5.214. Honours for Aurelius Achilles
- Description:
- A plain statue base shaft (H. 1.28 x W. 0.55 x D. 0.53) without moulding, chipped at edges but complete above and below.
- Text:
- Inscribed on two adjoining faces, i to the right, ii to the left. The text of i must have begun on a crowning feature; so perhaps did that of ii.
- Letters:
- i. Letters standard second-/third-century forms, av. 0.015. Apex above initial Θ, l.9. Ligatures: ΤΗ l.4, ΝΗ l.5, ΜΗ l.8, ΤΗ, ΤΗΝ l.10, ΠΕ, ΤΗ l.11, ΤΗ l.12, ΤΗΝ, ΠΕ l.13, ΤΗ,l.14, ΤΗ l.15, ΜΝ l.19, ΤΗΝ, ΤΗΝ l.20, ΜΕ, ΜΕ l.22, ΜΗ l.23, ΜΕ l.24, ΠΡ l.26, ΝΗ l.27, ΤΗ, ΝΤ l.28, ΤΗΝ l.29, ΤΗ, ΠΗ, ΤΕ l.31, ΤΗ, ΜΕ l.32, ΤΗ, ΝΕ l.33, ΜΗ l.35, ΜΕ, ΤΗΝ l.35, ΜΗ, ΝΗ, ΤΗ l.38, ΤΗ l.40, ΤΗΝ, ΤΗΝ, ΠΕ l.41. ii. Letters av. 0.02; apices over Ι, l.19, initial Ε, l.21. Ligatures: ΤΕ l.1, ΜΕ, ΝΕ l.3, ΤΕ l.5, ΜΗ l.11, ΤΕ l.13, ΗΜΕ, ΤΕ l.15, ΗΤ l.22..]
- Date:
- Third century (after 212) (nomenclature)
- Findspot:
- Hadrianic Baths, East court: found 'dans le 3e' (corrected to 4e in fair copy) 'entrée du portique nord'; 'Dans le 3e entrecolonnement du portique N(ord) (Boulanger).
- Original Location:
- Hadrianic Baths, East court
- Last recorded location:
- Findspot
- History of discovery:
- Excavated by Boulanger, 26 October 1913 (notebook A, 75-6, no. 18, whence B 25-29, no. 18); recorded by the NYU expedition.
- Bibliography:
- i. published by L. Robert, from Boulanger, Anatolian Studies Buckler (Manchester, 1939), 230-44 (= OMS I, 614-28), whence republished by R. Merkelbach, ZPE 14 (1974), 91-4, and H. Wankel, I.Eph. I, 12. i and ii published by C. P. Jones 'Two inscriptions from Aphrodisias', HSCP 85 (1981), 107-29; from this i has been reprinted as SEG 1981.903, and ii, with the comments of R. Merkelbach, ZPE 49 (1982), 282-3, and J. Ebert, Stadion 7 (1981), 203-10, as SEG 1981.904; further comments Bull Ép. 1984.410 & 1984.411, whence SEG 1984.1045, McCabe PHI Aphrodisias 11.. Published from all these, with further comments from Jones, Roueché, PPA 72, whence ii published by Merkelbach and Staufer, Steinepigramme 02/09/27.
- Text constituted from:
- Transcriptions (Reynolds, Roueché); publications; Boulanger notebooks. This edition Roueché (2007).
- i
- 0·· ? ··]
- 1[·· ? ··] ἐσπουδακότας ἀποδεχο[μέ]-
- 2[νης] ἀεὶ ταῖς πρεπούσαις καὶ δικα[ί? vv. ]
- 3[αις] πρὸς ἀξίαν μαρτυρίαις τῆς λαμ -
- 4[πρ]οτάτης πόλεως τῶν Ἐφεσίων καὶ vac.
- 5 [συ]νηδομένης ὡς οἰκείοις τοῖς παν -
- 6[τῶ]ν ἀγαθοῖς, καὶ ὅσα ταῖς ἄλλαις πο -
- 7[λ]εσιν ἐν τοῖς ἐπιφανέσιν τῶν ἀν -
- 8[δ]ρῶν ὑπάρχει πρὸς εὐδοκίμησιν
- 9[ἐ]ξαίρετα ταῦτα ὑπάρχειν εὐτυχή -
- 10[μ]ατα πλεῖον δέ τι τῆς περὶ τὴν εὔνοι -
- 11[α]ν ῥοπῆς ἀπονεμούσης τῇ λαμ-
- 12π̣ροτάτῃ πόλει τῶν Ἀφροδεισιέων
- 13[π]ρὸς τὴν πολλὰ καὶ ἐξαίρετα περὶ
- 14[τ]ὴ̣ν̣ ἀντίδοσιν τῆς φιλοστοργίας
- 15 ἐστιν αὐτῇ δίκαια καὶ διὰ ταῦτα v.
