EpiDoc XML:
GVCyr0362
Trismegistos ID:
738929
Support: Limestone column drum, broken off below and partly at left and chipped off above, with surface in poor condition (h: 0.67), diameter 1.25.
Layout: Inscribed on the face, each verse-line occupying two text-lines and beginning at the same point at left, with alternate inset of their second part.
Letters: 0.04-0.045; alpha with straight bar, lunate epsilon and sigma, kappa with very long and slightly curved bars, pi with equal hastae, phi with tall hasta, cursive omega.
Date: Second to third centuries AD (lettering, context).
Findspot: Found in 1925 at Cyrene ➚, Temple of Apollo: from the East face of the Peristasis of the second century AD temple.
Place of origin: Findspot.
Last recorded location: Seen by C. Dobias-Lalou in 1983 and again in 2001 at Shahat, Temple of Apollo, replaced as part of the (very lacunar) second column from South.
Text constituted from: Transcription from stone with help of J.M. Reynolds' notes (CDL).
† Oliverio, SECir 81 and fig. 68 and Gallavotti 1963, pp. 458-459, whence Robert, BE, 1964.563; Peek 1972, n. 8; GVCyr 036 ➚.
2 ⸢γ⸣ lapis τ (sic)
2 ⸢γ⸣ lapis τ (sic)
2 ⸢γ⸣ lapis τ (sic)
1: [Μ]α[ρ]κον Gallavotti 1963: [χ'] ἁ̣[γνόν] SECir Oliverio's reading
6: θ̣[ύρα]ις Peek 1972: σ[c. 4]ς SECir; σ[τήλαι?]ς SECir Pugliese Carratelli's suggestion, metrically impossible; [ἀ]ν̣έ̣γραψα̣ σ[οροῖ]ς Gallavotti 1963
7: [c. 5]Α[..]α: [ᾖ ῥα φἰ]λη[σ]α Peek 1972; [---]ΛΗ[.]α SECir || τε[.. ? ..]: τέ[κος] Peek 1972; τ̣έ[κνον] SECir
8: [ὦ] ἄνα, Ι [---]: [ὦ] ἄνα,[πόλλ]α̣ Peek 1972; [---]ΑΝΑΙ[---] SECir
9: [c. 11]ρ̣ι: [νῦν δ' ὅτε χει]ρὶ Peek 1972 || ρ̣ι τε̣ὴν [δ]ά̣φνην Peek 1972: ΡΙΤ[.]ΗΝ [ὄρ]φνην SECir
10: [εὐάρμασιν ἵ]π̣π̣οις: [--- γν]ή̣σιοι Π[---] SECir; [κρατέων στεφά]νο̣ι̣σ̣ι̣ν̣ Peek 1972
Le célèbre Markos, qui s'épanouit pour ses parents tous deux florissants,
Markianos son père et Kléopatrè qui l'a mis au monde,
j'inscris, moi, son nom ici contre tes portes, ô Apollon.
[---] mon cher Markos, ô seigneur, [---
---] le laurier qui t'appartient [---]
avec ses chevaux [------?]
The famous Markos, blossoming for his parents both flourishing,
Markianos his father and Kleopatra who gave him birth,
I write down his name here by your doors, oh Apollo.
[---] my dear Markos, oh lord, [---
---] the laurel which belongs to you [---]
with his horses [------?]
Il famoso Markos, fiorente per i suoi genitori entrambi prosperi,
Markianos il padre e Kleopatra che lo generò,
ho scritto qui alle tue porte, o Apollo.
[---] mio caro Markos, o signore, [---
---] l'alloro che a te appartiene [---] con i suoi cavalli [------?]
ماركوس المشهور، البرعم المُتفتِّق (جالباً) لوالديه ، على حد سواء، النجاح أو الرخاء، ماركيانوس والده وكليوبترا التي ولدته ، اكتب اسمه هنا بجانب أبوابك ، يا أبولو. [---] عزيزي ماركوس ، يا إلهي، [---] [---]الغار (إكليل) الذي هو مِلكٌ لك [---] مع خيوله - - - - - -؟
The peristasis of the so-called 'fourth Apollonion' is dated from the second century AD (see Stucchi 1961, pp. 71-75) and the lettering might be later. The restored position of this drum allows to read the inscription easily, which is not the case for some dedicatory inscriptions cut upon other columns.
As pointed out by J. and L. Robert, Oliverio's and Gallavotti's restorations lead to a funerary interpretation, in contradiction both with the support and with the very words of the poem: designation of Markos as 'flourishing' and address to Apollo. Peek agreed with the Robert on that point.
The adjective ἀμφιθαλής is commonly used for people having both father and mother still living. This meaning is somewhat heavily commented upon by the second part of verse-line 1.
Who is the 'I' at line 3 remains unclear: either an undefined person or one of Markos' friends (cf. φίλον) or his own father (if τέκνον should be restored as Oliverio suggested) or mother (in Peek's view, with a sudden change of person which seems very awkward).
The lost parts of verse-line 4 probably contained the imperative of a verb addressed to Apollo, whereas verse-line 5 probably mentioned a victory for which Markos was celebrated in such a prestigious place. If he was crowned with Apollo's laurel, the event had taken place at Delphi. In this second sentence the subject has changed and seems to be Markos, either after a stop or through the use of a relative pronoun.
This agonistic interpretation is not contradictory with the information gathered from GVCyr0372. If by chance the Markos mentioned there is the same man, he would have become priest of Apollo later on, whereas in the present poem he seems to be rather young. However many of Peek's restorations are based upon the idea that Markos is here mentioned as priest of Apollo.
Metrical analysis: in spite of the fragmentary condition of the poem, it is possible to detect its metrical scheme. Verse-lines 1-3 have two hexameters followed by one pentameter. Lines 4 and 5 are hexameters. If a pentameter followed, it should have taken two lines, which would not have both stood on the same drum. However, it is quite plausible that the lower drum (which is lacking) bore the end of the inscription. If by any chance GVCyr0372 is the continuation of this one, it does begin with a pentameter. But after it the aforementioned metrical scheme is not followed. Prosody: at line 2 in πατρί the final vowel is taken as long on behalf of the caesura.
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