8.97. Lists of Muses

Description:
White marble doric half-column, supporting stage architrave.
Text:
Inscribed on the east face. a: traces of a text in red paint. b: cut below a large square hole.
Letters:
a: 0.05-0.06. b: Carefully inscribed and well aligned angular letters (rhomboid omicron and theta, square-bottomed omega), with serifs; fairly lightly cut, 0.025-0.03; l. 5 is in smaller letters (0.01), apparently squeezed in after the text had been cut.
Date:
Third to fifth centuries A.D. (context, lettering)
Findspot:
Theatre: stage, portico across stage, thirteenth column from south.
Original Location:
Findspot
Last recorded location:
Findspot
History of discovery:
Recorded by the NYU expedition.
Bibliography:
Published by Roueché, PPA 6.13.
Text constituted from:
Transcription (Reynolds, Roueché) This edition Roueché (2007).
a
1 [Μελπομ]έ̣̣νη
2 Οὐρ[αν]ία
3 Κ̣α̣[λλι]όπ̣η
b
1 Κλιώ Ε̣
2 Εὐτ̣έ̣ρ̣πη
3 Θαλία
4 Ἐρατώ
5 Πολυμνία
6 Μελπ̣ομένη
7 (sic)Τερ̣ψικ̣όρη
8 Οὐρανία
8 Καλλιόπη leaf
c
( c: There are further traces of letters further down, and, just above floor level, a graffito of a long-necked bird.)
a
1[······]·̣ΝΗ
2ΟΥΡ[··]ΙΑ
3··[···]Ο·Η
b
1ΚΛΙΩ·
2ΕΥ···ΠΗ
3ΘΑΛΙΑ
4ΕΡΑΤΩ
5ΠΟΛΥΜΝΙΑ
6ΜΕΛ·ΟΜΕΝΗ
7(sic)ΤΕ·ΨΙ·ΟΡΗ
8ΟΥΡΑΝΙΑ
8ΚΑΛΛΙΟΠΗ leaf
c
( c: There are further traces of letters further down, and, just above floor level, a graffito of a long-necked bird.)
<div type="textpart_section" n="a" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<supplied reason="lost" >
Μελπομ
</supplied>
<unclear reason="damage" >
έ
</unclear>
̣νη
<lb n="2" />
Οὐρ
<supplied reason="lost" >
αν
</supplied>
ία
<lb n="3" />
<unclear reason="damage" >
Κα
</unclear>
<supplied reason="lost" >
λλι
</supplied>
ό
<unclear reason="damage" >
π
</unclear>
η
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart_section" n="b" >
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
Κλιώ
<unclear reason="damage" >
Ε
</unclear>
<lb n="2" />
Εὐ
<unclear reason="damage" >
τέρ
</unclear>
πη
<lb n="3" />
Θαλία
<lb n="4" />
Ἐρατώ
<lb n="5" />
Πολυμνία
<lb n="6" />
Μελ
<unclear reason="damage" >
π
</unclear>
ομένη
<lb n="7" />
<note>
sic
</note>
Τε
<unclear reason="damage" >
ρ
</unclear>
ψι
<unclear reason="damage" >
κ
</unclear>
όρη
<lb n="8" />
Οὐρανία
<lb n="8" />
Καλλιόπη
<g type="leaf" />
</ab>
</div>
<div type="textpart_section" n="c" >
<note>
c: There are further traces of letters further down, and, just above floor level, a graffito of a long-necked
bird
.
</note>
</div>

Apparatus

b, line 1: The E suggests that the cutter started to write Εὐτέρπη.

l. 7, the rho was squeezed in, and is barely determinable.

Translation:

a: . . . Melpom]ene, [ .. . ., . . .] , Ourania, Kalliope

b: Klio, Euterpe, Thalia, Erato, Polymnia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Ourania, Kalliope

Commentary:

One of a series of inscriptions on the columns supporting the architrave on the stage (which carries 8.1): 8.89, 8.98, 8.90, 8.91, 8.92, 8.93, 8.94, 8.95, 8.96, 8.97 . All the inscriptions are on the stage side of the columns, and were presumably only visible to those using the stage. See Roueché, Performers and Partisans, Chapter III.

Photographs:

View of stage columns (1985)
 View of stage columns (1985)
East face, upper part (1976)
 East face, upper part (1976)
East face, lower part (1976)
 East face, lower part (1976)

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