Description:
A rectangular statue base shaft, without moulding, of bluish marble, chipped at upper right corner, and broken in two (H. c. 1.53 × W. 0.50 × D. 0.37).
Text:
The inscription is laid out with unusual elegance: the epigram itself is cut within a decorative margin, and each couplet is inscribed in four lines (five for the third) with each line starting slightly to the right of the one above, but returning to the margin at the start of the next couplet.
Letters:
l. 1. 0.04; ll. 2 - 14, 0025, l. 13. 0.05; neat and rounded, very similar to 5.18, except for l.1, which is in an angular hand, more like that of 5.17 and 11.515.
Date:
Sixth century (prosopography).
Findspot:
Hadrianic Baths, East Court: 'Face E(st) du pylône N(ord)' (Boulanger).
Original Location:
Hadrianic Baths
Last recorded location:
Lying loose in the East Court of the Hadrianic Baths.
History of discovery:
Excavated by Boulanger, 16 October 1913 (notebook A, 69 no. 6, whence B, 31, no. 6; recorded by J. and L. Robert; recorded by the NYU expedition.
Bibliography:
Published by L. Robert, Hellenica 4, 127 and plate vii, from Boulanger and his own copy, whence BE 1949.178, BE 1972.473; by Roueché, Aphrodisias in Late Antiquity no. 85 and plate xxi, whence McCabe PHI Aphrodisias 727, Steinepigramme 02/09/22.
Text constituted from:
Boulanger notebooks; publications; transcription (Roueché). This edition Roueché (2007).
0Ἀγαθῇ Τύχ[ῃ]· |
1πολλὰ μέν, ὦ Ῥοδοπαῖε, | τεῇ δωρήσαο πάτρῃ |
2   πολλὰ τὰ μήτε λέγειν | (5) εὔκολα μήτ' ἀριθμεῖν· |
3ἡ δὲ πόλις σε, πάτερ, | μεγάλαις δωρήσατο τιμαῖς |
4   ἱδρύσασα τεὴν εἰκόνα | μαρμαρέ̣η̣ν |
5(10) ὅππως μήτ' ὁ χρόνος | τὴν σήν, πολυφίλτατε, | μορφὴν
6   μηδὲν | ἀμαυρώσῃ λήθῃ | ἐπισκιάσας. |
6a       vacat |
6b(15) ἐυτυχῶς.
1ΑΓΑΘΗΤΥΧ[·]
2ΠΟΛΛΑΜΕΝΩΡΟΔΟΠΑΙΕ
3ΤΕΗΔΩΡΗΣΑΟΠΑΤΡΗ
4ΠΟΛΛΑΤΑΜΗΤΕΛΕΓΕΙΝ
5ΕΥΚΟΛΑΜΗΤ'ΑΡΙΘΜΕΙΝ
6ΗΔΕΠΟΛΙΣΣΕΠΑΤΕΡ
7ΜΕΓΑΛΑΙΣΔΩΡΗΣΑΤΟΤΙΜΑΙΣ
8ΙΔΡΥΣΑΣΑΤΕΗΝΕΙΚΟΝΑ
9ΜΑΡΜΑΡ··Ν
10ΟΠΠΩΣΜΗΤ'ΟΧΡΟΝΟΣ
11ΤΗΝΣΗΝΠΟΛΥΦΙΛΤΑΤΕ
12ΜΟΡΦΗΝΜΗΔΕΝ
13ΑΜΑΥΡΩΣΗΛΗΘΗ
14ΕΠΙΣΚΙΑΣΑΣ
14a       vacat
15ΕΥΤΥΧΩΣ
<lg>
<lb n="1" />
<l n="0" >
Ἀγαθῇ
Τύχ
<supplied reason="lost" >
</supplied>
·
</l>
<lb n="2" />
<l n="1" met="hexameter" >
πολλὰ
μέν
,
Ῥοδοπαῖε
,
<lb n="3" />
τεῇ
δωρήσαο
πάτρῃ
</l>
<lb n="4" />
<l n="2" met="pentameter" >
πολλὰ
τὰ
μήτε
λέγειν
<lb n="5" />
εὔκολα
μήτ'
ἀριθμεῖν
·
</l>
<lb n="6" />
<l n="3" met="hexameter" >
δὲ
πόλις
σε
,
πάτερ
,
<lb n="7" />
μεγάλαις
δωρήσατο
τιμαῖς
</l>
<lb n="8" />
<l n="4" met="pentameter" >
ἱδρύσασα
τεὴν
εἰκόνα
<lb n="9" />
μαρμαρ
<unclear reason="damage" >
έη
</unclear>
ν
</l>
<lb n="10" />
<l n="5" met="hexameter" >
ὅππως
μήτ'
χρόνος
<lb n="11" />
τὴν
σήν
,
πολυφίλτατε
,
<lb n="12" />
μορφὴν
</l>
<l n="6" met="pentameter" >
μηδὲν
<lb n="13" />
ἀμαυρώσῃ
λήθῃ
<lb n="14" />
ἐπισκιάσας
.
</l>
<lb n="14a" />
<l n="6a" >
<space extent="1" unit="line" dim="horizontal" />
</l>
<lb n="15" />
<l n="6b" >
ἐυτυχῶς
.
</l>
</lg>

Translation:

To Good Fortune. You have made many presents to your country, Rhodopaios, so many that they are not easy to say or to count; and the city has presented you with great honours, father, having set up your image in marble so that time may not obscure your image - you who are loved by many - overshadowing it with forgetfulness. With good fortune!

Commentary:

For Rhodopaeus, see 5.17, 11.515, and discussion at ala2004 VI.26.

Photographs:

Upper part (1972)
 Upper part (1972)
Lower part (1972)
 Lower part (1972)
Top of base (1994)
 Top of base (1994)

Representations:

Transcription by Boulanger, Notebook A, p. 69
 Transcription by Boulanger, Notebook A, p. 69

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