- 16Αὐρ(ήλιον) Ἀχιλλέα σώματος μὲν ἄσκη -
- 17σιν ἐπανελόμενον ἀθλήσεως δὲ
- 18 τὸν γενναιότατον βίου δὲ καὶ προ -
- 19αιρέσεως τὸν σεμνότατον ὡς ἐν αὐ -
- 20 τῷ πᾶσαν κεκρᾶσθαι τὴν ἀρετὴν ὅσην
- 21 ψυχῆς ἐστιν καὶ σώματος ἀποδε -
- 22ξαμένης μὲν πολλάκις καὶ ἐν τοῖς
- 23 φθάνουσιν ἀγῶσιν οἷς ἐκόσμησεν
- 24 διαπρεπῶς καὶ μετὰ πάσης ἀγω -
- 25νισάμενος ἀνδρείας μάλιστα δὲ
- 26 ἐν τῷ τῶν Ὀλυμπίων ἀγῶνι ὅτι προ̣-
- 27τρεψαμένης αὐτὸν ὡς πατρίδος
- 28 τῆς πόλεως εἰς τὸ τελεώτατον τῶν
- 29 ἀγωνισμάτων καὶ τὴν κρίσιν τῶν ἀν -
- 30 δρῶν μετελθεῖν ὑπακούσας κα[ὶ]
- 31 πεισθεὶς τῇ προτροπῇ τούς τε ἀν -
- 32τιπάλους κατηγωνίσατο καὶ μετὰ
- 33 τοσαύτης δόξης τὸν κότινον ἀνε̣-
- 34δήσατο ὡς ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα τῶν
- 35 εὐδοκιμησάντων ἀγωνισμάτων
- 36 καταριθμεῖσθαι τὴν ἀνδρείαν αὐ -
- 37τοῦ καὶ προθυμίαν scroll διὰ ταῦτα ἔ -
- 38δοξεν μὴ μέχρις μόνης τῆς γνώ -
- 39σεως τῶν παρόντων μηδὲ τῶν ἀ -
- 40παντησάντων κατὰ καιρὸν τῷ στα -
- 41δίῳ στῆναι τὴν περὶ τούτων μαρτυρί-
- 42αν ἀ[λλ]ὰ γὰρ καὶ παρακαταθέσθ[αι] δι[ὰ]
- 43 τούτου τοῦ ψηφίσματος ἔτι μᾶ[λ]-
- 44λον αὐτὸν τῇ πατρίδι
- ii
- 0·· ? ··]
- 1εἴτ̣ε δὲ Βαριανοῖ̣ο̣ Ι̣Ι̣·Ο̣ [·· c. 7 ··]
- 2 vac. ἀγορεύσεις vac.
- 3 μέτροις νεικήσας τοῦτο[ν ἔχω]
- 4 vac. κότινον vac.
- 5 εἴτ' ἐπιφημίξῃς τὸν ἔφη[βον Ἀ]-
- 6 vac. ρείονα φωτῶν vac.
- 7 καὶ κατὰ τούτου [[Ζεύ]]ς̣ ὤπα̣[σε]
- 8 vac. μοι κότινον vac.
- 9 ἐν πᾶσιν δὲ ἐθνέων ΕΙΡ[·· ? ··]
- 10 vac. σταδίοις τόσος εἰμί [ vac. ]
- 11 ὅσσον μήτις ἐμῶν ἀστὸς ἔ[φυ]
- 12 vac. προφέρειν vac.
- 13 πλῆθος δὲ στεφάνων ἀγορεύ-
- 14 vac. ει σοι κλέος ἄλλων vac.
- 15 εἰκόνι λαινέῃ καὶ τύπῳ ἡμετέρῳ
- 16πόλλακ̣ι̣ γὰρ δὴ [[Πύθια]] [[ἔ]]χω καὶ Ὀ-
- 17 vac. [[λύμπια]] δεῖα vac.
