Honorary inscription for Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II

Source Description

Support

Rectangular white marble base, formerly used for IGCyr097500 on the opposite side. On top, a circular hole near the right edge and two dovetail holes at left near fore and back edges: they might date either to the first or the second use or even after them. The base was slightly re-cut at left after the present use. The estimated original width of the base, inferred from the layout of IGCyr097500 was 1.01 (present dimensions 0.87; 0.29;0.62).

Layout

Inscribed on four lines on back side of IGCyr097500; the lines probably ran on the whole width.

Letters

0.022 to 0.025; light serifs, large circular letters, slanting sigma, phi with flattened loop.

Place of Origin

Findspot.

Date

Between 164 and 116 B.C. (titulature)

Findspot

Found in 1936 at Cyrene pleiades; HGL : on the agora .

Last recorded Location

Seen by C. Dobias-Lalou in 2010 at Cyrene pleiades; HGL : in the so-called Temple of Hermes .

Text constituted from

Transcription from stone (CDL).

Bibliography

Oliverio, Taccuini inediti Oliverio, G., Taccuini inediti - see in bibliography XVI.11, whence SECir Oliverio, G., Pugliese-Carratelli, G., Morelli, D., 1961-1962, Supplemento Epigrafico Cirenaico, Annuario della Scuola Archeologica di Atene e delle Missioni Italiane in Oriente (ASAA)39-40 (= n.s. 23-24), 219-375 - see in bibliography , 117a (photo); Sammelbuch Preisigke, F. et al. (eds.), Sammelbuch griechischer Urkunden aus Ägypten, Strassburg/Wiesbaden1915- - see in bibliography 1574; Bagnall, 1973 Bagnall, R.S., 1973, Three notes on Ptolemaic inscriptions, Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik (ZPE)11, 121-127 - see in bibliography , pp. 123-124; Piejko, 1981 Piejko, F., 1981, A Cyrenaican dedication and some congeners, Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik (ZPE)44, 105-109 - see in bibliography , pp. 105-107, whence SEG Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum, Leiden, then Amsterdam, 1923-1971, then 1979- - see in bibliography , 31.1574; Robert, Bulletin Épigraphique Robert, J. and L., Bulletin Épigraphique in Revue des Études Grecques (REG)1938-1984 - see in bibliography , 1982.491; Van't Dack, 1987 Van't Dack, E., 1987, Notes de lecture, in S. Janeras (ed.), Miscellània papirològica Ramon Roca-Puig en el seu vuitantè aniversari, Barcelona, 327-335 - see in bibliography , pp. 327-330. Cf. Mooren, 1977 Mooren, L., 1977, Le hiérarchie de cour ptolémaïque. Contribution à l'étude des institutions et des classes dirigeantes à l'époque hellénistique, Lovanii - see in bibliography , pp. 33-36 Lanciers, 1988 Lanciers, E., 1988, Die Alleinherrschaft des Ptolemaios VIII. im Jahre 164/163 v. Chr. und der Name Euergetes, in B.G. Mandilaras (ed.), Proceedings of the XVIII International Congress of Papyrology, Athens 25-31 May 1986, II, Athens, 405-433 - see in bibliography , pp. 431-433, whence SEG Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum, Leiden, then Amsterdam, 1923-1971, then 1979- - see in bibliography , 38.1671.

Text

[Βασιλ]έ̣α Πτολεμαῖον μέγαν θεὸν Εὐεργέτην, [θεῶν] Ἐ̣πιφανῶν, διάδοχοι σωματοφύλακες̣ [σὺν? μακ?]ρῶι συβίνηι, ὑπασπισταί, ἐπίλεκτοι καὶ πλείονες [εὐνοία]ς̣ ἕνεκεν καὶ εὐεργεσίας τῆς εἰς ἑαυτούς

Apparatus

1 SECir Oliverio, G., Pugliese-Carratelli, G., Morelli, D., 1961-1962, Supplemento Epigrafico Cirenaico, Annuario della Scuola Archeologica di Atene e delle Missioni Italiane in Oriente (ASAA)39-40 (= n.s. 23-24), 219-375 - see in bibliography [Βασιλ]έ̣α : Piejko, 1981 Piejko, F., 1981, A Cyrenaican dedication and some congeners, Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik (ZPE)44, 105-109 - see in bibliography [Ἀπόλλωνι· Βασιλ]έ̣α : Van't Dack, 1987 Van't Dack, E., 1987, Notes de lecture, in S. Janeras (ed.), Miscellània papirològica Ramon Roca-Puig en el seu vuitantè aniversari, Barcelona, 327-335 - see in bibliography [---] [Βασιλ]έ̣α || Bagnall, 1973 Bagnall, R.S., 1973, Three notes on Ptolemaic inscriptions, Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik (ZPE)11, 121-127 - see in bibliography [θεῶν Ἐ]πιφανῶν : Van't Dack, 1987 Van't Dack, E., 1987, Notes de lecture, in S. Janeras (ed.), Miscellània papirològica Ramon Roca-Puig en el seu vuitantè aniversari, Barcelona, 327-335 - see in bibliography [τὸν ἐκ? θεῶν Ἐ]πιφανῶν : Piejko, 1981 Piejko, F., 1981, A Cyrenaican dedication and some congeners, Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik (ZPE)44, 105-109 - see in bibliography [τὸν ἐγ θεῶν Ἐ]πιφανῶν : SECir Oliverio, G., Pugliese-Carratelli, G., Morelli, D., 1961-1962, Supplemento Epigrafico Cirenaico, Annuario della Scuola Archeologica di Atene e delle Missioni Italiane in Oriente (ASAA)39-40 (= n.s. 23-24), 219-375 - see in bibliography [τῶν Ἐ]πιφανῶν || [συν μακ?]ρῶι : Van't Dack, 1987 Van't Dack, E., 1987, Notes de lecture, in S. Janeras (ed.), Miscellània papirològica Ramon Roca-Puig en el seu vuitantè aniversari, Barcelona, 327-335 - see in bibliography [---] [ἀργυ?]ρῶι : Piejko, 1981 Piejko, F., 1981, A Cyrenaican dedication and some congeners, Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik (ZPE)44, 105-109 - see in bibliography [οἱ σὺν νικηφό]ρωι : SECir Oliverio, G., Pugliese-Carratelli, G., Morelli, D., 1961-1962, Supplemento Epigrafico Cirenaico, Annuario della Scuola Archeologica di Atene e delle Missioni Italiane in Oriente (ASAA)39-40 (= n.s. 23-24), 219-375 - see in bibliography [ἀργυ]ρῶι : SECir Oliverio, G., Pugliese-Carratelli, G., Morelli, D., 1961-1962, Supplemento Epigrafico Cirenaico, Annuario della Scuola Archeologica di Atene e delle Missioni Italiane in Oriente (ASAA)39-40 (= n.s. 23-24), 219-375 - see in bibliography [σιδη]ρῶι

