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Inscriptions of Greek Cyrenaica | Greek Verse Inscriptions of Cyrenaica

Dedication to the Eumenides

EpiDoc XML: IGCyr1140002
Trismegistos ID: 738693

Source description

Support: Rock-cut altar with two compartments and a sort of platform to the right (total dimensions not registered).

Layout: Inscribed in two lines on the rocky front wall below the platform, in a smoothened panel (w: 0.32 × h: 0.14).

Letters: 0.05, regular letters, slanting sigma.

Date: Perhaps ca. 300 BC (lettering, context).

Findspot: Found by J.-S. Caillou (French mission) on September 5th, 2004 in the Port of Cyrene, later Apollonia: to the North and at bottom of the so-called Kallikrateia Rock.

Place of origin: Findspot.

Last recorded location: Seen by C. Dobias-Lalou at the time of discovery and again in 2010 in situ at Sūsah: below the Kallikrateia Rock.

Text constituted from: Transcription from stone (CDL).

Bibliography

C. Dobias-Lalou in Caillou 2010, p. 181, fig. 10, n. 22, whence SEG, 60.1830; Dobias-Lalou 2012, pp. 230-231 and fig. 5.; IGCyr 114000 .

Text

Interpretive

Κάλλις
Εὐ(μενίδων)

Diplomatic

ΚΑΛΛΙΣ
ΕΥ

Apparatus

2: Εὐ(μενίδων): ΕΥ Caillou 2010

French translation

Kallis; (scil. autel) des Euménides.

English translation

Kallis; (scil. altar) of the Eumenides.

Italian translation

Kallis; (scil. altare) delle Eumenidi.

Commentary

A personal name inscribed in front of a rock-cut altar is usual in Cyrenaica, showing the place where the man worships a deity. Usually, there are no father's names. In this occurrence, it might be possible that ευ would be the abbreviated form of the father's name, as many names in Eu- are common in Cyrenaica.

More convincing however is the idea of an abbreviation of the name of the Eumenides, who were also worshipped at other places in similar contexts. At Ain Hofra there is no instance of so short an abbreviation (see IGCyr0309002 and followings), whereas the same one occurs at an unidentified place near Cyrene: IGCyr0646002.

Alternatively, it might even be a full-word εὖ in a formula of good wish: 'Kallis, good luck', but this seems less probable because of the presence of the altars.

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Maps

Apollonia

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Cyrene general plan

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