Dedication to Isis

Bibliography

Fragment a Oliverio, 1927 Oliverio, G., 1927, Due frammenti di Inni ad Iside, Notiziario Archeologico del Ministero delle Colonie4, 207-212 - see in bibliography , p. 212 and pl. XXXII, fig. 2 and Ferri, 1927 Ferri, S., 1927, Il telesterio Isiaco di Cirene, Studi e Materiali di Storia delle Religioni (SMSR)3, 233-246 - see in bibliography ; and Hiller von Gaertringen, 1928 Hiller von Gaertringen, F., 1928, Miscellanea.III, Rivista di Filologia e Istruzione Classica (RFIC)56, 415 - see in bibliography , whence SEG Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum, Leiden, then Amsterdam, 1923-1971, then 1979- - see in bibliography , 9.193.

Cf. Peek, 1929 Peek, W., 1929, Hymnus in Isim Andrius, dissertation, Berlin - see in bibliography , pp. 55-58; Peek, 1930 Peek, W., 1930, Der Isishymnus von Andros und verwandte Texte, Berlin - see in bibliography , pp. 149-152; Ensoli Vittozzi, 1992 Ensoli Vittozzi, S., 1992, Indagini sul culto di Iside a Cirene, in A. Mastino (ed.), L'Africa romana: atti del 9. Convegno di studio, Nuoro, 13-15 dicembre 1991 (L'Africa romana9), I, Pubblicazioni del Dipartimento di storia dell’Università degli studi di Sassari20, Sassari, 167-250 - see in bibliography , pp. 200, 207-209 and Dobias-Lalou, Bulletin Épigraphique Dobias-Lalou, C.Bulletin Épigraphique in Études Grecques (REG)1987- - see in bibliography , 1993.699, whence SEG Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum, Leiden, then Amsterdam, 1923-1971, then 1979- - see in bibliography , 42.1644; Bricault, 2005 Bricault, L., 2005, Recueil des inscriptions concernant les cultes isiaques (RICIS), Mémoires de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, 31, 1, 2, 3, Paris - see in bibliography , n. 701/0102.

Fragments b and c: never published before.

Text

Apparatus

a.1 ΙΣΑΜΕΝ : Oliverio, 1927 Oliverio, G., 1927, Due frammenti di Inni ad Iside, Notiziario Archeologico del Ministero delle Colonie4, 207-212 - see in bibliography  ισαμενο̣ : Peek, 1930 Peek, W., 1930, Der Isishymnus von Andros und verwandte Texte, Berlin - see in bibliography  [ε]ἱσαμένο[ιο] : Peek, 1930 Peek, W., 1930, Der Isishymnus von Andros und verwandte Texte, Berlin - see in bibliography  [τε]ισαμένο[ιο]

a.2 [τ]ιθὲν τελεσ [c. 2 - 3] : Oliverio, 1927 Oliverio, G., 1927, Due frammenti di Inni ad Iside, Notiziario Archeologico del Ministero delle Colonie4, 207-212 - see in bibliography  ΙΘΕΝ τέλεσ[ιν] : Ferri, 1927 Ferri, S., 1927, Il telesterio Isiaco di Cirene, Studi e Materiali di Storia delle Religioni (SMSR)3, 233-246 - see in bibliography  [πᾶν τὸ] τιθὲν τελέσ[ας]

a.3 Oliverio, 1927 Oliverio, G., 1927, Due frammenti di Inni ad Iside, Notiziario Archeologico del Ministero delle Colonie4, 207-212 - see in bibliography  [---] ων ὑποχείριος αἰχμαῖς : Ferri, 1927 Ferri, S., 1927, Il telesterio Isiaco di Cirene, Studi e Materiali di Storia delle Religioni (SMSR)3, 233-246 - see in bibliography  [---] [πό]νων ὑποχείριος αἰχμαῖς : - see in bibliography  [μηδὲ γένοιτο πατρὶς δαί]ων ὑποχείριος αἰχμαῖς : Peek, 1930 Peek, W., 1930, Der Isishymnus von Andros und verwandte Texte, Berlin - see in bibliography  [---] [ἐχθρ]ῶν ὑποχείριος αἰχμαῖς

