Support: Rectangular base of white-veined grey-blue marble, slightly chipped off at the upper left angle, with a large rectangular recess (w: 0.325 × h: 0.0245 × d: 0.12) for attachment on the upper side (w: 0.575 × h: 0.34 × d: 0.45).

Layout: Inscribed in four lines on the face.

Letters: 0.009 (omicron) to 0.025 (beta); carefully cut letters pressed close to one another, without serifs; smaller round letters, larger beta and nu; slanting sigma, phi with small loop.

Date: Between 283 and 260 BC (lettering, reign).

Findspot: Found by Montet in March 1954, at Port of Cyrene, later Apollonia ➚: reused in a late house, above the Byzantine warehouses.

Place of origin: Port of Cyrene, later Apollonia ➚.

Last recorded location: Apollonia Museum, inv. number unknown. Seen by C. Dobias-Lalou several times from 1976 to 2010 at Sūsah: in the Apollonia Museum.

Text constituted from: Transcription from stone (CDL).

Apparatus

French translation

Translation source: Chamoux 1958

[Un bouclier] est pour Enyalios une consécration convenable, avec des plaques de harnais

scintillantes; quant à la Victoire, Eupolémos proclame

qu'il l'a consacrée au roi Magas comme un beau privilège, afin que sous son patronage

il sauvegarde ses sceptres, ses peuples et ses cités.

English translation

[A shield] is for Enyalios a fitting offering, with glittering

cheek-pieces; as to the Victory, Eupolemos declares

that he dedicated her to king Magas as a fine gift, so that, with her help,

he will be able to save his sceptres, his peoples and his cities.

Italian translation

[Uno scudo] per Enyalios è offerta conveniente, e falere scintillanti

di cavalli; la Vittoria, Eupolemos proclama

che l'ha dedicata al re Magas come speciale privilegio, in modo che, con la sua protezione,

i suoi scettri, i suoi popoli, le sue città egli salvi.

Arabic translation

[درع] لأجل إنياليوس، الهدية المناسبة ، مع أَلجِمَةٌ لامعةً لفكتوري (آلهة النصر). إفبيليموس صرح بأنه كان قد أهداها (تمثال فكتوري) إلى الملك ماجاس كأفضل هدية، أملاً في أن الملك ربما يستطيع بمساعدتها أن يحفظ صوَالجة (أي عُروشه) و شعبه ومدنه.

Commentary

The epigram dates from the royal period of Magas in Cyrene. C. Marquaille in her thesis suggests more precisely a date around 275 BC (cf. Marquaille 2001, pp. 70-71).

There is no reason to supply the word for 'aegis' (cuirass), as proposed by Peek, instead of 'shield', which is an actual piece of the outfit of a soldier, as well as the metal discs decorating the harness of his horse. There are many examples of such dedications for Enyalios or Ares. For the cult of Ares in the Port of Cyrene, there is no sure parallel, his name being only possible in IGCyr062600².

A small statue of winged Nike ('Victory') was presumably attached on the top of the base and this offering was especially for king Magas, who was worshipped like the other kings of the Ptolemaic dynasty (see IGCyr020000²). As he became king of Cyrenaica in 283 and died in 250 (Chamoux, Laronde) or rather 260 (Rosamili), this dedication may be dated inside a short span of time.

Chamoux emphasized the careful composition of this poem and thought that it might be a work of Callimachus or a poet in his circle. Anyhow, there are subtle arguments relying Magas' with Philadelphos' own kingship, probably echoing their rivalry. So the verb 'to save' might allude to the former Ptolemy's epithet 'Soter'. As the last word of the epigram, it might be its point (pace Fraser 1960, p. 100).

At line 4, the plural for 'sceptres, peoples and cities' may be explained by a poetic amplification. However, λαοί may also have a precise meaning, referring to the semi-hellenised Libyan tribes (for which see Papazoglou 1997, n. T 9).

Metrical analysis: two quite regular elegiac couplets.

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All citation, reuse or distribution of this work must contain a link back to DOI: https://doi.org/10.60760/unibo/igcyrgvcyr2 and the filename (IGCyr000000 or GVCyr000), as well as the year of consultation.

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