Repository
Cyrene Museum, 437.
Support
Fragmentary white marble panel, broken on all sides but for the left edge and for a very short part of the right edge, at l. 7 (0.195; 0.21;0.6).
Layout
Inscribed on two columns, separated by a vertical line down to l. 7.
Letters
0.06; careful letters with slight serifs; alpha with dropped bar.
Place of Origin
Date
Second half of second century B.C. (lettering)
Findspot
Plausibly found by G. Oliverio in 1937 at Cyrene pleiades; HGL : on the agora , East of the Prytaneum (see commentary).
Last recorded Location
Seen by C. Dobias-Lalou in 1977 in Shahat : Cyrene Museum .
Text constituted from
Transcription from stone (CDL).
Oliverio, Taccuini inediti Oliverio, G., Taccuini inediti - see in bibliography , IV.6, whence Pugliese Carratelli, 1960 Pugliese Carratelli, G., 1960, Legge sacra di Cirene, La Parola del Passato (PP)15, 294-397 - see in bibliography and 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 , 158; Sokolowski, 1962 Sokolowski, F., 1962, Lois sacrées des cités grecques: Supplément, Travaux et mémoires des anciens membres étrangers de l'École et de divers savants11, Paris - see in bibliography , pp. 196-198, n. 116 and Robert, Bulletin Épigraphique Robert, J. and L., Bulletin Épigraphique in Revue des Études Grecques (REG)1938-1984 - see in bibliography , 1963.307, whence SEG Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum, Leiden, then Amsterdam, 1923-1971, then 1979- - see in bibliography , 20.719; Dobias-Lalou, 1985 Dobias-Lalou, C., 1985, Le vocabulaire des produits agricoles en Cyrénaïque, in G. Barker, J. Lloyd, J. Reynolds (eds.), Cyrenaica in Antiquity (papers presented at the Colloquium on Society and Economy in Cyrenaica held at Newnham College, Cambridge, in March/April 1983), BAR International Series236, Society for Libyan Studies occasional papers1, Oxford, 173-182 - see in bibliography , p. 180, whence SEG Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum, Leiden, then Amsterdam, 1923-1971, then 1979- - see in bibliography , 35.1687; Grosjean-Agnès, 2012 Grosjean-Agnès, S., 2012, Les Télessai de Cyrène: les Mystérieuses de l'"Athènes d'Afrique", in J.-C. Couvenhes, C. Chandezon, C. Dobias-Lalou, F. Lefèvre, E. Perrin-Saminadayar (eds.), L'hellénisme, d'une rive à l'autre de la Méditerranée, Mélanges offerts à André Laronde, Paris, 239-247 - see in bibliography , whence SEG Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum, Leiden, then Amsterdam, 1923-1971, then 1979- - see in bibliography , 62.1788 (new text by C. Dobias-Lalou).
Cf. Pugliese Carratelli, 1964 Pugliese Carratelli, G., 1964, Appunti per la storia dei culti cirenaici, Maian.s. 16, 99-111 - see in bibliography ; Laronde, 1987 Laronde, A., 1987, Cyrène et la Libye hellénistique. Libykai historiai de l’époque républicaine au principat d’Auguste, Paris - see in bibliography , pp. 425-427; Dobias-Lalou, 2000 Dobias-Lalou, C., 2000, Le dialecte des inscriptions grecques de Cyrène, Karthago25, Paris - see in bibliography , passim and especially pp. 149 and 231, whence SEG Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum, Leiden, then Amsterdam, 1923-1971, then 1979- - see in bibliography , 50.1637; Parisi Presicce, 2007 Parisi Presicce, C., 2007, Apobomios, epibomios, probomios: indagini sul culto di Apollo a Cirene, in L. Gasperini, S. Marengo (eds.), Cirene e la Cirenaica nell'antichità: atti del convegno internazionale di studi, Roma-Frascati, 18-21 dicembre 1996, Ichnia9, 491-524Tivoli, - see in bibliography and Dobias-Lalou, Bulletin Épigraphique Dobias-Lalou, C.Bulletin Épigraphique in Études Grecques (REG)1987- - see in bibliography , 2008.602, whence SEG Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum, Leiden, then Amsterdam, 1923-1971, then 1979- - see in bibliography , 57.2025.
