συνκλήτου μήτε διάταξις μήτε θεία ἐπιστολὴ κωλύει τὸν ἀνθύπατον ἐπιδημεῖν τῇ πόλει ὑμῶν εἰ γάρ τι κωλύει τῶν προγεγραμμένων θύων ὡς ἔθος μοί ἐστιν τοῖς ἄλλοις θεοῖς ὑπέρ τε τῆς τύχης καὶ σωτηρίας καὶ αἰωνίου διαμονῆς τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν αὐτοκράτορος Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ Μαμαίας Σεβαστῆς κυρίας δὲ ἡμῶν καὶ τὴν πάτριον ὑμῶν θεὰν ἐπι καλέσομαι ταῦτα δὲ ἀπεκρινάμην τοῖς πρώτοις τῆς λανπροτάτης ὑμῶν πόλεως ἐρρῶσθαι ὑμᾶς εὔχομαι
Apparatus

l. 1, traces of erasure suggest the presence of Alexander's name or that of his mother here.

Translation

[ . . .]fortunate ; clearly it follows that affection and honour is due to the cities dedicated to his great good fortune, which you yourselves know that I give gladly and especially to those honoured with freedom by the ancestors of our lord Imperator [Alexander] who himself confirms it and increases the rights in which you rejoice; and I will gladly come to you and make a stay in your most splendid city and sacrifice to your native goddess for the safety and eternal continuance of our lord Imperator [Alexander] and our lady Augusta [Mammaea], mother of our lord and of the camps, if no law of your city or decree of the Senate or instruction or letter from the emperor prevents the proconsul from making a stay in [your] city. But if there is any impediment in the documents I have mentioned, when I sacrifice as is my custom to the [?other gods] for the good fortune and [safety] and eternal continuance of [our] lord Imperator [Alexander and] his mother [Mammaea] Augusta, our [lady], I will call upon your native [goddess with them]. I gave this reply [to the chief men] of your [most splendid] city. I hope for your welfare.

Commentary

See Aphrodisias and Rome, 175-6.

Locations

Walls, North: with 12.33 unknown Findspot (1904)

Text Constituted From

Transcription from squeeze (Reynolds); publications.

History of Recording

Recorded by Gaudin (59); not recorded subsequently.

Bibliography

Published by Reinach, from Gaudin, REG 19, 1906, 84-87, no. 5, whence Abbott & Johnson, no. 137, Robert, Ét. Anat. 303; from all these by Reynolds, A&R 48 whence SEG 1982.1097, BE 1983.391, McCabe PHI Aphrodisias 71 .

Photographs

Representations

Squeeze: Lines 1-11
Squeeze: Lines 11-33