12.34. Letter from a proconsul to Aphrodisias.
- Description:
- White marble statue base shaft.
- Text:
- Inscribed on two adjacent faces.
- Letters:
- Third century; 0.016. Omega normally cut as a circle slightly open at the bottom. Ligatures: ΝΕ l.2, ΝΗ l.5, ΜΗ, ΤΗ, ΝΠΡ l.7, ΝΤ, ΗΜ l.8, ΗΜΗ, ΝΤΗ l.12, ΤΗ, ΝΚ l.13, ΤΗ l.14 (twice), ΝΗ l.15, ΤΗ l.16, ΗΜ, ΤΗ l.17, ΗΜ l.18, ΜΗ l.19, ΗΤ, ΜΗ l.20, ΜΗ l.21, ΗΜΕ, ΝΤΗΠ l.22, ΝΤ l.24, ΝΗ l.26, ΜΗΤ, ΤΗ l.28, ΗΜ, ΤΗΝΠ l.29. Deliberate erasures in ll. 8, 16, 16, 27, 28.
- Date:
- A.D. 222-235 (reign)
- Findspot:
- Walls, North: with 12.33
- Original Location:
- unknown
- Last recorded location:
- Findspot (1904)
- History of discovery:
- Recorded by Gaudin (59); not recorded subsequently.
- Bibliography:
- Published by Reinach, from Gaudin, REG 19, 1906, 84-87, no. 5, whence Abbott & Johnson, no. 137, Robert, Ét. Anat. 303; from all these by Reynolds, A&R 48 whence SEG 1982.1097, BE 1983.391, McCabe PHI Aphrodisias 71 .
- Text constituted from:
- Transcription from squeeze (Reynolds); publications. This edition Reynolds (1982).
- 1[·]ΚΕ[·· ? ··]
- 2[·εὐτ]υχεῖς δηλ[αδὴ ἀ]κόλουθόν ἐσ[τι]
- 3[τ]ὰς πόλεις τὰς καθωσιωμένας
- 4[τ]ῇ μεγάλῃ αὐτοῦ Τύχῃ φιλεῖν τε
- 5 καὶ τειμᾶν ὅπερ με ποιεῖν ἡδέως
- 6κ[α]ὶ αὐτοὶ ἴστε ἐξαιρέτως δὲ τὰς τει-
- 7μηθείσας τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ ὑπὸ τῶν προ-
- 8γόνων τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν αὐτοκράτορο[ς]
- 9 [[[Ἀλεξάνδρου]] βεβαιοῦντος αὐτο[ῦ]
- 10[αὐτ]ὴν καὶ αὔξοντος τὰ δίκαια οἷ[ς]
- 11[εὐθυ]μεῖσθε καὶ ἡδέως ἐλεύσομα[ι]
- 12[πρὸς] ὑμᾶς ἐπιδημήσω ἐν τῇ λαμ-
- 13[προτ]άτῃ πόλει ὑμῶν καὶ τῇ πατρίῳ ὑμῶν
- 14[θεᾷ] θύσω ὑπέρ τε τῆς σωτηρίας καὶ αἰω-
- 15[ν]ίου διαμονῆς τοῦ τε κυρίου ἡμῶν αὐ-
- 16τοκράτορος [[[Ἀλεξάνδρου]] καὶ τῆς κυρ-
- 17[ίας] ἡμῶν Σεβαστῆς [[[Μαμαίας]] μητρὸς
- 18 τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν καὶ στρατοπέδων
- 19 εἰ μήτε νόμος τῆς πόλεως ὑμῶν
- 20 [μ]ήτε δόγμα συνκλήτου μήτε διάτα-
- 21ξις μήτε θεία ἐπιστολὴ κωλύει τὸν
- 22[ἀ]νθύπατον ἐπιδημεῖν τῇ πόλει [ὑμῶν]
- 23[ε]ἰ γάρ τι κωλύει τῶν προγεγρα[μμένων]
- 24 θύων ὡς ἔθος μοί ἐστιν τοῖς [ἄλλοις]
- 25 [θε]οῖς ὑπέρ τε τῆς τύχης κα[ὶ σωτηρίας]
- 26[κ]αὶ αἰωνίου διαμονῆς τοῦ κυ[ρίου ἡμῶν]
- 27 αὐτοκράτορος [[[Ἀλεξάνδρου]] [καὶ τῆς]
- 28 μητρὸς αὐτοῦ [[[Μαμαίας]] Σεβαστῆ[ς κυρίας]
- 29 δὲ ἡμῶν καὶ τὴν πάτριον ὑμῶν [θεὰν ἐπι]-
- 30[κ]αλέσομαι ταῦτα δὲ ἀπεκρι[νάμην]
- 31 vac. τοῖς πρώτοις τῆς λανπροτ[άτης]
- 32 vac. ὑμῶν πόλεως vac.
