IGCyr2 | GVCyr2
Inscriptions of Greek Cyrenaica | Greek Verse Inscriptions of Cyrenaica

Epitaph

EpiDoc XML: IGCyr0256002
Trismegistos ID: 738266

Source description

Support: Marble base with mouldings of eggs and darts on top and below (dimensions unknown).

Layout: Inscribed on front face.

Letters: Height unknown: carefullly carved lettering with slight serifs.

Date: First half of third century BC (lettering).

Findspot: Found before 1933 at Cyrene: undetermined Necropolis (Oliverio); presumably North Necropolis (Thorn).

Place of origin: Findspot.

Last recorded location: Not found.

Text constituted from: Transcription from previous editor.

Bibliography

Oliverio 1933-1936, p. 114, n. 100, fig. 56, whence SEG, 9.212; IGCyr 025600 . Cf. Beschi 1970, p. 204 (date of the base); Thorn – Thorn 2009, p. 140; Belzic 2022, catalogue B.78.

Text

Interpretive

Ξάνθις
Πολυκλεῦς

Diplomatic

ΞΑΝΘΙΣ
ΠΟΛΥΚΛΕΥΣ

French translation

Xanthis fils de Polyklès.

English translation

Xanthis son of Polykles.

Italian translation

Xanthis figlio di Polykles.

Commentary

The lettering suggests a date in the 1st half of the third century BC, while Beschi would bring the base down somewhat later.

The name Ξάνθις is here more probably a masculine in -ι-, short form of compound names like Ξάνθιππος and alike, rather than a feminine in -ίδ- (see Masson 1987), a type that is not at all common in Cyrenaica.

The Thorns supposed this base to come from the North Necropolis on the assumption that the Italian archaeologists worked only on the part before World War II.

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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.

Maps

Cyrene general plan

image

Cyrene north necropolis

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