- 18 ἀντιπάλους νεικῶν κυδίμ(ῳ)
- 19 vac. εὐκλείῃ vac.
- 20 οὐδενὸς ἀνθρώπων δηρει̣-
- 21 vac. σαμένου περὶ νείκης vac.
- 22[ε]ἰ̣ς ἔριν ἐκλήτου δεύτερον ἀν-
- 23 vacat τιάσαι vacat
- i
- 0·· ? ··]
- 1[ - - - ]ΕΣΠΟΥΔΑΚΟΤΑΣΑΠΟΔΕΧΟ[··]
- 2[···]ΑΕΙΤΑΙΣΠΡΕΠΟΥΣΑΙΣΚΑΙΔΙΚΑ[···]
- 3[···]ΠΡΟΣΑΞΙΑΝΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΑΙΣΤΗΣΛΑΜ
- 4[··]ΟΤΑΤΗΣΠΟΛΕΩΣΤΩΝΕΦΕΣΙΩΝΚΑΙ
- 5[··]ΝΗΔΟΜΕΝΗΣΩΣΟΙΚΕΙΟΙΣΤΟΙΣΠΑΝ
- 6[··]ΝΑΓΑΘΟΙΣΚΑΙΟΣΑΤΑΙΣΑΛΛΑΙΣΠΟ
- 7[·]ΕΣΙΝΕΝΤΟΙΣΕΠΙΦΑΝΕΣΙΝΤΩΝΑΝ
- 8[·]ΡΩΝΥΠΑΡΧΕΙΠΡΟΣΕΥΔΟΚΙΜΗΣΙΝ
- 9[·]ΞΑΙΡΕΤΑΤΑΥΤΑΥΠΑΡΧΕΙΝΕΥΤΥΧΗ
- 10[·]ΑΤΑΠΛΕΙΟΝΔΕΤΙΤΗΣΠΕΡΙΤΗΝΕΥΝΟΙ
- 11[·]ΝΡΟΠΗΣΑΠΟΝΕΜΟΥΣΗΣΤΗΛΑΜ
- 12·ΡΟΤΑΤΗΠΟΛΕΙΤΩΝΑΦΡΟΔΕΙΣΙΕΩΝ
- 13[·]ΡΟΣΤΗΝΠΟΛΛΑΚΑΙΕΞΑΙΡΕΤΑΠΕΡΙ
- 14[·]··ΑΝΤΙΔΟΣΙΝΤΗΣΦΙΛΟΣΤΟΡΓΙΑΣ
- 15ΕΣΤΙΝΑΥΤΗΔΙΚΑΙΑΚΑΙΔΙΑΤΑΥΤΑ
- 16ΑΥΡΑΧΙΛΛΕΑΣΩΜΑΤΟΣΜΕΝΑΣΚΗ
- 17ΣΙΝΕΠΑΝΕΛΟΜΕΝΟΝΑΘΛΗΣΕΩΣΔΕ
- 18ΤΟΝΓΕΝΝΑΙΟΤΑΤΟΝΒΙΟΥΔΕΚΑΙΠΡΟ
- 19ΑΙΡΕΣΕΩΣΤΟΝΣΕΜΝΟΤΑΤΟΝΩΣΕΝΑΥ
- 20ΤΩΠΑΣΑΝΚΕΚΡΑΣΘΑΙΤΗΝΑΡΕΤΗΝΟΣΗΝ
- 21ΨΥΧΗΣΕΣΤΙΝΚΑΙΣΩΜΑΤΟΣΑΠΟΔΕ
- 22ΞΑΜΕΝΗΣΜΕΝΠΟΛΛΑΚΙΣΚΑΙΕΝΤΟΙΣ
- 23ΦΘΑΝΟΥΣΙΝΑΓΩΣΙΝΟΙΣΕΚΟΣΜΗΣΕΝ
- 24ΔΙΑΠΡΕΠΩΣΚΑΙΜΕΤΑΠΑΣΗΣΑΓΩ
- 25ΝΙΣΑΜΕΝΟΣΑΝΔΡΕΙΑΣΜΑΛΙΣΤΑΔΕ
- 26ΕΝΤΩΤΩΝΟΛΥΜΠΙΩΝΑΓΩΝΙΟΤΙΠΡ·
- 27ΤΡΕΨΑΜΕΝΗΣΑΥΤΟΝΩΣΠΑΤΡΙΔΟΣ
- 28ΤΗΣΠΟΛΕΩΣΕΙΣΤΟΤΕΛΕΩΤΑΤΟΝΤΩΝ