- 33[ἐρρῶσ]θαι ὑμᾶς εὔχομαι vac.
- 1[·]ΚΕ[ - - - ]
- 2[····]ΥΧΕΙΣΔΗΛ[····]ΚΟΛΟΥΘΟΝΕΣ[··]
- 3[·]ΑΣΠΟΛΕΙΣΤΑΣΚΑΘΩΣΙΩΜΕΝΑΣ
- 4[·]ΗΜΕΓΑΛΗΑΥΤΟΥΤΥΧΗΦΙΛΕΙΝΤΕ
- 5ΚΑΙΤΕΙΜΑΝΟΠΕΡΜΕΠΟΙΕΙΝΗΔΕΩΣ
- 6Κ[·]ΙΑΥΤΟΙΙΣΤΕΕΞΑΙΡΕΤΩΣΔΕΤΑΣΤΕΙ
- 7ΜΗΘΕΙΣΑΣΤΗΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΙΑΥΠΟΤΩΝΠΡΟ
- 8ΓΟΝΩΝΤΟΥΚΥΡΙΟΥΗΜΩΝΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΟΡΟ[·]
- 9 [[[··········]]ΒΕΒΑΙΟΥΝΤΟΣΑΥΤΟ[·]
- 10[···]ΗΝΚΑΙΑΥΞΟΝΤΟΣΤΑΔΙΚΑΙΑΟΙ[·]
- 11[····]ΜΕΙΣΘΕΚΑΙΗΔΕΩΣΕΛΕΥΣΟΜΑ[·]
- 12[····]ΥΜΑΣΕΠΙΔΗΜΗΣΩΕΝΤΗΛΑΜ
- 13[····]ΑΤΗΠΟΛΕΙΥΜΩΝΚΑΙΤΗΠΑΤΡΙΩΥΜΩΝ
- 14[···]ΘΥΣΩΥΠΕΡΤΕΤΗΣΣΩΤΗΡΙΑΣΚΑΙΑΙΩ
- 15[·]ΙΟΥΔΙΑΜΟΝΗΣΤΟΥΤΕΚΥΡΙΟΥΗΜΩΝΑΥ
- 16ΤΟΚΡΑΤΟΡΟΣ[[[··········]]ΚΑΙΤΗΣΚΥΡ
- 17[···]ΗΜΩΝΣΕΒΑΣΤΗΣ[[[·······]]ΜΗΤΡΟΣ
- 18ΤΟΥΚΥΡΙΟΥΗΜΩΝΚΑΙΣΤΡΑΤΟΠΕΔΩΝ
- 19ΕΙΜΗΤΕΝΟΜΟΣΤΗΣΠΟΛΕΩΣΥΜΩΝ
- 20[·]ΗΤΕΔΟΓΜΑΣΥΝΚΛΗΤΟΥΜΗΤΕΔΙΑΤΑ
- 21ΞΙΣΜΗΤΕΘΕΙΑΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗΚΩΛΥΕΙΤΟΝ
- 22[·]ΝΘΥΠΑΤΟΝΕΠΙΔΗΜΕΙΝΤΗΠΟΛΕΙ[····]
- 23[·]ΙΓΑΡΤΙΚΩΛΥΕΙΤΩΝΠΡΟΓΕΓΡΑ[······]
- 24ΘΥΩΝΩΣΕΘΟΣΜΟΙΕΣΤΙΝΤΟΙΣ[······]
- 25[··]ΟΙΣΥΠΕΡΤΕΤΗΣΤΥΧΗΣΚΑ[·········]
- 26[·]ΑΙΑΙΩΝΙΟΥΔΙΑΜΟΝΗΣΤΟΥΚΥ[········]
- 27ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΟΡΟΣ[[[··········]][······]
- 28ΜΗΤΡΟΣΑΥΤΟΥ[[[·······]]ΣΕΒΑΣΤΗ[·······]
- 29ΔΕΗΜΩΝΚΑΙΤΗΝΠΑΤΡΙΟΝΥΜΩΝ[·······]
- 30[·]ΑΛΕΣΟΜΑΙΤΑΥΤΑΔΕΑΠΕΚΡΙ[·····]
- 31 ΤΟΙΣΠΡΩΤΟΙΣΤΗΣΛΑΝΠΡΟΤ[····]
- 32 ΥΜΩΝΠΟΛΕΩΣ
- 33[·····]ΘΑΙΥΜΑΣΕΥΧΟΜΑΙ
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κε
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εὐτ
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υχεῖς
δηλ
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αδὴ
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<supplied
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ἀ
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κόλουθό
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ἐ
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τι
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<supplied
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τ
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ὰς
πόλεις
τὰς
καθωσιωμένας
<lb
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<supplied
reason="lost"
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τ
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ῇ
μεγάλῃ
αὐτοῦ
Τύχῃ
φιλεῖν
τε
<lb
n="5"
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καὶ
τειμᾶν
ὅπερ
με
ποιεῖ
ν
ἡ
δέως
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κ
<supplied
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α
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ὶ
αὐτοὶ
ἴστε
ἐξαιρέτως
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τὰς
τει
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μη
θείσας
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ἐλευθερίᾳ
ὑπὸ
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ο
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γόνω
ν
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οῦ
κυρίου
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αὐτοκράτορο
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ς
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<lb
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<del>
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Ἀλεξάνδρου
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βεβαιοῦντος
αὐτο
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ῦ
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αὐτ
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ὴν
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οἷ
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ς
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εὐθυ
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ἐλεύσομα
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ι
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<supplied
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ὑμᾶς
ἐπιδ
ημή
σω
ἐ
ν
τῇ
λαμ
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προτ
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άτῃ
πόλει
ὑμῶν
καὶ
τῇ
πατρίῳ
ὑμῶν
<lb
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<supplied
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θεᾷ
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θύσω
ὑπέρ
τε
τῆς
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αἰω
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τοκράτορος
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τῆς
κυρ
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ίας
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ἡμῶν
Σεβαστῆς
<del>
<supplied
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</del>
Μαμαίας
</supplied>
μητρὸς
<lb
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τοῦ
κυρίου
ἡμῶν
καὶ
στρατοπέδων
<lb
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εἰ
μήτε
νόμος
τῆς
πόλεως
ὑμῶν
<lb
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μ
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ήτε
δόγμα
συνκλήτου
μήτε
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ξις
