Dedication to unclear goddesses

IGCyr051800

Trismegistos ID: 738327

Source Description

Support

Within a rock-cut chamber (dimensions unknown).

Layout

Inscribed in a sunk rectangular panel. There are holes at the edges of the rectangle.

Letters

Irregular lettering, height unknown; zeta with vertical stroke, dotted theta, some sigmas slightly slanting, widely open omega.

Place of Origin

Findspot.

Date

Possibly Hellenistic, but too rough to date with any precision. (lettering)

Findspot

First copied by J.-R. Pacho in 1825 at Cyrene : Sanctuary of Budaraj .

Later recorded Location

Copied by S. Ferri between 1919 and 1922 in situ.

Later recorded Location

Observed by J.M. Reynolds in situ.

Last recorded Location

Seen by S. Marini in 2008 in situ.

Text constituted from

Transcription from previous editors.

Bibliography

CIG 5183, from Pacho, 1827 , pl. LXVI.4; Ferri, 1922 , n. 1 and fig. 13, whence SEG , 9.727.

Cf. Ferri, 1923 , pp. 10-11; Husson, 1983 , p. 162, footnote 41, whence SEG , 33.1614; Laronde, 1987 , pp. 428-429; Hellmann, 1992 , p. 166; Marini, 2013 , pp. 310-311, pl. XXIX-XXX.

Text

[---] Ο[.] ΡΑ[---]  τὰς θ̣υρίδας Ζώπυρος ἀ̣ν-έθηκε ταῖς θε- 5{πε̣}αῖς. -

Apparatus

1 Ο[.] ΡΑ (Reynolds' reading) : Pacho, 1827  ΒΑΛΑΔ : Ferri, 1922  (Ferri does not mention this line)

2 θ̣υρίδας (Reynolds' reading) : CIG  ὀφρίδας

3-4 ἀ̣ν|έθηκε (Reynolds' reading) : Ferri, 1922 , Pacho, 1827  ἀνέθηκε (the whole word on line 4)

French translation

 [---]  Zôpyros a consacré les niches aux déesses.

English translation

 [---]  Zopyros dedicated the niches to the goddesses.

Italian translation

 [---]  Zopyros ha dedicato le nicchie alle dee.

Commentary

Ferri regarded the text as contemporary, or nearly so, with the construction of the chamber and stated that it had been subsequently covered with stucco several times.

It seems possible that several texts have been cut at different times in this panel.

For θυρίς meaning 'niche', already suspected by Ferri, see Husson, 1983 , p. 162, footnote 41, who gives papyrological and epigraphical parallels and also Hellmann, 1992 , p. 166.

At l. 5 Ferri thought that the goddesses were the Nymphs, on behalf of his interpretation of IGCyr051900, which is far from clear. But Laronde, followed by Marini, argues that the terracottas and sculptures found in the cave testify that they were mother-goddesses favouring fertility.

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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.

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