a.4 Oliverio, 1927 Oliverio, G., 1927, Due frammenti di Inni ad Iside, Notiziario Archeologico del Ministero delle Colonie4, 207-212 - see in bibliography  [---] α̣ δουλοσύνας : Ferri, 1927 Ferri, S., 1927, Il telesterio Isiaco di Cirene, Studi e Materiali di Storia delle Religioni (SMSR)3, 233-246 - see in bibliography  [---] [δέσματ]α δουλοσύνας : Hiller von Gaertringen, 1928 Hiller von Gaertringen, F., 1928, Miscellanea.III, Rivista di Filologia e Istruzione Classica (RFIC)56, 415 - see in bibliography  [ἄρκεσε λυγρὰ μόνος δέσματ]α̣ δουλοσύνας : Peek, 1930 Peek, W., 1930, Der Isishymnus von Andros und verwandte Texte, Berlin - see in bibliography  [---] [δέσμι]α δουλοσύνας

a.5 Oliverio, 1927 Oliverio, G., 1927, Due frammenti di Inni ad Iside, Notiziario Archeologico del Ministero delle Colonie4, 207-212 - see in bibliography , Ferri, 1927 Ferri, S., 1927, Il telesterio Isiaco di Cirene, Studi e Materiali di Storia delle Religioni (SMSR)3, 233-246 - see in bibliography  [---] [ὁ]μόθρονος ἄγαγε πρὸς φῶς : Hiller von Gaertringen, 1928 Hiller von Gaertringen, F., 1928, Miscellanea.III, Rivista di Filologia e Istruzione Classica (RFIC)56, 415 - see in bibliography  [Ὰ δὲ κασιγνάτου συνο]μόθρονος ἄγαγε πρὸς φῶς

a.6 Oliverio, 1927 Oliverio, G., 1927, Due frammenti di Inni ad Iside, Notiziario Archeologico del Ministero delle Colonie4, 207-212 - see in bibliography , Ferri, 1927 Ferri, S., 1927, Il telesterio Isiaco di Cirene, Studi e Materiali di Storia delle Religioni (SMSR)3, 233-246 - see in bibliography  [---]  τέκνα κομιζομένα : Hiller von Gaertringen, 1928 Hiller von Gaertringen, F., 1928, Miscellanea.III, Rivista di Filologia e Istruzione Classica (RFIC)56, 415 - see in bibliography  [παῖδας, καὶ τέκνων] τέκνα κομιζομένα

a.7 Oliverio, 1927 Oliverio, G., 1927, Due frammenti di Inni ad Iside, Notiziario Archeologico del Ministero delle Colonie4, 207-212 - see in bibliography  [---]  ὑπ´ὀργάδα τὰν Ἀχέροντος : Ferri, 1927 Ferri, S., 1927, Il telesterio Isiaco di Cirene, Studi e Materiali di Storia delle Religioni (SMSR)3, 233-246 - see in bibliography  [Θνατὸς ἔδυν σκοτόεσσαν] ὑπ´ὀργάδα τὰν Ἀχέροντος : Hiller von Gaertringen, 1928 Hiller von Gaertringen, F., 1928, Miscellanea.III, Rivista di Filologia e Istruzione Classica (RFIC)56, 415 - see in bibliography , Peek, 1930 Peek, W., 1930, Der Isishymnus von Andros und verwandte Texte, Berlin - see in bibliography  [τοὔνεκεν οὐ στυγερὰν ὅγ'] ὑπ´ὀργάδα τὰν Ἀχέροντος

a.8 [---] [Φερσ]εφόνας λιμένας : Oliverio, 1927 Oliverio, G., 1927, Due frammenti di Inni ad Iside, Notiziario Archeologico del Ministero delle Colonie4, 207-212 - see in bibliography  [---]  [Περσ]εφόνας λιμένας : Ferri, 1927 Ferri, S., 1927, Il telesterio Isiaco di Cirene, Studi e Materiali di Storia delle Religioni (SMSR)3, 233-246 - see in bibliography  [Ἁγνᾶς τε χθονίως Περσ]εφόνας λιμένας : Hiller von Gaertringen, 1928 Hiller von Gaertringen, F., 1928, Miscellanea.III, Rivista di Filologia e Istruzione Classica (RFIC)56, 415 - see in bibliography  [ἤλυθε καὶ στυγεροὺς Φερσ]εφόνας λιμένας : Peek, 1930 Peek, W., 1930, Der Isishymnus von Andros und verwandte Texte, Berlin - see in bibliography  [---] [σκιεροὺς Φερσ]εφόνας λιμένας

