Support: Limestone stele with pediment separated by an Ionic frieze from a relief of phallus with sacred strips; broken off below (dimensions w: 0.20 × h: 0.33).

Layout: Lightly scratched on the pediment (w: up to 0.21 × h: 0?12).

Letters: Average 0.018, very irregular, especially the circular letters.

Date: Perhaps third century BC

Findspot: Found by L. Pernier on August 26th, 1936 at Cyrene ➚: in the so-called 'Rock-cut sanctuary near the Sacred Cave'.

Place of origin: Findspot.

Last recorded location: Cyrene Museum, 645. Seen in 2001 by C. Dobias-Lalou in Shahat: Cyrene Museum.

Text constituted from: Transcription from stone (CDL).

French translation

Philôn fils d'Agathôn.

English translation

Philon son of Agathon.

Italian translation

Philon figlio di Agathon.

Commentary

The typology, decoration and findspot of the stele are clues for a votive offering. Catani believed that the name might belongs to the dedicant; conscious that it was a careless graffito he suggested that it had been scratched provisionally on the top of the stele in the workshop before being cut carefully below on the lost part. Conversely, as the graffito is much less careful than the making of the stele, C. Dobias-Lalou proposed (Dobias-Lalou, BE, 2008.604) that it had been added later on by a visitor of the small sanctuary.

The photograph of the graffito is very clear and shows that Pernier's drawing was not very acurate.

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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 igcyr109800 Dedication or name (?)

Fig. 2. Drawing of igcyr109800 Dedication or name (?)

Fig. 3. Face of igcyr109800 Dedication or name (?)

Maps