Support: Bottom right-hand corner of block of coarse-grained white marble (w: 0.115 × h: 0.09; diameter 0.135).

Layout: Inscribed on the face which is encrusted.

Letters: 0.015 to 0.02; without serifs; circular letter smaller than the rest, dissymmetrical nu, slanting sigma.

Date: Perhaps fifth to fourth century BC (lettering).

Findspot: Found in 1974 at Cyrene ➚: Enclosed sanctuary of Demeter and Kore: area C15/16, 1, 1.

Place of origin: Findspot.

Last recorded location: Cyrene Museum (Storeroom of the American excavations), 73-445. Seen by J. Reynolds at Shahat: in the Storeroom of the American excavations. Not seen by IGCyr team.

Text constituted from: Transcription from previous editor.

French translation

[---]Theano [---] en qualité d'hyperdikos.

English translation

[---]Theano [---] acting as hyperdikos.

Italian translation

[---]Theanò [---] in qualità dihyperdikos.

Commentary

The feminine name Θεανώ may be in the nominative or accusative case, thus naming either the dedicant or the woman whose statue was dedicated. Too much is lost to decide.

For line 2 we accept and develop a suggestion of J.M. Reynolds: one occurrence of the corresponding aorist participle survives in a complete dedication in the same sanctuary (IRCyr2020 C.450) and one of the present participle at Arsinoe-Taucheira, also in a sanctuary of Demeter and Kore (IRCyr2020 T.25). Other mentions of ὑπέρδικος and the related verb mean 'pleading for, advocate' and the context is generally judicial. In IRCyr2020 C.450 a woman is mentioned as having been hyperdikos and priestess, but it is not clear whether she was both at the same time or successively. J.M. Reynolds suggests that this woman's role might be to plead for other women wanting to be initiated. She would be a kind of intercessor.

J. Reynolds suggested from the lettering a date in the fifth of fourth century. We have no image allowing to be more precise.

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