Description of Monument

Piece from the right side of a marble block (statue base), no measurements.

Description of Text

Inscribed on one face.

Description of Letters

0.028

Date

Probably late second to early third century A.D. (lettering, nomenclature, family history)

Edition ἡ βουλὴ καὶ ὁ δῆ μος καὶ ἡ γερουσία ἐτειμησαν ταῖς πρώταις καὶ μεγίσταις τειμαῖς Πυρρον Ζήνωνος τοῦ Πύρρου Παπίαν φιλοπολίτην γένους πρώτου καὶ ἐνδόξου τελευτήσαντα ἡλικι

Translation

The Council and the People and the Gerousia honoured with the first and greatest honours Pyrrhos Papias, son of Zenon the son of Pyrrhos, lover of his fellow citizens, of a first and honoured family, who died aged

Commentary

Members of this family are also honoured in 13.6 (=MAMA 481+Reinach 74) and 13.5 (=MAMA 482 (=CIG 2775)) (see also 12.32). The family relationships are not at first sight quite clear, but it seems to be the case that the Pyrrhos Papias of this text is father to the Pyrrhos Papias son of Pyrrhos son of Zenon the son of Pyrrhos of 13.6, and Demetrios son of Pyrrhos Papias the son of Zenon the son of Pyrrhos the son of Zenon of 13.5. From the longer texts for the sons we learn (probably) the name of this man's wife (13.6) and the fact that he had provided in his will that, in default of a living heir, his property was bequeathed to the People to fund the expensive offices of gymasiarch and stephanephorus, possibly also for other purposes (see commentaries on those texts).

The date is surely earlier than the decree of Caracalla on Citizenship since no Roman citizen name appears in these three texts. While the letter-forms of all three texts suggest a date not earlier than the second half of the second century A.D., in 12.32 b (=CIG 2835) Demetrios figures as stephanephorus in a funerary text in which the deceased are M. Aurelii, quite possibly, therefore, after that decree; but it is likely to be the case that this is a post-mortem stephanephorate conferred in gratitude for the wills of his father and brother, and possibly also his own.

The close similarity of the terms in the inscriptions of the two brothers may suggest that their deaths were fairly close together, and one is bound to wonder whether they could have been victims of the Antonine plague.

It was standard practice in the city to refer when possible to the merits of an honorand's family, as here. The family of Pyrrhos was clearly one which stood high in public esteem and had performed expensive public services (is it perhaps to stress the expenditure that liturgies but not offices are mentioned?); but it was not one of what seems to be the highest ranking in the city, i.e. one descended from the first founders (see , p. ...).

NB All three stones were found re-used in close proximity in, or fallen from, the city walls north of the Stadium. This strongly suggests that their original locations were close together—as would very obviously be the case if all came from a single family tomb.

Locations

Found: Walls, North-east: 'n.e. wall upside down' (Sherard); 'Rempart. Mur du cirque (stade)' (Gaudin); seen in 1973 in the north wall north of the Stadium with 13.6. Original location: Unknown, probably Necropolis, North Last recorded: Findspot (1973)

History of Recording

Recorded by Gaudin; by the NYU expedition.

Bibliography

Published by Reinach, from Gaudin's squeeze, 19, 1906, 141, no. 73g, whence McCabe 530 .

Text Constituted From

Transcription (Reynolds); Gaudin's squeeze; publications.

Photographs

Reinach? Gaudin's squeeze?