Support: Rock-cut tomb facade (dimensions unknown).

Layout: Inscribed on the rocky wall.

Letters: Height unknown.

Date: Possibly first half of fourth century BC (prosopography).

Findspot: Found by the Chieti mission before 2003 at Cyrene ➚: Ain Hofra on the Eastern bank (their point GPS E728).

Place of origin: Findspot.

Last recorded location: Not seen by IGCyr team.

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

Apparatus

French translation

[Eu]mèli[das], prêtre.

English translation

[Eu]meli[das], priest.

Italian translation

[Eu]meli[das], sacerdote.

Arabic translation

.[إف]ميلي[داس] الكاهن

Commentary

The transcription and interpretation given by Menozzi 2006 are puzzling in many ways: a priest devoted to Melichios as such is not plausible and his own name would be missing in the inscription. Furthermore there is no hint in the illustration of the chi mentioned in the diplomatic transcription.

Either we have one more mention of the divine epithet Μηλίχιος, which cannot be plausibly completed by the mention of a priest. A possibility for the second word would be ἱαρόν, which differs with the last letters transcribed at line 2.

On the other hand the segment ΜΗΛΙ at that place may belong to a personal name, such as Εὐμηλίδας. This reading is the more tantalizing that a priest of Apollo named Eumelidas is known from IGCyr020900². The name of Apollo is often omitted in mentions of the eponymous priest. As there are some tombs in the area, a funerary mention would be quite plausible. This identification seems also plausible to Rosamilia 2023, who dates the eponymous priest to c. 350 B.C.

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