Dedication to the Muses and the Nymphs

IGCyr096200

Trismegistos ID: 738472

Source Description

Repository

Cyrene Museum, 255.

Support

White marble rectangular base with a hole on top, broken off at back and at both lower angles (0.41; 0.10;0.20).

Layout

Inscribed on front face in three lines symmetrically displaid along vertical axis; however in the second half of l. 1 the letters are more pressed close to one another.

Letters

0.01; no serifs, alpha with dropped bar, smaller theta and omicron, xi with central vertical stroke, rho with small loop, non-slanting sigma, calice-shaped upsilon, very small loop of phi.

Place of Origin

Findspot.

Date

Probably second century B.C. (lettering)

Findspot

Found by G. Oliverio in 1925 at Cyrene : in the Sanctuary of Apollo .

Later recorded Location

Seen by Pugliese Carratelli in 1960 in Shahat : Cyrene Museum .

Last recorded Location

Seen by C. Dobias-Lalou in 1976 at the same place.

Text constituted from

Transcription from stone (CDL).

Bibliography

Oliverio, 1927 , p. 157 (mention of find); Oliverio, Taccuini inediti , XI.70, whence SECir , 52; Robert, Bulletin Épigraphique , 1964.562.

Text

Αἰσχίνης Σωσάρχου, Καλλίκλεια Ξούθου, Βασὼ Αἰσχίνου Μούσαις καὶ Νύμφαις ἀνέθηκαν.

Apparatus

2 SECir  Βασώ : Robert, Bulletin Épigraphique  Βασῶ (from the Roberts' commentary)

French translation

Aiskhinès fils de Sôsarkhos, Kallikleia fille de Xouthos et Basô fille d'Aiskhinès ont consacré (ce monument) aux Muses et aux Nymphes.

English translation

Aischines son of Sosarchos, Kallikleia daughter of Xouthos and Baso daughter of Aischines dedicated (this monument) to the Muses and to the Nymphs.

Italian translation

Aischines figlio di Sosarchos, Kallikleia figlia di Xouthos e Basò figlia di Aischines hanno dedicato (questo monumento) alle Muse e alle Ninfe.

Commentary

The father's names show that Baso was the daughter of Aischines and Kallikleia would have been their daughter.

Two readings are possible for a name written ΒΑΣΩ, either a nominative Βασώ or an accusative Βασῶ. Pugliese Carratelli printed the nominative reading, which was clearly Oliverio's option, as he had already mentioned the find at Oliverio, 1927 , p. 157 as a dedication made by 'the family of Aischines son of Sositratos'. This position was endorsed by C. Dobias-Lalou at Dobias-Lalou, 2000 , p.98. Conversely, J. and L. Robert had opted for an accusative, thus a dedication of the statue of the girl by her parents. In fact Muses and Nymphs would be the right patronesses for a young girl. However a circular hole on top of this small and low base would not support a statue. The nominative seems eventually better, but the question should perhaps remain open.

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