μήτε
θεία
ἐπιστολὴ
κωλύει
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<supplied
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ἀ
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νθύπατον
ἐπιδημεῖν
τῇ
πόλει
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ὑμῶν
</supplied>
<lb
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<supplied
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ε
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ἰ
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κωλύει
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προγεγρα
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μμένων
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θύων
ὡς
ἔθος
μοί
ἐστιν
τοῖς
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ἄλλοις
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<lb
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<supplied
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θε
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οῖς
ὑπέρ
τε
τῆς
τύχης
κα
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ὶ
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<supplied
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σωτηρίας
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<lb
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<supplied
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κ
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αὶ
αἰωνίου
διαμονῆς
τοῦ
κυ
<supplied
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ρίου
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<supplied
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ἡμῶν
</supplied>
<lb
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αὐτοκράτορος
<del>
<supplied
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</del>
Ἀλεξάνδρου
</supplied>
<supplied
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καὶ
</supplied>
<supplied
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τῆς
</supplied>
<lb
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μητρὸς
αὐτοῦ
<del>
<supplied
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</del>
Μαμαίας
</supplied>
Σεβαστῆ
<supplied
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ς
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<supplied
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κυρίας
</supplied>
<lb
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δὲ
ἡμῶν
καὶ
τὴν
πάτριον
ὑμῶν
<supplied
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θεὰν
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<supplied
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ἐπι
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<lb
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<supplied
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κ
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αλέσομαι
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ἀπεκρι
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νάμην
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<lb
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<space
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τοῖς
πρώτοις
τῆς
λανπροτ
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άτης
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ὑμῶν
πόλεως
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<supplied
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ἐρρῶσ
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θαι
ὑμᾶς
εὔχομαι
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Apparatus
l. 1, traces of erasure suggest the presence of Alexander's name or that of his mother here.
Translation:
[ . . .]fortunate ; clearly it follows that affection and honour is due to the cities dedicated to his great good fortune, which you yourselves know that I give gladly and especially to those honoured with freedom by the ancestors of our lord Imperator [Alexander] who himself confirms it and increases the rights in which you rejoice; and I will gladly come to you and make a stay in your most splendid city and sacrifice to your native goddess for the safety and eternal continuance of our lord Imperator [Alexander] and our lady Augusta [Mammaea], mother of our lord and of the camps, if no law of your city or decree of the Senate or instruction or letter from the emperor prevents the proconsul from making a stay in [your] city. But if there is any impediment in the documents I have mentioned, when I sacrifice as is my custom to the [?other gods] for the good fortune and [safety] and eternal continuance of [our] lord Imperator [Alexander and] his mother [Mammaea] Augusta, our [lady], I will call upon your native [goddess with them]. I gave this reply [to the chief men] of your [most splendid] city. I hope for your welfare.
Commentary:
See Aphrodisias and Rome, 175-6.
- Photographs:
- none.
Representations:
- Squeeze: Lines 1-11
-
- Squeeze: Lines 11-33
-
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