- 29ΑΓΩΝΙΣΜΑΤΩΝΚΑΙΤΗΝΚΡΙΣΙΝΤΩΝΑΝ
- 30ΔΡΩΝΜΕΤΕΛΘΕΙΝΥΠΑΚΟΥΣΑΣΚΑ[·]
- 31ΠΕΙΣΘΕΙΣΤΗΠΡΟΤΡΟΠΗΤΟΥΣΤΕΑΝ
- 32ΤΙΠΑΛΟΥΣΚΑΤΗΓΩΝΙΣΑΤΟΚΑΙΜΕΤΑ
- 33ΤΟΣΑΥΤΗΣΔΟΞΗΣΤΟΝΚΟΤΙΝΟΝΑΝ·
- 34ΔΗΣΑΤΟΩΣΕΝΤΟΙΣΜΑΛΙΣΤΑΤΩΝ
- 35ΕΥΔΟΚΙΜΗΣΑΝΤΩΝΑΓΩΝΙΣΜΑΤΩΝ
- 36ΚΑΤΑΡΙΘΜΕΙΣΘΑΙΤΗΝΑΝΔΡΕΙΑΝΑΥ
- 37ΤΟΥΚΑΙΠΡΟΘΥΜΙΑΝ scroll ΔΙΑΤΑΥΤΑΕ
- 38ΔΟΞΕΝΜΗΜΕΧΡΙΣΜΟΝΗΣΤΗΣΓΝΩ
- 39ΣΕΩΣΤΩΝΠΑΡΟΝΤΩΝΜΗΔΕΤΩΝΑ
- 40ΠΑΝΤΗΣΑΝΤΩΝΚΑΤΑΚΑΙΡΟΝΤΩΣΤΑ
- 41ΔΙΩΣΤΗΝΑΙΤΗΝΠΕΡΙΤΟΥΤΩΝΜΑΡΤΥΡΙ
- 42ΑΝΑ[··]ΑΓΑΡΚΑΙΠΑΡΑΚΑΤΑΘΕΣΘ[··]ΔΙ[·]
- 43ΤΟΥΤΟΥΤΟΥΨΗΦΙΣΜΑΤΟΣΕΤΙΜΑ[·]
- 44ΛΟΝΑΥΤΟΝΤΗΠΑΤΡΙΔΙ
- ii
- 0·· ? ··]
- 1ΕΙ·ΕΔΕΒΑΡΙΑΝΟ······[·······]
- 2 ΑΓΟΡΕΥΣΕΙΣ
- 3ΜΕΤΡΟΙΣΝΕΙΚΗΣΑΣΤΟΥΤΟ[····]
- 4 ΚΟΤΙΝΟΝ
- 5ΕΙΤ'ΕΠΙΦΗΜΙΞΗΣΤΟΝΕΦΗ[····]
- 6 ΡΕΙΟΝΑΦΩΤΩΝ
- 7ΚΑΙΚΑΤΑΤΟΥΤΟΥ[[ΖΕΥ]]·ΩΠ·[··]
- 8 ΜΟΙΚΟΤΙΝΟΝ
- 9ΕΝΠΑΣΙΝΔΕΕΘΝΕΩΝΕΙΡ[ - - - ]
- 10 ΣΤΑΔΙΟΙΣΤΟΣΟΣΕΙΜΙ[···]
- 11ΟΣΣΟΝΜΗΤΙΣΕΜΩΝΑΣΤΟΣΕ[··]
- 12 ΠΡΟΦΕΡΕΙΝ
- 13ΠΛΗΘΟΣΔΕΣΤΕΦΑΝΩΝΑΓΟΡΕΥ
- 14 ΕΙΣΟΙΚΛΕΟΣΑΛΛΩΝ
- 15ΕΙΚΟΝΙΛΑΙΝΕΗΚΑΙΤΥΠΩΗΜΕΤΕΡΩ
- 16ΠΟΛΛΑ··ΓΑΡΔΗ[[ΠΥΘΙΑ]] [[Ε]]ΧΩΚΑΙΟ
- 17 [[ΛΥΜΠΙΑ]]ΔΕΙΑ
- 18ΑΝΤΙΠΑΛΟΥΣΝΕΙΚΩΝΚΥΔΙΜ
- 19 ΕΥΚΛΕΙΗ
- 20ΟΥΔΕΝΟΣΑΝΘΡΩΠΩΝΔΗΡΕ·
- 21 ΣΑΜΕΝΟΥΠΕΡΙΝΕΙΚΗΣ
- 22[·]·ΣΕΡΙΝΕΚΛΗΤΟΥΔΕΥΤΕΡΟΝΑΝ
- 23 ΤΙΑΣΑΙ
Apparatus
i. ll.5/6: πάν//[πα]ν R., πάν//[τω]ν M., W., J.
