Will of Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II

IGCyr011200

Trismegistos ID: 5988

Source Description

Repository

Cyrene Museum, 80.

Support

White marble stele slightly tapering; on top, a triangular pediment with acroteria; below, a plain moulding (inscribed face 0.34-0.39; 1.33;0.068-0.102).

Layout

Inscribed between the pediment and the moulding; excellent state of preservation.

Letters

0.01-0.013; very carefully cut, although with some corrections; slightly apicated, rather later than the historical date.

Place of Origin

Findspot.

Date

155 B.C. but see commentary (internal-date)

Findspot

Found on August 24th, 1929 at Cyrene : Sanctuary of Apollo , on the retaining wall between two terraces, West of Strategeion .

Last recorded Location

Seen by C. Dobias-Lalou on June 10th, 2010 in Shahat : Cyrene Museum .

Text constituted from

Transcription from stone (CDL).

Bibliography

Oliverio, 1932-1933 , pp. 11-84, whence SEG , 9.7; Wilcken, 1932 ; Laronde, 1987 , pp. 440-442, whence SEG , 38.1883; Sherk, 1984 , pp. 30-31, n. 31, and Lampela, 1998 , pp. 166-175, whence SEG , 48.2056; Laronde, 2002 , whence SEG , 52.1836; Criscuolo, 2011 and Dobias-Lalou, Bulletin Épigraphique , 2012.503, whence SEG , 61.1551.

Text

Ἔτους πεντεκαιδεκάτου, μηνὸς Λώιου. Ἀγαθῆι Τύχηι. Τάδε διέθετο βασιλεὺς Πτολεμαῖος βασιλέως Πτολεμαίου καὶ βασιλίσσης Κλεοπάτρας, θεῶν 5Ἐπιφανῶν, ὁ νεώτερος, ὧν καὶ τὰ ἀντίγραφα εἰς Ῥώμην ἐξαπέσταλται. Εἴη μέν μοι μετὰ τῆς τῶν θεῶν εὐμενείας μετελθεῖν καταξίως τοὺς συστησαμένους ἐπὶ μὲν τὴν ἀνόσιον ἐπιβουλὴν καὶ προελομένους 10μὴ μόνον 〚oν〛 τῆς βασιλείας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ ζῆν στερῆσαί με· ἐὰν δέ τι συμβαίνηι τῶν κατ’ ἄνθρωπον πρότερον ἢ διαδόχους ἀπολιπεῖν τῆς βασιλείας, (vac. 1) καταλείπω Ῥωμαίοις τὴν καθήκουσάν μοι βασιλείαν, 15οἷς ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς τήν τε φιλίαν καὶ τὴν συμμαχίαν γνησίως συντετήρηκα· τοῖς δ’ αὐτοῖς παρακατατίθεμαι τὰ πράγματα συντηρεῖν, ἐνευχόμενος κατά τε τῶν θεῶν πάντων καὶ τῆς ἑαυτῶν εὐδοξίας, ἐάν τινες 20ἐπίωσιν ἢ ταῖς πόλεσιν ἢ τῆι χώραι, βοηθεῖν κατὰ τὴν φιλίαν καὶ συμμαχίαν τὴν 〚πρὸς〛 πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἡμῖν γενομένην καὶ τὸ δίκαιον παντὶ σθένει. ( vac. ) Μάρτυρας δὲ τούτων ποιοῦμαι Δία τε τὸν 25Καπετώλιον καὶ τοὺς Μεγάλους θεοὺς καὶ τὸν Ἥλιον καὶ τὸν Ἀρχηγέτην Ἀπόλλωνα, παρ’ ὧι καὶ τὰ περὶ τούτων ἀνιέρωται γράμματα. (vac. 6) Τύχηι τῆι Ἀγαθῆι. (vac. 10)

Apparatus

French translation

L'an quinze, mois Lôios. A la bonne fortune! Voici les dispositions du roi Ptolémée le Jeune, fils du roi Ptolémée et de la reine Cléopatre, Dieux Epiphanes, dispositions dont une copie a été expédiée à Rome. Qu'il me soit donné, avec la faveur divine, de poursuivre ceux qui ont tramé le complot impie contre ma personne et se sont proposé de me priver (10) non seulement de la royauté, mais aussi de la vie. Toutefois si vient à se produire une des vicissitudes de la condition humaine avant que je ne laisse des successeurs à la royauté, je lègue le royaume que je possède aux Romains, dont j'ai gagné dès l'origine et préservé avec sincérité l'amitié et l'alliance. C'est à eux que je lègue le soin de préserver l'Etat, en les conjurant, au nom de tous les dieux et de leur propre gloire: puissent-ils, si (20) les cités ou le territoire viennent à être attaqués, leur porter secours de toutes leurs forces, conformément à l'amitié et à l'alliance établies entre nous et en accord avec la justice. Je prends à témoins de ces volontés Zeus Capitolin, les Grand Dieux, Hélios et Apollon Archégète, auprès de qui je consacre la présente inscription. A la bonne fortune!

English translation

Year fifteen, month Loios. To the good fortune! This is the will of king Ptolemy the Younger, son of king Ptolemy and of queen Cleopatra, Gods Epiphaneis, of which will a copy has been sent to Rome. Should it be given to me, with divine help, to worthy pursue those who plotted the impious conspiracy and intended to deprive me (10) not only of kingship but also of life. However, if one of the human vicissitudes should happen before I would leave successors for kingship, I bequeath the kingdom that I own to the Romans, whose friendship and alliance I gained from the beginning and preserved genuinely. To them I bequeath the duty of preserving the state, while conjuring them in the name of all gods and of their own glory: should they, if (20) the cities or the territory should be assaulted, help them with full might in observance of the friendship and alliance existing between us and in accordance with justice. To this will I call as witnesses Zeus Capitolinus, the Great Gods, Helios and Apollo Archegetes, near whom I dedicate the present inscription. To the good fortune!

Italian translation

Anno quindici, mese di Loios. Alla buona fortuna! Così ha fatto testamento il re Tolemeo il Giovane, figlio del re Tolemeo e della regina Cleopatra, Dèi Epifani, la cui copia è stata inviata a Roma. Possa io, con l'aiuto divino, perseguire degnamente quanti hanno tramato il complotto empio contro di me e si sono proposti di privarmi non solo del regno, ma anche della vita. Se, comunque, si verifica una delle vicissitudini della condizione umana prima che io possa lasciare successori al regno, lascio il regno che possiedo ai Romani, la cui amicizia e alleanza ho guadagnato dall'inizio e conservato con sincerità. È a loro che lascio il compito di preservare lo Stato, implorandoli, in nome di tutti gli dèi e della loro gloria: se le città o il territorio dovessero essere attaccati, portino soccorso con tutte le loro forze in conformità con l'amicizia e l'alleanza esistente tra noi e in accordo con la giustizia. Testimoni di queste disposizioni nomino Zeus Capitolino, gli Dèi Grandi, Helios e Apollo Archegetes, presso il quale consacro anche il testamento. Alla buona fortuna!

Commentary

Criscuolo, 2011 shows that the formulation of the will and the titles of the king have not the usual form and suspects this document to have been engraved as a justification of Roman power over Cyrenaica. The lettering is not contrary to that hypothesis.

Details about the exact placement against the retaining wall are given by Parisi Presicce, 2007 , pp. 498-500.

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