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Honorific base for Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus

Type of monument:
Honorific base.
Location:
Çarık Köyü (Traianopolis): in the kibleh wall of the mosque.
Description:
Block of blue-veined white marble, chipped at right.
Dimensions:
Ht. 1.66; W. 0.82+; Th. --; letters 0.050 (line 1), 0.035-0.040 (remainder).
Record:
Squeeze; line drawing; MB notebook copy; photograph (1956/30).
Publication:
Hamilton 1842: II 404, no. 23; [CIG 3865c;] Ramsay, Phrygia II 612, no. 516; Buresch 1898: 169 (mentioned only); Körte 1902: 34-5, no. 62; [IGR IV 625].
Date:
AD 167 (Year 251 of Sullan era, Month 12)
 
 

ἀγαθῇ τύ[χ]ῃ
Αὐτοκράτορα · Καίσαρα ·
Μ(ᾶρκον) · Αὐρήλιον · Ἀντωνινὸ[ν]
Σεβαστὸν · Ἀρμενιακὸν ·
5Παρθικὸ⟨ν κὲ⟩ Αὐτοκράτορα
Καίσαρα Λούκιον Αὐρήλιο[ν]
Οὐῆρον Σεβαστὸν · Ἀρμε-
νιακὸν · κὲ Μηδικόν hed.
       ἡ πόλις
10ἐπὶ Ἱεροκλέους Ἀρχετεί-
μου ἄρχοντος · τὸ β´ · κὲ · Ἀρτέ-
μωνος Ἑρμογένου · κὲ · Φιλάνθου Τρ̣[]-
φωνος · κὲ · γραμματέο[ς]
Δ̣ι̣ο̣ν̣υ̣σ̣ί̣ου̣ Π̣υ̣θ̣ο̣δώρ̣ο̣[υ]
15ἐπιμεληθέντος Νεικ[ο]-
μά[χ]ου · β´ · ἔτους · σνα´,
μηνὸς · ιβ´ · γ´ ἀ(πιόντος) ·
Γ.
Added later, below the main inscription, in letters 0.025-0.045 high:
ΕΠΑ (defaced Maltese cross)
Line 12: Ἑρμογένου Hamilton; Ἑρμογένους Ramsay, Körte.
With good fortune. The city (honoured) Imperator Caesar M. Aurelius Antoninus Augustus Armeniacus Parthicus and Imperator Caesar Lucius Aurelius Verus Augustus Armeniacus and Medicus. When Hierokles son of Archeteimos was archon for the second time, and Artemon ⟨son of Hermogenes⟩ and Philanthos son of Tryphon (sc. were archons), and Dionysios son of Pythodoros was secretary; Neikomachos son of Neikomachos was responsible (for the erection of the monument). Year 251, Month 12, the antepenultimate day of the month.

In line 12, the patronym Ἑρμογένου was omitted by the mason and added later in smaller letters in the interlinear space between lines 11 and 12. An archon-college of three (lines 10-13) and a secretary (lines 13-14) are also attested at Traianopolis in MAMA XI 91 (1955/113=1956/24).

In line 17, the month is indicated by a numeral (μηνὸς ιβ΄) rather than by month-name (see the commentary to MAMA XI 80 (1956/36)). The means of indicating the month at Traianopolis seems to have varied: contrast IGR IV 623 (Ramsay, Phrygia II 611-12, no. 515: month Dios), MAMA XI 94 (1956/28: month Panemos) and MAMA XI 96 (1956/27: month Dystros). At the end of line 17, Ramsay suggested (Phrygia II 612) that ΓΑ at the end of the line might be a mason’s error for ΙΑ, the eleventh day of the month. M. N. Tod recognised that the two letters must represent γ΄ ἀ(πιόντος) (in margine in his copy of IGR IV, in Oxford’s Sackler Library), a common abbreviation in the inscriptions of NE Lydia (TAM V 1, 64, 361, 480 and passim). Τhe solitary gamma in line 18 remains mysterious.

Illustrations:

MAMA XI 90 (Traianopolis 1: 1956-30)

MAMA XI 90 (Traianopolis 1: 1956-30)

Squeeze of MAMA XI 90 (Traianopolis 1: 1956-30)

Squeeze of MAMA XI 90 (Traianopolis 1: 1956-30)