a.9 [---]  [ἐς] αἰθέρα θνατὸς ὁ τεύξας : Oliverio, 1927 Oliverio, G., 1927, Due frammenti di Inni ad Iside, Notiziario Archeologico del Ministero delle Colonie4, 207-212 - see in bibliography  [---]  αἰθέρα θνατὸς ὃ τεύξας : Ferri, 1927 Ferri, S., 1927, Il telesterio Isiaco di Cirene, Studi e Materiali di Storia delle Religioni (SMSR)3, 233-246 - see in bibliography  [ἦνθον δ'αὖτε φαεινὸν ἐς] αἰθέρα θνατός· ὁ τεύξας : Hiller von Gaertringen, 1928 Hiller von Gaertringen, F., 1928, Miscellanea.III, Rivista di Filologia e Istruzione Classica (RFIC)56, 415 - see in bibliography  [νάνεμον ἀλλὰ βέβακεν ἐς] αἰθέρα θνατὸς ὁ τεύξας·

a.10 Ferri, 1927 Ferri, S., 1927, Il telesterio Isiaco di Cirene, Studi e Materiali di Storia delle Religioni (SMSR)3, 233-246 - see in bibliography  [---] ἠργάσατο : Oliverio, 1927 Oliverio, G., 1927, Due frammenti di Inni ad Iside, Notiziario Archeologico del Ministero delle Colonie4, 207-212 - see in bibliography  [---] ἠρπάξατο : Hiller von Gaertringen, 1928 Hiller von Gaertringen, F., 1928, Miscellanea.III, Rivista di Filologia e Istruzione Classica (RFIC)56, 415 - see in bibliography  [ὑιὸς δ' ἀθάνατον μνᾶμα τόδ']ἠργάσατο : Hiller von Gaertringen, 1928 Hiller von Gaertringen, F., 1928, Miscellanea.III, Rivista di Filologia e Istruzione Classica (RFIC)56, 415 - see in bibliography  [ὑιὸς δ' Εὐφρονίδας μνᾶμα τόδ'?]

French translation

(Fragment a)  [---]  (3)  [---] soumis par les lances (4)  [---]  l'esclavage (5)  [---]  (6)  [---]  partageant le même trône, mena vers la lumière (7)  [---]  conduisant les enfants (8)  [---]  en bas, vers les prairies de l'Achéron (9)  [---]  aux ports de Perséphone (9)  [---]  vers l'éther le mortel qui fabriqua (10)  [---]  il fit.

(Fragment b)  [---]  (2)  [---]  notre cité  [---]  (3)  [---]  et inextinguible  [---]  (4)  [---]  les seuls sceptres  [---]  (5)  [---]  tes implusions  [---]  (6)  [---]   [---]   [---]  (7)  [---]  doux  [---] .

(Fragment c)  [---]  (2)  [---]  les pierres (3)  [---]  toutes les eaux (4)  [---]  la lumière  [---] .

[Un tel fils de]  [---] ès a consacré.

English translation

(Fragment a)  [---]  (3)  [---] submitted with the spears (4)  [---]  slavery (5)  [---]  (6)  [---]  sharing the same throne brought into light (7)  [---]  conveying the children (8)  [---]  down to the meadow-land of Acheron (9)  [---]  to Persephone's harbours (9)  [---]  to the ether the mortal who produced (10)  [---]  he made.

(Fragment b)  [---]  (2)  [---]  our city  [---]  (3)  [---]  and unextinguishable  [---]  (4)  [---]  the only sceptres  [---]  (5)  [---]  your impulses  [---]  (6)  [---]   [---]   [---]  (7)  [---]  sweet  [---] .

(Fragment c)  [---]  (2)  [---]  the stones (3)  [---]  all waters (4)  [---]  the light  [---] .

[So-and-so son of]  [---] es dedicated.

