Support: Unknown suppport (see commentary) and unknown material (dimensions unknown).

Layout: Probably inscribed with two text-lines for each verse-line, with alternate inset for the second part of the latter, at least up to line 7; after that, the text-lines are completed without consideration of the verse-lines.

Letters: Height unknown; to judge from the diplomatic copy: alpha with straight bar, lunar epsilon and sigma, horse-shoe omega.

Date: Second to third centuries AD (lettering).

Findspot: Copied probably in 1819 by Father Pacifico (see commentary) at Cyrene ➚: exact findspot unrecorded.

Place of origin: Findspot.

Last recorded location: Seems to be lost long since.

Text constituted from: Transcription from previous editors (CDL).

Apparatus

French translation

[---] les feuilles [---] Markos son desservant ; Artémis A[grotérè] se réjouit de voir dans la d[emeure] sacrée Markianè en beaux a[tours]. Bienheureux prêtre [qui devint] père de prêtres quand il eut attaché sur (scil. la tête de) ceux qui lui étaient chers la couronne [---] ! [---] à Markos [---]son père et [---].

English translation

[---] the leaves [---] Markos his attendant; Artemis A[grotere] rejoices when seeing in the sacred r[esidence] Markiane with beautiful g[own]. Blessed priest [who became] a father of priests, once he tied upon (scil. the heads of) his dear ones the crown [---]! [---] to Markos [---] his father and [---].

Italian translation

[---] le foglie [---] Markos suo intendente; Artemide A[grotere] si rallegra quando vede nella sacra d[imora] Markiane con belle v[esti]. Felice sacerdote [che è diventato] padre di sacerdoti, una volta allacciata intorno a(scil. lla testa de)i suoi cari la corona [---]! [---] a Markos [---] suo padre e [---].

Commentary

This is one of the inscriptions first edited in CIG by Franz from copies previously owned by a Sardinian having served as consul in Tripoli in 1827. It is Laronde's hypothesis that the copies had been made by Father Pacifico di Monte Cassiano during his visit to Cyrenaica in 1819 (see Laronde 1987, p. 19).

The content seems to be related with GVCyr036² and might be a companion piece. What we get from the lettering and display through Franz's diplomatic copy increases this impression. In J.M. Reynolds' view both poems might have been cut on two columns (or on the same column?) of the peristatis of Apollo's temple. On the one hand, Artemis' temple would also be fit for hosting this piece. On the other hand, if Markos is really mentioned at line 1, this poem might be the continuation of the other one. Nothing can be securely deduced because of the very poor condition of the present one, which can no longer be checked, and because of the shift between both finds.

Both Franz and Kaibel considered lines 1-2 and 11-13 desperate and did not try to restore them. Peek on the contrary restored them generously, even supposing that two lines were lost above. We give most of his readings in apparatus and prefer to adopt a more cautious attitude.

What seems to be clear at verses 3-4 is Artemis' concern with Markiane, who might be her priestess. If she is related with the Markos of GVCyr036² she would be his sister and thus Markianos' daughter. The latter being 'father of priests', this would imply that Markos became eponymous priest of Apollo and in this we adopt Peek's restoration for the end of verse 1. The relation between both deities and their position as gods damoteleis makes the proud mention worthwhile. At Cyrene, Artemis' priestess was on duty for one year like Apollo's priest and the connexion between them was institutionnally expressed through the verb συνιαριτεύω (see Marengo 2007). As J.M. Reynolds points out, no Markiane appears in the list of 23 priestesses of Artemis IRCyr2020 C.221 (Commodan period), but plenty of time remains possible for Markiane to have been priestess.

Artemis' epithet is restored and should be considered with limited confidence, as no instance of this mainly literary epithet is known in Cyrenaica.

The father was himself a priest (ἀρητήρ). Franz restored 'of Zeus' at line 7 and Kaibel confirmed this statement with the epithet Φίλιος at line 8. None of those hypotheseis is sure. The father might also have been himself priest of Apollo and φίλιος may be an ordinary adjective.

Metrical analysis: from the endings of verse-lines 2, 5 and 6 we may infer the successive placement of pentameters and hexameters and suppose that we have regular elegiac couplets, with one hexameter lost at the beginning. However, if by chance this poem was the continuation of GVCyr036², the alternation would be less compulsory.

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Images

Fig. 1. Diplomatic transcription of gvcyr037 Honours for Marciane

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