Support: Rectangular base of white marble, broken off at lower left angle, with two large holes for a statue on top (w: 0.595 × h: 0.22 × d: 0.46).

Layout: Inscribed on front face, in three lines aligned at left.

Letters: 0.016 to 0.025; no serifs, still slightly slanting mu, symmetrical nu, slightly smaller omicron and omega, slanting sigma.

Date: Between ca. 330 and 300 BC (Rosamilia) (lettering).

Findspot: Found before 1993 in a votive depot South of Cyrene ➚: in the area of the Wadi El Aish.

Place of origin: Cyrene ➚.

Last recorded location: Cyrene Museum, inv. number unknown. Seen in 1993 by C. Dobias-Lalou in Shahat: Cyrene Museum.

Text constituted from: Transcription from stone (CDL).

Apparatus

French translation

Hipparkhos fils de Nausis a consacré (scil. ce monument) à Ammon. Oeuvre de [.]iôn.

English translation

Hipparchos son of Nausis dedicated (scil. this monument) to Ammon. Work of [.]ion.

Italian translation

Hipparchos figlio di Nausis ha dedicato (scil. questo monumento) ad Ammone. Opera di [.]ion.

Commentary

Here is the most ancient epigraphical mention of Ammon, the only other one of Hellenistic date being IGCyr100200² in the second century BC. Found by chance together with IGCyr108500², IGCyr108600², IGCyr108700², IGCyr108900², IGCyr109000², IGCyr109100², IGCyr109200², IGCyr109300², IGCyr109400², IGCyr109500², IGCyr109600², this is the only inscription of the group referring explicitely to Ammon. Rosamilia 2023 offers new readings and interpretation of IGCyr109300² which seem to confirm its belonging to Ammon's cult. Some pieces of sculpture found with them are also related to that god. For the rest of the material, a mingled provenance is not impossible (see the commentary at IGCyr134800²).

Another interesting feature is the rare formula with ἔργον for the sculptor's signature, perhaps also known at Euesperides for a mosaic (IGCyr091600²). The only approaching formula at Cyrene has the verb ἠργάσσατο at IGCyr019000². In fact this formula, with letters as tall as those in the dedication, would rather originate from the dedicator and would then not be exactly what we use to call an artist's signature.

The sculptor, unknown elsewhere, is probably a Cyrenaean, as his name is mentioned without an ethnic, but this is no inescapable argument.

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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. Face of igcyr108400 Dedication to Ammon and artist's signature

Maps