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Inscriptions of Greek Cyrenaica | Greek Verse Inscriptions of Cyrenaica

Dedication of a hecatomb by Hermesandros (second edition)

EpiDoc XML: GVCyr0542
Trismegistos ID: 738943

Source description

Support: Rectangular block of grey-blue marble (w: 0.513 × h: 0.285 × d: 0.125).

Layout: Inscribed on the face in eight lines (one line of script for one hemistich).

Letters: 0.016; regularly and carefully cut with slight serifs; broad gamma, smaller theta and omicron, non-slanting sigma, widely open upper part of upsilon, phi with flattened loop.

Date: Probably end of second or beginning of first century BC (lettering).

Findspot: Found in 1936 at Cyrene: on the Fountain Terrace, area of the Spring of Kyra.

Place of origin: Findspot.

Last recorded location: Seen by C. Dobias-Lalou in Shahat: in 1982 kept inside the Strategeion, and again in 2001 in the new storeroom of the Cyrene Museum.

Text constituted from: Transcription from stone (CDL).

Bibliography

SECir, 161; Chamoux 1975, pp. 272-273, whence SEG, 38.1898; Gallavotti 1963, pp. 454-455; Gasperini 1985, p. 351; GVCyr 054 .

Cf. Laronde 1987, pp. 188-189, 331 (ph.); Chamoux 1991, esp. pp. 26-29, whence SEG, 41.1695; Gasperini 1996, pp. 143-148, whence SEG, 46.2209; Gentile 1999, p. 340, whence SEG, 49.2357; Rosamilia 2023, pp. 385-386, about text number 114. Also L. Gasperini in Bonacasa – Ensoli 2000, p. 34 (translation); Ensoli Vittozzi 1996, pp. 92-94 (archaeological context).

Text

Interpretive


Μνᾶμα τόδ’ Ἑρμήσανδρος
ὑπὲρ κράνας ὁ Φίλωνος
θῆκε θεᾶι θύσας
Ἀρτέμιδος τελετᾶι,

5βοῦς ἑκατὸν κατάγων
κ̣αὶ ἴκατι· τῶν τάδε κεῖται
κόσμος καὶ μνάμα
καὶ κλέος εὐδόκιμον

Metrical


| Μνᾶμα τόδ’ Ἑρμήσανδρος | ὑπὲρ κράνας ὁ Φίλωνος
    | θῆκε θεᾶι θύσας | Ἀρτέμιδος τελετᾶι,

    | (5) βοῦς ἑκατὸν κατάγων | κ̣αὶ ἴκατι· τῶν τάδε κεῖται
    | κόσμος καὶ μνάμα | καὶ κλέος εὐδόκιμον

Diplomatic


ΜΝΑΜΑΤΟΔΕΡΜΗΣΑΝΔΡΟΣ
ΥΠΕΡΚΡΑΝΑΣΟΦΙΛΩΝΟΣ
ΘΗΚΕΘΕΑΙΘΥΣΑΣ
ΑΡΤΕΜΙΔΟΣΤΕΛΕΤΑΙ

5ΒΟΥΣΕΚΑΤΟΝΚΑΤΑΓΩΝ
.ΑΙΙΚΑΤΙΤΩΝΤΑΔΕΚΕΙΤΑΙ
ΚΟΣΜΟΣΚΑΙΜΝΑΜΑ
ΚΑΙΚΛΕΟΣΕΥΔΟΚΙΜΟΝ

Apparatus

4: μνάμα Chamoux 1975: μνᾶμα SECir, Gallavotti 1963

French translation

Translation source: Chamoux 1991

Ce monument, Hermésandros fils de Philon l'a consacré au-dessus de la fontaine (ou source?), après avoir sacrifié à la déesse en faisant descendre (scil. au sanctuaire) pour la fête d'Artémis cent vingt boeufs. D'eux restent ces (scil. mots), qui sont à la fois un ornement, un souvenir et un noble titre de gloire.

English translation

This monument Hermesandros son of Philon dedicated above the fountain (or spring?), once he had sacrificed to the goddess, after leading down (scil. into the sanctuary) for Artemis' festival hundred and twenty oxes. Of them these (scil. words) remain as ornament and keepsake and glorious fame.

Italian translation

Translation source: Bonacasa – Ensoli 2000

Questo monumento Hermesandros figlio di Philon al di sopra della fonte (o sorgente?) pose dopo che, spinti giù (scil. nel santuario) cento e venti buoi, li ebbe sacrificati alla dea in occasione della festa di Artemis. Dei quali queste (scil. parole) rimangono per ornamento e per ricordo e per fama gloriosa.

Commentary

This inscription is a later duplicate of GVCyr0232, the small lacunae of which can be restored from this one. The only difference is that here the name of the goddess has the form and inflexion usual in koine Ἀρτέμιδος. The findspot in the Eastern part of the Upper Terrace, should show the place of the mentioned monument, perhaps related to the so-called 'Fontana dei Buoi di Euripilo'.

For the commentary and metrical analysis, see at GVCyr0232.

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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.

Maps

Cyrene general plan

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