i. ll.9/10: εὐτυχῆ // [κ]ατὰ R., M., W., εὐτυχή//[μ]ατα J.
i. ll.16/17: ΑΣΚΗΣΙΝ//ΕΠΑ R., whence M., W.
i. l. 42, ΑΝΑ B., lapis; ἀλλὰ R., M., W.; ἅμα J.; ἀνὰ ἔαρ cj. Ebert.
ii. The supplements are those of Jones, unless stated.
ii. l. 3, μετρ'οἷς M.
ii. l. 9, εἴρ[ου] cj. J.; εἴρ[ης] M., from εἴρη, 'agora'; εἱρ[οῖς], for ἱερ[οῖς], E.
ii. l. 11, J. suggested ἔ[φυ as a possibility, but preferred ἔ[φη; ἐ[ρεῖ] M.; ἔ[χει] E.
ii. l. 13, J., working from a squeeze, could not know that there is no room for another letter after Υ: this therefore imposes the reading ἀγορεύει, which is assumed by E.
ii. l. 18, ΚΥΔΙΜΟ : there is no room for a further letter at the end; either a final sigma was omitted, as assumed by Jones, giving a nominative, or the omicron is a mistake for omega, giving the dative, κυδίμῳ. I slightly prefer the second interpretation, which is also that of Ebert.
ii. l. 22, {Ω]Σ J. There seem to be traces of an upright before Σ, giving ΙΣ or [ε]ἰς, as conjectured by M. and E.
Translation:
i. [ - - ] since the most splendid city of the Ephesians always welcomes those who have shown zeal with testimonies that are fitting and just for their worth, and takes a share of pleasure in the advantages of all (men) as if they were her own, and (since she considers that) whatever outstanding (advantages) accrue to the good reputation of other cities from distinguished men, these are matters of (?general) good fortune; (10) and since she assigns an especial portion of her inclination towards goodwill to the most splendid city of the Aphrodisians, towards which she has many and outstanding justifications for the exchange of affection. For these reasons, (the city) has welcomed Aurelius Achilles - - who has both undertaken the training of the body, and is also most noble in training, and most dignified in his way of life and his conduct, so that in him (20) all virtue of body and soul is blended - - (has welcomed him) often, both in previous contests, which he adorned, having competed impressively and with all courage, and especially in the contest of the Olympia, because, when the city encouraged him - - as if it were his own fatherland - - to proceed to the ultimate competition, and to the category of men (30), he listened, and was persuaded by the encouragement, and defeated his opponents, and bound on the (crown of) olive with such glory that his (?display of) courage and eagerness are to be numbered among the most distinguished of contests. For these reasons it was resolved that the testimony about these events should not extend only as far as the knowledge of those who were present and (40) happened to be in the stadium at the time, but by means of this decree he should be commended even more to his fatherland.
ii. [?a couplet naming Achilles] but if you proclaim [?the prowess] of Varianus in verse, I hold the olive having defeated him; or if you praise the ephebe Arion, (superior) to grown men, against him too Zeus´ granted me the olive (wreath). In all the stadia of the nations [ ?ask] - - I am as great as none of my fellow-citizens [was able to] surpass. The throng of other crowns proclaims to you my fame, by means of, ?or in a stone image and my likeness. For I often have Pythia, and divine Olympia, defeating (my) rivals with glorious fame, while none of the men who have struggled (with me) for victory has been summoned to confront a second contest (?).
Commentary:
See the full discussion by Jones, 'Two inscriptions from Aphrodisias', HSCP 85 (1981), 107-29; see alsocommentary at Roueché, PPA 72.
Photographs:
Representations:
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