1-40 Grosjean-Agnès, 2012 Grosjean-Agnès, S., 2012, Les Télessai de Cyrène: les Mystérieuses de l'"Athènes d'Afrique", in J.-C. Couvenhes, C. Chandezon, C. Dobias-Lalou, F. Lefèvre, E. Perrin-Saminadayar (eds.), L'hellénisme, d'une rive à l'autre de la Méditerranée, Mélanges offerts à André Laronde, Paris, 239-247 - see in bibliography shows a text, provided by C. Dobias-Lalou, which is the same presented here
4 〚ὗς〛 (not seen by the previous editors)
5
Dobias-Lalou, 1985
Dobias-Lalou, C., 1985, Le vocabulaire des produits agricoles en Cyrénaïque, in G. Barker, J. Lloyd, J. Reynolds (eds.), Cyrenaica in Antiquity (papers presented at the Colloquium on Society and Economy in Cyrenaica held at Newnham College, Cambridge, in March/April 1983), BAR International Series236, Society for Libyan Studies occasional papers1, Oxford, 173-182 - see in bibliography
ἄλλα : Pugliese Carratelli, 1960
Pugliese Carratelli, G., 1960, Legge sacra di Cirene, La Parola del Passato (PP)15, 294-397 - see in bibliography
, 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
μᾶλα : Sokolowski, 1962
Sokolowski, F., 1962, Lois sacrées des cités grecques: Supplément, Travaux et mémoires des anciens membres étrangers de l'École et de divers savants11, Paris - see in bibliography
, Pugliese Carratelli, 1964
Pugliese Carratelli, G., 1964, Appunti per la storia dei culti cirenaici, Maian.s. 16, 99-111 - see in bibliography
μάλα (the meaning would be 'sacred strip')
12 〚ὗς〛 : Pugliese Carratelli, 1960
Pugliese Carratelli, G., 1960, Legge sacra di Cirene, La Parola del Passato (PP)15, 294-397 - see in bibliography
, 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
ὗς
26 τῶι̣ [c. 8 - 11] : Pugliese Carratelli, 1960
Pugliese Carratelli, G., 1960, Legge sacra di Cirene, La Parola del Passato (PP)15, 294-397 - see in bibliography
ΤΩ[---]
27 τοῖς π̣[αρέδροις] : τοῖς π̣[ερινάοις] (also possible, as at l. 21) : 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
τοῖς +
[---]
28 αἴ̣ξ̣ : Pugliese Carratelli, 1960
Pugliese Carratelli, G., 1960, Legge sacra di Cirene, La Parola del Passato (PP)15, 294-397 - see in bibliography
, 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
αἴ̣[ξ]
32 καὶ̣ [τοῖς] : Pugliese Carratelli, 1960
Pugliese Carratelli, G., 1960, Legge sacra di Cirene, La Parola del Passato (PP)15, 294-397 - see in bibliography
, 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
ΚΑΡ[---] : Robert, Bulletin Épigraphique
Robert, J. and L., Bulletin Épigraphique in Revue des Études Grecques (REG)1938-1984 - see in bibliography
, Pugliese Carratelli, 1964
Pugliese Carratelli, G., 1964, Appunti per la storia dei culti cirenaici, Maian.s. 16, 99-111 - see in bibliography
Καρ[νείωι]
33 ὗ̣[ς..] : Pugliese Carratelli, 1960
Pugliese Carratelli, G., 1960, Legge sacra di Cirene, La Parola del Passato (PP)15, 294-397 - see in bibliography
, 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
[---]
35 τ[ᾶν ἐν τᾶι] : Pugliese Carratelli, 1960
Pugliese Carratelli, G., 1960, Legge sacra di Cirene, La Parola del Passato (PP)15, 294-397 - see in bibliography
τ[---]
36 νάπα̣[ι] : Pugliese Carratelli, 1960
Pugliese Carratelli, G., 1960, Legge sacra di Cirene, La Parola del Passato (PP)15, 294-397 - see in bibliography
ΝΑΠ[---]
37 Ἀπόλ[λωνι] : Pugliese Carratelli, 1960
Pugliese Carratelli, G., 1960, Legge sacra di Cirene, La Parola del Passato (PP)15, 294-397 - see in bibliography
, 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
Ἀπόλ[λων]
40 Π : Pugliese Carratelli, 1960
Pugliese Carratelli, G., 1960, Legge sacra di Cirene, La Parola del Passato (PP)15, 294-397 - see in bibliography
, 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
Γ
(col. a) [---] , pour les Vents, une chèvre, pour Apollon Apotropaios, une chèvre, plus précisément un chevreau; pour Zeus Hyperphoreus, on ne sacrifie pas d’être vivant, ni on ne (10) pénètre chaussé, ni on n’apporte de myrte; pour les Telessai, une chèvre, un porc; pour Zeus Pantheios et Athèna Pantheia, pour Zeus Hypellaios et Athèna Hypellaia, une chèvre; pour Iatros, un porc; pour Zeus, une chèvre, un porc; (20) pour Ammon et les dieux voisins, un mouton [---] .
(col. b) [---] , pour les dieux voisins d’Athèna, une chèvre ; pour les divinités de (30) l’agora et du prytanée, pour Paian et les dieux voisins un porc, pour les Nymphes [---] excepté celles du ravin [---] ; pour Apollon, [---] .
(col. a) [---] for the Winds, a goat, for Apollo Apotropaios, a goat, more exactly a kid; for Zeus Hyperphoreus, no living being should be sacrified, nor should one (10) come in with shoes on, neither bring myrtle; for the Telessai, a goat, a pig; for Zeus Pantheios and Athena Pantheia, for Zeus Hypellaios and Athena Hypellaia, a goat; for Iatros, a pig; for Zeus, a goat, a pig; (20) for Ammon and the neighbour gods, a sheep [---] .
