Support: Rectangular white marble base, formerly used for IGCyr097500² on the opposite side. On top, a circular hole near the right edge and two dovetail holes at left near fore and back edges: they might date either to the first or the second use or even after them. The base was slightly re-cut at left after the present use. The estimated original width of the base, inferred from the layout of IGCyr097500² was 1.01 (present dimensions w: 0.87 × h: 0.29 × d: 0.62).

Layout: Inscribed on four lines on back side of IGCyr097500²; the lines probably ran on the whole width.

Letters: 0.022 to 0.025; light serifs, large circular letters, slanting sigma, phi with flattened loop.

Date: Between 144 and 116 BC (titulature).

Findspot: Found in 1936 at Cyrene ➚: on the agora.

Place of origin: Findspot.

Last recorded location: Seen by C. Dobias-Lalou in 2010 at Cyrene ➚: in the so-called Temple of Hermes.

Text constituted from: Transcription from stone (CDL).

Apparatus

French translation

(scil. La statue du) roi Ptolémée, grand Dieu, Evergète, fils des Dieux Epiphanes, (scil. a été consacrée), par les gardes du corps aspirants [avec le long?] épieu, les hypaspistes (i.e. écuyers), les soldats d'élite et bien d'autres en raison de sa bienveillance et de sa générosité envers eux.

English translation

(scil. The statue of) king Ptolemy, great God, Euergetes, son of the Gods Epiphaneis, (scil. was dedicated) by the body-guards cadets [with the long?] spear, the hypaspistes (i.e. esquires), the choosen soldiers and many others on behalf of his goodwill and generosity towards them.

Italian translation

(scil. La statua del) re Tolemeo, Grande Dio Evergete, figlio degli Dèi Epifani, (scil. è stata dedicata) dai cadetti delle guardie del corpo [con la lunga?] lancia, dagli hypaspistes (i.e. scudieri), dai soldati scelti e da molti altri per la benevolenza e generosità nei loro confronti.

Arabic translation

(تمثال) الملك بتوليميوس (بطليموس)، المُؤله المُعظم، إفيريغيتس، ابن المؤلَّهان إبيفانيس، (كُرِس) من قبل نائب الحُراس الشخصيين [مع الطويل؟] الرمح، وحملة الدروع (المحترمين)، والجنود المختارين وآخرون كُثر لخيره وكرمه عليهم.

Commentary

For the whereabouts of the stone, see commentary at IGCyr097500².

This dedication of a statue of king Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II by diginitaries has been commented and restored without exact consideration of the dimensions of the gap at the beginning of the lines. The missing part may be estimated from the opposite side. Pugliese Carratelli at SECir was right in restoring 4 to 6 letters, whereas Piejko's restorations (Piejko 1981) are too long.

Especially at line 3, Piejko's proposal was sceptically received by the Roberts at Robert, BE1982.491 who did not understand the supposed meaning; furthermore, Piejko's argument that συβίνη is a feminine is not fully convincing, as a masculine συβίνης did also exist.

At line 4, εὐνοίας does not deserve Piejko's scepticism, see for example IGCyr063000².

Lanciers 1988 has shown that Ptolemy bore the title Euergetes already when king of Cyrene, i.e. from 164 on.

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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.

Images

Fig. 1. View of igcyr097400 Public honours for Ptolemy VIII

Maps