Support: Rock, on one side of a road (dimensions unknown).

Layout: Inscribed on one face.

Letters: Height unknown (see commentary).

Date: Perhaps Hellenistic (context).

Findspot: Seen in 1817 by P. Della Cella and in 1825 by J.-R. Pacho at Cyrene ➚: at the beginning of the ancient road leading from Cyrene to Balagrae, in the area of the South Necropolis.

Place of origin: Findspot.

Last recorded location: Not found.

Text constituted from: Transcription from editor.

French translation

(scil. Route autorisée?) (?) pour chevaux.

English translation

(scil. Road allowed?) (?) for horses.

Italian translation

(scil. Strada?) (?) per cavalli.

Arabic translation

(ربما تعني ضمنياً: شوارع مسموح بها (؟)) (؟) للخيول

Commentary

Franz in CIG considered that Della Cella and Pacho had seen one and the same inscription and he was probably right, as Pacho's description and map point to the road issuing from the South gate towards Balagrae. Another such mention was found by Oliverio on the road from Cyrene to Apollonia (see IGCyr030800²) and was probably not visible in Della Cella's time.

It has been admitted since the first travellers that the word δρόμος should be supplied and Dobias-Lalou argued after Della Cella that the inscription indicates a road allowed for horses and carriages, not a racecourse as Pacho suggested about this inscription and Oliverio about the other one.

Criscuolo now prefers a subaudible τόπος, i.e. a place where horses might stay (and Chandezon, per litteras, even suggested a grazing place). However those interesting ideas would not fit the place well. The question cannot be definitely decided.

A new way for interpretation was opened by E. Rosamilia when publishing IGCyr134400². Although he eventually does not think that both inscriptions are one and the same, he notes that Ἱππικός might also be a personal name. However Della Cella mentioned «grandi caratteri» and Pacho «lettres de plusieurs pouces». The ancient French inch was 0.028 long and as he did not say simply '2 or 3 inches' the letters seen by him were probably taller. The idea of a signpost should perhaps not be dropped.

Additional note 2023: the man's name Ἱππικός is now attested at Taucheira in the first century CE (unpublished reading by Dobias-Lalou of IRCyr2020 T.680). It does not wholly discard the other objections against a man's name in this inscription.

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