Support
Cut in the North wall of a rock-cut chamber (dimensions unknown).
Layout
Inscribed at least three times.
Letters
Hand 1: height unknown; nothing is known about this hand.
Letters
Hand 2: height unknown; larger letters than hand 3; slanting sigma.
Letters
Hand 3: height unknown; dropped bar alpha, tall beta, lunate omega and epsilon or sigma.
Place of Origin
Findspot.
Date
Textpart a: probably second half of the fourth century B.C.; b.2: perhaps third century B.C.; b.1 and 3-6: perhaps first century B.C. (context, lettering)
Later recorded Location
Seen by the Chieti mission (O. Menozzi) between 2002 and 2005 in situ.
Last recorded Location
Seen and photographed in 2009 by S. Marini.
Present Location
Not seen by IGCyr team.
Text constituted from
Transcription from previous editor, with support of Menozzi's description and Marini's photograph (CDL).
Ferri, 1923 Ferri, S., 1923, Contributi di Cirene alla storia della religione greca, Roma - see in bibliography , n. 19, whence SEG Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum, Leiden, then Amsterdam, 1923-1971, then 1979- - see in bibliography , 9.345; Menozzi, 2008 Menozzi, O., 2008, New technologies and traditional approaches in reconstructing the ancient landscape assessment, in O. Menozzi, M.L. Di Marzio, D. Fossataro (eds.), IX Symposium on Mediterranean archaeology, Chieti (Italy), 226 February 2005 (SOMA 2005), Oxford, 39-62 - see in bibliography , pp. 41-42, fig. 15. Cf. Forbes, 1956 Forbes, K., 1956, Some Cyrenean Dedications, Philologus100, 235-252 - see in bibliography , whence SEG Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum, Leiden, then Amsterdam, 1923-1971, then 1979- - see in bibliography , 16.872; Marini, 2013 Marini, S., 2013, Grecs et Romains face aux populations libyennes, des origines à la fin du paganisme, 1-2, PhD dissertation Université de Paris IV-Sorbonne - see in bibliography , p. 321, pl. XXXIV; Menozzi, 2015 Menozzi, O., 2015, Extramural rock-cut sanctuaries in the territoy of Cyrene, Libyan Studies, 46, 57-74 - see in bibliography , pp. 64-67, fig. 8.
a
(read from Menozzi's diplomatic transcription; not seen by others)
b.1 Ἅδε̣ προβώμιος : Ferri, 1923
Ferri, S., 1923, Contributi di Cirene alla storia della religione greca, Roma - see in bibliography
ἅδε προβώμιος
b.2 Λ̣ύσιος : Ferri, 1923
Ferri, S., 1923, Contributi di Cirene alla storia della religione greca, Roma - see in bibliography
[---] σιος
b.4 Ἀμμω̣ν̣[ί]ω̣ : SEG
Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum, Leiden, then Amsterdam, 1923-1971, then 1979- - see in bibliography
Ἀμμω[.]
+
a) 〚(Lieu de culte) des Héros, de Zeus. Euménides〛.
b) « [---] en avant de l'autel. A Lysis (appartient) cette grotte ainsi qu'à Ammônios, à O [---] et à Ag [---] ».
a) 〚(Cult area) of the Heroes, of Zeus. Eumenides.〛
b) « [---] before the altar. Belonging to Lysis (is) this cave as well as to Ammonios, to O [---] and to Ag [---] ».
a) 〚(Luogo di culto) degli Eroi, di Zeus. Eumenidi.〛
b) « [---] davanti all'altare. Appartenente a Lysis (è) questa grotta come pure ad Ammonios, ad O [---] e ad Ag [---] ».
The complex history of the different stages of this inscription is much confused. We follow Menozzi's chronology, although it is not clear whether a) was really cut at the very place where b) was inscribed later on. If so, a) was first cut and erased, then b) was overstruck. However it is clear both from Ferri's description and drawing and from Menozzi's photograph that b) was cut by at least two different hands. Line 2 probably stood by itself and was later on incorporated into a larger text.
At b.1 the third letter should be an epsilon, although it seems to be incomplete. If the reading is right the demonstrative at the feminine singular would be related to a subaudible θυσία, as we know from IGCyr016700, ll. 61 and 68, that some sacrifices should be done 'in front of the altar'.
About the three lower lines Ferri gave neither transcription nor comment. The assumption that Ammon was worshipped here (so Fabbricotti, 2007 Fabbricotti, E., 2007, Il santuario di Ain Hofra, in C. Dobias-Lalou (ed.), Questions de religion cyrénéenne: actes du colloque de Dijon, 21-23 mars 2002, Karthago27, Paris, 93-100 - see in bibliography , p. 100 and again Menozzi twice) seems to be a misinterpretation of part of line b.4: we consider much probable that the three personal names, each of them preceded by καί, were added under the previously inscribed name while line 1 was added above. If so, it allows to read the successive lines as a whole. Our translation relies on that assumption. Menozzi's latest analysis ( Menozzi, 2015 Menozzi, O., 2015, Extramural rock-cut sanctuaries in the territoy of Cyrene, Libyan Studies, 46, 57-74 - see in bibliography ) would read the three καί in relation with the erased divine names, which is impossible in view of the lettering.
The present reconstruction, although provisional, would be consistent with the history of the tomb/cave as constantly proposed by Menozzi.
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