4 [εὐνοία]ς̣ ἕνεκεν : Van't Dack, 1987 Van't Dack, E., 1987, Notes de lecture, in S. Janeras (ed.), Miscellània papirològica Ramon Roca-Puig en el seu vuitantè aniversari, Barcelona, 327-335 - see in bibliography [---] ἕνεκεν : Piejko, 1981 Piejko, F., 1981, A Cyrenaican dedication and some congeners, Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik (ZPE)44, 105-109 - see in bibliography [ἄλλοι, ἀρετῆς] ἕνεκεν : Bagnall, 1973 Bagnall, R.S., 1973, Three notes on Ptolemaic inscriptions, Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik (ZPE)11, 121-127 - see in bibliography [.....] ἕνεκεν : SECir Oliverio, G., Pugliese-Carratelli, G., Morelli, D., 1961-1962, Supplemento Epigrafico Cirenaico, Annuario della Scuola Archeologica di Atene e delle Missioni Italiane in Oriente (ASAA)39-40 (= n.s. 23-24), 219-375 - see in bibliography [εὐνοίας?] ἕνεκεν

French translation

(La statue du) roi Ptolémée, grand Dieu, Evergète, fils des Dieux Epiphanes, (a été consacrée), par les gardes du corps suppléants [ avec le long?] épieu, les hypaspistes (i.e. écuyers), les soldats d'élite et bien d'autres en raison de sa bienveillance et de sa générosité envers eux.

English translation

(The statue of) king Ptolemy, great God, Euergetes, son of the Gods Epiphaneis, (was dedicated) by the deputy body-guards [ with the long?] spear, the hypaspistes (i.e. esquires), the choosen soldiers and many others on behalf of his goodwill and generosity towards them.

Italian translation

(La statua del) re Tolemeo, Grande Dio Evergete, figlio degli Dèi Epifani, (è stata dedicata) dalle riserve delle guardie del corpo [con la lunga?] lancia, dagli hypaspistes (i.e. scudieri), dai soldati scelti e da molti altri per la benevolenza e generosità nei loro confronti.

Commentary

For the whereabouts of the stone, see commentary at IGCyr097500.

This dedication of a statue of king Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II by diginitaries has been commented and restored without exact consideration of the dimensions of the gap at the beginning of the lines. The missing part may be estimated from the opposite side. Pugliese Carratelli at SECir Oliverio, G., Pugliese-Carratelli, G., Morelli, D., 1961-1962, Supplemento Epigrafico Cirenaico, Annuario della Scuola Archeologica di Atene e delle Missioni Italiane in Oriente (ASAA)39-40 (= n.s. 23-24), 219-375 - see in bibliography was right in restoring 4 to 6 letters, whereas Piejko's restorations ( Piejko, 1981 Piejko, F., 1981, A Cyrenaican dedication and some congeners, Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik (ZPE)44, 105-109 - see in bibliography ) are too long.

Especially at line 3, Piejko's proposal was sceptically received by the Roberts at Robert, Bulletin Épigraphique Robert, J. and L., Bulletin Épigraphique in Revue des Études Grecques (REG)1938-1984 - see in bibliography 1982.491 who did not understand the supposed meaning; furthermore, Piejko's argument that συβίνη is a feminine is not fully convincing, as a masculine συβίνης did also exist.

At line 4, εὐνοίας does not deserve Piejko's scepticism, see for example IGCyr063000.

Lanciers, 1988 Lanciers, E., 1988, Die Alleinherrschaft des Ptolemaios VIII. im Jahre 164/163 v. Chr. und der Name Euergetes, in B.G. Mandilaras (ed.), Proceedings of the XVIII International Congress of Papyrology, Athens 25-31 May 1986, II, Athens, 405-433 - see in bibliography has shown that Ptolemy bore the title Euergetes already when king of Cyrene, i.e. from 164 on.

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Images

Cyrene, Agora zone

@ Kenrick 2013