Support: Nine sherds of beige clay, iii and ix pasted from two adjacent fragments, all belonging to the body of large vases, vi from near the beginning of the foot; i and ii might come from the same vase (i w: 0.07 × h: 0.041 × d: 0.009; ii w: 0.077 × h: 0.055 × d: 0.008; iii w: 0.07 × h: 0.042 × d: 0.009; iv w: 0.062 × h: 0.043 × d: 0.008; v w: 0.056 × h: 0.025 × d: 0.007; vi w: 0.055 × h: 0.033 × d: 0.006-0.01; vii w: 0.035 × h: 0.027 × d: 0.008; viii w: 0.028 × h: 0.022 × d: 0.004-0.009; ix w: 0.036 × h: 0.023 × d: 0.01).

Layout: Scratched on two lines on each sherd: i, ii, iv, vii, viii on inner side, iii, v, vi, ix on outer side.

Letters: i, ii: 0.005; iii, vii: 0.007; iv: l. 1, 0.008, l. 2 0.01; v: 0.004; vi: 0.005-0.007; viii: 0.004-0.009; ix: 0.006-0.01, graffiti of homogenous lettering, spool-shaped zeta, xi without vertical stroke, slantering strokes of sigma; on iv, line 2 is more deeply cut and was perhaps added later.

Date: Between ca. 380 and 360 BC (Rosamilia) (lettering, prosopography).

Findspot: Found at Cyrene ➚: in two soundings on the agora, amongst refill layers; one sounding by Stucchi in 1961 under the East Stoa (sherds vii and ix), one in 1993 by Bacchielli near the Sanctuary of the Anax (sherds i-vi and viii).

Place of origin: Cyrene ➚.

Last recorded location: Not seen by IGCyr team.

Text constituted from: Transcription from previous editors.

Apparatus

French translation

Praxiadas fils de Zènis.

English translation

Praxiadas son of Zenis.

Italian translation

Praxiadas figlio di Zenis.

Commentary

The homogeneity of material and lettering, the multiplicity of the items and the content limited to name and father's name are good clues in favour of Bacchielli's interpretation of the series: we have here one of the few instances of ostracism attested elsewhere than at Athens. Bacchielli's dating of the lettering between ca. 420 and 380 is now discarded, although this provided in his view one further argument in favour of a strong Attic influence in that period. Rosamilia 2023 shows that Praxiadas son of Zenis was the father of one victorious general taking part into the dedication IGCyr017100²,which he dates about 335 BC. Rosamilia is thus able to place this ostrakophoria in the period of semi-democracy following 401.

For his part, Berthelot 2020 already argued that the Cyrenaean ostracism has no Attic origin and was no exclusive process of a, Attic-style democracy.He dated this one a little later than Bacchielli.

The other single ostraka, found with the most numerous mentioning Praxiadas son of Zenis and mentioning three different men, IGCyr082000², IGCyr082100² and IGCyr082200² should date more vaguely from the same period.

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