Dedication to Ammon and artist's signature

IGCyr108400

Trismegistos ID: 738614

Source Description

Repository

Cyrene Museum, inv. number unknown.

Support

Rectangular base of white marble, broken off at lower left angle, with two large holes for a statue on top (0.595; 0.22;0.46).

Layout

Inscribed on front face, in three lines aligned at left.

Letters

0.016 to 0.025; no serifs, still slightly slanting mu, symmetrical nu, slightly smaller omicron and omega, slanting sigma.

Place of Origin

Cyrene .

Date

Probably fourth century B.C. (lettering)

Findspot

Found before 1993 in a votive depot South of Cyrene : in the area of the Wadi El Aish .

Last recorded Location

Seen in 1993 by C. Dobias-Lalou in Shahat : Cyrene Museum .

Text constituted from

Transcription from stone (CDL).

Bibliography

Mohamed-Reynolds-Dobias-Lalou, 2007 , pp. 28-30, n. 1, whence SEG , 57.2004. Cf. Rosamilia, 2014 , n. 4; Montanari, 2016 , p. 20.

Text

Ἵππαρχος Ναύσιος Ἄμμωνι ἀνέθηκε (vac. 1) (vac. 1 line) [.] ίωνος ἔργον

Apparatus

2 ἀνέθηκε : Mohamed-Reynolds-Dobias-Lalou, 2007 , Rosamilia, 2014  ἀνέθηκεν

French translation

Hipparkhos fils de Nausis a consacré (ce monument) à Ammon. Oeuvre de [.] iôn.

English translation

Hipparchos son of Nausis dedicated (this monument) to Ammon. Work of [.] ion.

Italian translation

Hipparchos figlio di Nausis ha dedicato (questo monumento) ad Ammone. Opera di [.] ion.

Commentary

Here is the most ancient epigraphical mention of Ammon, the only other one of Hellenistic date being IGCyr100200 in the second century B.C. Found by chance together with IGCyr108500, IGCyr108600, IGCyr108700, IGCyr108900, IGCyr109000, IGCyr109100, IGCyr109200, IGCyr109300, IGCyr109400, IGCyr109500, IGCyr109600, this is the only inscription of the group referring clearly to Ammon. Some pieces of sculpture found with them are also related to that god. See the commentary at IGCyr134800.

Another interesting feature is the rare formula with ἔργον for the sculptor's signature, perhaps also known at Euesperides (IGCyr091600). The only approaching formula has the verb ἠργάσσατο at IGCyr019000. In fact this formula, with letters as tall as those in the dedication, would rather originate from the dedicator and whould then not be exactly an artist's signature.

The sculptor, unknwown elsewhere, is probably a Cyrenaean, as his name is mentioned without an ethnic, but this is no inescapable argument.

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