MAMA XI 139 (Pentapolis)

Funerary doorstone of Aur. Alexandros and family

Type of monument:: Funerary doorstone.
Location:: Emirhisar (Pentapolis): in the porch of a house at the east end of the village; said to have been dug up at the west end of the village.
Description:: White marble doorstone, broken below (Waelkens 1986: 189, Typ J Dokimeion 4). Single door, with only uppermost pair of door-panels surviving, each framed with Lesbian cyma; the central field of each panel was left unfinished. Below the main door-panels, shallow rectangular panels with spiral relief decoration. Doorframe with fascia, Lesbian cyma and plain fillet, with broad ‘ears’ at upper left and right; the outermost part of the doorframe was left unfinished. High cornice above, with broad upper panel, concave moulding and plain strips. Inscription on upper panel (lines 1-5), continuing onto upper frame of door (line 6) and the door itself (line 7).
Dimensions:: Ht. 0.55+; W. 0.65; Th. 0.17-0.24; letters 0.011-0.015.
Record:: Squeezes; line drawing; MB notebook copy; photograph (1955/33).
Publication:: None.
Date:: AD 255/6 (Year 340 of Sullan era)

[ vac. ἔτο]υς · τμ´ · Αὐρ(ήλιος) · Ἀλ̣έξανδρος · Γαΐ̣ου Εὐκαρπεὺ[ς]
[β]ο̣υλευτὴς καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ ⟨Α⟩ὐρηλία Ζωτικὴ
Δ̣αμᾶ κατεσκεύασαν τὸ μνημεῖον ζῶντες ἑαυ-
τοῖς καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτῶν· εἴ τις δὲ ἢ ἐκ τῆς
5συνγενείας ἢ ἕτερον θάψει ἢ κακῶς ποιήσει τῷ
μνημείῳ τούτῳ, ἔσται αὐτῷ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· εἰρή[νη]
τοῖς παροδείταις. vac.

Line 2: ΛΥΡΗΛΙΑ lapis.

Year 340. Aur(elius) Alexandros, son of Gaius, councillor of Eukarpia, and his wife Aurelia Zotike, daughter of Damas, constructed the tomb while still living for themselves and their children; but if anyone, even from our family, inters anyone else or harms the tomb, he shall have to reckon with God. Peace to passers-by.

In lines 1-2, Alexandros is described as Εὐκαρπεὺς βουλευτής, ‘councillor of Eukarpia’; for the combination of the ethnic with the title of βουλευτής, cf. MAMA XI 38 (1954/17: Eumeneia); Thonemann 2007: 457. For the ‘Eumeneian formula’ in line 6, cf. MAMA XI 36 (1954/14: Eumeneia). Alexandros and his wife were Jews or Christians: for Christian councillors at Eumeneia, see Robert, Hellenica XI/XII, 423. The Christian salutation formula εἰρήνη τοῖς παροδείταις is characteristic of the Pentapolis: cf. Ramsay, Phrygia II 719, no. 654 (Macil: εἰρήνη πᾶσι τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς); 720, no. 655 (Macil: εἰρήνη πάσῃ τῇ ἀδελ[φότη]τ̣ι); 721, no. 656 (Karadirek: εἰρήνη παράγουσιν καὶ μνησκομένοις περὶ ἡμῶν); 730, no. 658 (Sandıklı: εἰρήνη τοῖς παράγουσιν πᾶσιν ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ).

For the extension of the interdiction on burial to other members of the family (lines 4-6), see Robert, OMS II 1200-1, and especially Feissel 1980: 462-3, discussing SEG 29, 250 (Attica), ὃς ἂν δὲ οἱῴποτε χρόνῳ ἢ τρόπῳ ἐπ[ι]χιρήσῃ θε[ῖ]νε ξένον ἢ ἐντόπιον ἢ συνγενῆ αὐτῆς ἔχῃ πρὸς [τὸ]ν [Θ]εόν, κτλ. (citing parallels from Concordia, Georgia, and Olympos in Lykia); cf. also TAM III 436 (Termessos), ἑτέρῳ δὲ οὐδενὶ [ἐξέσ]τε ἀνῦξε ἢ ἐπιθάψε τινὰ μήτε ἀπὸ συνγενίας τινά; TAM III 425, οὐκ ἐξέσται δὲ οὔτε ἑτέρῳ τινὶ ἐξωτικῷ οὔτε τῶν ἀπὸ γένους ἐπιθάψαι τινά; CIG 1997e (Macedonia), ἐὰν μετὰ τὸ ἐμὲ τεθνάναι εἰς τὴν ληνὸν τολμήσῃ ἕτερος ἀνοῖξαι ⟨ἢ⟩ ἀπὸ συνγενείας ἕτερον σῶμα θέλῃ καταθέσθαι; SEG 6, 263 (Bozhüyük, territory of Eumeneia), εἰς ὃ μνημεῖον ἕτερος οὐ τεθήσεται, οὐδὲ συνγενὴς οὐδὲ ἐξωτικὸς, πλέον Παπιας ὁ ἐπιγράψας ἢ τέκνον αὐτοῦ; I.Iasos 393, τούτου δὲ ἕτερος οὐδεὶς μεθέξει ο[ὔ]τε συνγενεύς μου οὔτε ἐξωτικός τις εἰ μή τι ἐπερωτηθήσομαι ἐγὼ α[ὐ]τός κτλ.; probably MAMA III 743 (Korykos), μηδένα ἐξ[ὸ]ν προσενβ[αλεῖν] τῇ κλισίᾳ ταύτῃ [μήτε ἐξωτι]κὸν μή μή[τε συγγενῆ]. For the use of the term συνγένεια = ‘extended family’, see also Buckler, Calder and Cox 1928: 33-4, no. 250 (Çakırsaz, upper Tembris valley), λύπησεν δὲ γονῖς κὲ τὴν συνγένιαν ἅπασαν. The context of the phrase ἐκ τῆς συνγεν[εί]ας in the inscription published by Radet and Lechat 1887: 398 (Mysia: near Soma) is not clear; the phrase is typical of the Septuagint (e.g. Judges 17:7; Ruth 2:1; Isaiah 38:12; cf. Luke 1:61).