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Inscriptions of Greek Cyrenaica | Greek Verse Inscriptions of Cyrenaica

Sacred law (?)

EpiDoc XML: IGCyr0519002
Trismegistos ID: 738328

Source description

Support: On the left outer wall of the entrance door of a rock-cut chamber inside which IGCyr0518002 is inscribed.

Layout: Scratched graffito, whose condition has deteriorated since first recorded. Ferri recorded a rock-cut panel (w: 0.83 × h: 1.00) and spoke of at least 32 lines, whereas his drawing shows 19 with gaps; one line amongst the others is written in larger characters and might not pertain to the same text (thus here presented as textpart b).

Letters: 0.025 from Ferri, probably applying to textpart a; textpart b twice larger; slanting mu and sigma, calice-shaped upsilon, phi with large loop.

Date: Perhaps mid-fourth to mid-third century BC (lettering).

Findspot: First copied by S. Ferri between 1919 and 1922 at Cyrene: Sanctuary of Budaraj.

Place of origin: Findspot.

Last recorded location: J.M. Reynolds visited the spot and said the inscription was illegible. Sophie Marini in 2008 could not find the inscription.

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

Bibliography

Ferri 1922, pp. 98-99, n. 2, fig. 14, 14a, whence SEG, 9.728; IGCyr 051900 . Cf. , pp. 310-311; Dobias-Lalou 2020, pp. 61-62.

Text

Interpretive

a
[τ]ῶ[ν] ἀνα[θ]η[μ]ά[των? ---]
[c. 5] ΑΜ [.] σταφὶς̣ ΔΙΑΣ [c. 2 - 3]
[---] ΙΟ [---]
[c. 3] ΕΥΛ [---] ΟΑ
5[.] Σ [---]
[------]
b
[Ν]υμφῶ̣[ν]
a
[c. 3] ΑΙΛ [c. 5] Ν [---]
(vac. 2 lines)
[c. 3τὸ]ν λοιπ̣ὸν [---]
Ο[.] α̣ [---] λκΟ̣
[c. 5] α̣ ΛΙ + [c. 6] Ν [.] α̣ [c. 3]
10[c. 4] ΙΓ [..] ΚΑ [c. 4] ΕΥΔΟ Ο
[c. 7] Α [.] λ̣αν [---]·
[τὸ] δ’ἀνάλ[ωμα? ---] ΔΕ [..]
[c. 4]ΠΑ [..]Τ [---]
γυνὰ γ̣[.]ΑΣΑ [---]
15[c. 9] ΟΛΣ [---]
[c. 8] Σ[.] ΛΛ [---]
[c. 7] ΔΥΣ [---]
[τ]ὰ δὲ ἱαρῆ[ια ---]
[.]Ο[..]ΟΕ [---]

a.11 λ vel δ vel α | a.14 γ vel π | a.8 α vel λ vel δ | ο vel ω | a.9 α vel λ vel δ | α vel λ vel δ

Diplomatic

a
[.]Ω[.]ΑΝΑ[.]Η[.]Α[...---]
[+++++]ΑΜ[+]ΣΤΑΦΙ.ΔΙΑΣ[c. 2 - 3]
[---]ΙΟ[---]
[+++]ΕΥΛ[---]ΟΑ
5[+]Σ[---]
[------]
b
[.]ΥΜΦ.[.]
a
[+++]ΑΙΛ[+++++]Ν[---]
     vacat
[+++..]ΝΛΟΙ.ΟΝ[---]
Ο[+].[---]ΛΚ.
[+++++].ΛΙ+[++++++]Ν[+].[+++]
10[++++]ΙΓ[++]ΚΑ[++++]ΕΥΔΟ Ο
[+++++++]Α[+].ΑΝ[---]
[..]ΔΑΝΑΛ[...---]ΔΕ[++]
[++++]ΠΑ[++]Τ[---]
ΓΥΝΑ.[+]ΑΣΑ[---]
15[+++++++++]ΟΛΣ[---]
[++++++++]Σ[+]ΛΛ[---]
[+++++++]ΔΥΣ[---]
[.]ΑΔΕΙΑΡΗ[..---]
[+]Ο[++]ΟΕ[---]

a.11 λ vel δ vel α | a.14 γ vel π | a.8 α vel λ vel δ | ο vel ω | a.9 α vel λ vel δ | α vel λ vel δ

Apparatus

a.2: ΔΙΑΣ: διὰ σ[---] SEG
a.5a: [------]: (vac.) or
a.7: [τὸ]ν λοιπ̣ὸν: [---]ν λοΙΙ[.]ον SEG
a.10: ΚΑ: ΥΑ SEG
a.14: γυνὰ γ̣: γυΚ̣ια SEG
a.18: [τ]ὰ δὲ ἱαρῆ[ια]: [.] ἁ δὲ ἱάρε̣ι[α] Ferri 1922
b.1: This line was not considered differing from textpart a neither by Ferri nor by the editors of SEG

French translation

a. [---] des offrandes [---] raisin sec [---]

b. Des Nymphes

a. [---] le reste [---] la dépense [---] femme [---] les victimes [---]

English translation

a. [---] of the offerings [---] raisin [---]

b. Of the Nymphs

a. [---] the rest [---] the expense [---] woman [---] the victims [---]

Italian translation

a. [---] delle offerte [---] uva passa [---]

b. Delle Ninfe

a. [---] il restante [---] la spesa [---] donna [---] le vittime [---]

Commentary

This inscription, already very lacunar in Ferri's times, has been interpreted by him in relation with the goddesses mentioned in IGCyr0518002, the Nymphs in his mind, an identification now rejected by other scholars.

Two reasons lead us to consider textpart b apart from the other lines: besides the taller and probably later lettering, the spelling νυμφῶν is a form of koine, whereas the rest of the text seems to be spelled in the local dialect. See also Dobias-Lalou 2020.

From the text very few words survive, just allowing to agree with Ferri in thinking of a decree or a sacred law, the latter being more plausible at such a place.

At a. 18, Ferri's drawing shows two vertical strokes that might pertain to an eta, thus ἱαρῆιον rather than Ferri's proposed ἱάρεια.

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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

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