(col. b) [---] for the gods neighbours of Athena, a goat; for the gods of the (30) agora and of the prytaneion, for Paean and the neighbour gods, a pig, for the Nymphs [---] except those of the ravine [---] ; for Apollo, [---] .
(col. a) [---] , per i Venti, una capra, per Apollo Apotropaios, una capra, più precisamente un capretto; per Zeus Hyperphoreus, non si sacrifichi alcun essere vivente, né si entri (10) con le scarpe, né si porti mirto; per le Telessai, una capra, un maiale; per Zeus Pantheios e Atena Pantheia, per Zeus Hypellaios e Atena Hypellaia, una capra; per Iatros, un maiale; per Zeus, una capra, un maiale; (20) per Ammon e gli dèi vicini, un montone [---] .
(col. b) [---] , per gli dèi vicini di Atena, una capra; per gli dèi (30) dell'agora e del pritaneo, per Peana e gli dèi vicini, un maiale, per le Ninfe [---] fatta eccezione per quelle del vallone [---] ; per Apollo, [---] .
There exists some confusion about the findspot of this stone: Pugliese Carratelli Pugliese Carratelli, 1960 Pugliese Carratelli, G., 1960, Legge sacra di Cirene, La Parola del Passato (PP)15, 294-397 - see in bibliography wrote that it was found in 1937 in the Sanctuary of Apollo, commonly called 'Piazzale'; however in SECir, the same editor, citing Oliverio's notebook, mentions as findspot «nello scavo n. 2 (ad Est del Pritaneo)», i.e. on the agora near the Prytaneum. The photograph from the Department of Antiquities confirms the date 1937, a year for which unfortunately no excavation report may help (see Luni, 2014 Luni, M., 2014, Attività di Carlo Anti, Luigi Pernier e Gaspare Oliverio (1923-1938), in M. Luni (ed.), La scoperta di Cirene. Un secolo di scavi, 1913-2013, Monografie di archeologia libica37, Cirene Atene d'Africa8, Roma, 123-156 - see in bibliography , p. 153 and footnote 10). We only know that Oliverio spent some time at Cyrene during that summer (he was no longer Controller of the Antiquities) and he probably took part into the discovery.
As sacrifices are prescribed to various gods and goddesses, often with epithets known only here, the place should not be necessarily the sanctuary of Apollo, although it hosted many other deities. That this panel would have been exposed on the agora is quite possible and we prefer to follow Oliverio's indications. This also fits well the mention of 'gods of the agora and of the prytaneion' at lines 29-31 (which cannot be taken as hinting at the so-called Agora of the Gods in the sanctuary of Apollo, pace Parisi Presicce, 2007 Parisi Presicce, C., 2007, Apobomios, epibomios, probomios: indagini sul culto di Apollo a Cirene, in L. Gasperini, S. Marengo (eds.), Cirene e la Cirenaica nell'antichità: atti del convegno internazionale di studi, Roma-Frascati, 18-21 dicembre 1996, Ichnia9, 491-524Tivoli, - see in bibliography , p. 495, footnote 13).
The restoration proposed here for l. 36 is based on the rare root ναπ-; the full word may be fem. νάπα or neuter νάπος, both with meaning 'woodland vale'. Sanctuaries of Νύμφαι are already known on the Fountain Terrace and on the Western slope of the Acropolis, which might be the place mentioned here (νάπος means both 'grove' and 'ravine') but still lacks any inscribed documentation. Nymphs are also known in the extra-mural sanctuary of Demeter and Kore, near Theatre 5, and at the more remote site of Budaraj, for which the word would also be appropriate.
Some epithets of gods are here quite new. In his first edition, Pugliese Carratelli ( Pugliese Carratelli, 1960 Pugliese Carratelli, G., 1960, Legge sacra di Cirene, La Parola del Passato (PP)15, 294-397 - see in bibliography ) discussed the new ones. For Ὑπελλαιος /-α the most convincing interpretation is that from ὑπερ-λαῖος 'with the left hand up'. About the mysterious Telessai, see a tentative etymology by Dobias-Lalou, 2000 Dobias-Lalou, C., 2000, Le dialecte des inscriptions grecques de Cyrène, Karthago25, Paris - see in bibliography , pp. 230-231 and for their figure Grosjean-Agnès, 2012 Grosjean-Agnès, S., 2012, Les Télessai de Cyrène: les Mystérieuses de l'"Athènes d'Afrique", in J.-C. Couvenhes, C. Chandezon, C. Dobias-Lalou, F. Lefèvre, E. Perrin-Saminadayar (eds.), L'hellénisme, d'une rive à l'autre de la Méditerranée, Mélanges offerts à André Laronde, Paris, 239-247 - see in bibliography .
Creative Commons Attributions-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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.