Italian translation

(Fragment a)  [---]  (3)  [---] sottomesso dalle lance (4)  [---]  schiavitù (5)  [---]  (6)  [---]  condividendo lo stesso trono, condusse verso la luce (7)  [---]  conducendo i bambini (8)  [---]  giù verso le terre fertili dell'Acheronte (9)  [---]  ai porti di Persefone (9)  [---]  all'etere il mortale che costruisce (10)  [---]  egli fece.

(Fragment b)  [---]  (2)  [---]  nostra città  [---]  (3)  [---]  e inestinguibile  [---]  (4)  [---]  i soli scettri  [---]  (5)  [---]  i tuoi impulsi  [---]  (6)  [---]   [---]   [---]  (7)  [---]  dolce  [---] .

(Fragment c)  [---]  (2)  [---]  le pietre (3)  [---]  tutte le acque (4)  [---]  la luce  [---] .

[Il tale figlio di]  [---] es ha dedicato.

Commentary

That the three fragments belong together was seen independently both by J.M. Reynolds and C. Dobias-Lalou. The publication of the main fragment (a) occurred in 1927. As the two other fragments were numbered and kept in the epigraphical storeroom as displayed after the moving of World War II, they are plausibly part of those mentioned in Oliverio's Report on the excavations of 1935 (now available in Luni, 2014 Luni, M., 2014, Attività di Carlo Anti, Luigi Pernier e Gaspare Oliverio (1923-1938), in M. Luni (ed.), La scoperta di Cirene. Un secolo di scavi, 1913-2013, Monografie di archeologia libica37, Cirene Atene d'Africa8, Roma, 123-156 - see in bibliography , p. 152) as «numerosi frammenti di sculture e di iscrizioni, sfuggiti ai primi scavatori». Whereas fragment (c) clearly belongs to the bottom of the panel, the relative placement of fragments (a) and (b) cannot be established, as there is no match to link them together. The order given here is thus arbitrary and (a) is placed first only because it is more complete.

Fragment (c) shows that the inscription was primarily a dedication. This rules out Oliverio's interpretation as a hymn, clearly related to his publishing it together with GVCyr041, and already questioned by others. Ferri took the poem as the expression of gratitude by an initiate for his salvation from enslavement to the ills of humanity; the argument of initiation might be confirmed by the archeological excavations of S. Ensoli ( Ensoli, 2007 Ensoli, S., 2007, Il santuario di Iside e Serapide sull'acropoli. II. La fase Romana del culto isiaco a Cirene, in C. Dobias-Lalou (ed.), Questions de religion cyrénéenne: actes du colloque de Dijon, 21-23 mars 2002, Karthago27, Paris, 13-29 - see in bibliography ). Hiller von Graetringen was nearer to a dedicatory epigram when restoring what might have been the memorial produced by the son of a dead father who had been awarded to stay in ether instead of going down to hell. He was followed by Peek, who furthermore, emphasizing δουλοσύνας, imagined that the dead had saved his city from enslavement by enemies. The new elements in the two additional fragments, praising Isis' universal powers, rather suggest the sort of salvation provided by the goddess and make clearer why the dedication was found in her sanctuary. However tantalizing some of Hiller's restorations are, we prefer to record them in the apparatus and produce a more cautious edition.

Among the two verse-inscriptions found in the sanctuary of Isis on the acropolis, which are both dedications, this one has less to do with a hymn than GVCyr041, even if both praise the powers of the goddess.

Generally speaking, this epigram offers many dialectal features. The use of contrasted forms φῶς at a.5 and φάος at c.4 is a poetic licence allowing to adapt the phrase to the required rhythm.

At b.7, το might be either the article or a verbal middle ending and γλυκυ may stay by itself or be part of a compound adjective.

Metrical analysis: the very regular elegiac couplets deserve few commentary. At b.5, σαί should be shortend by a following initial vowel. At b.6 θα seems to be at a place were it should belong to a long syllable, either because the vowel was long or because the syllable was closed.

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All citation, reuse or distribution of this work must contain a link back to DOI: http://doi.org/10.6092/UNIBO/IGCYRGVCYR and the filename (IGCyr000000 or GVCyr000), as well as the year of consultation.