IRCyr   Inscriptions of Roman Cyrenaica

C.119. Dedication of the North Stoa

Description: Marble panel, damaged down both sides (w: 0.85 x h: 0.68 x d: 0.38).
Text: Inscribed on one face.
Letters: First-second century; line 1, 0.06 (the initial letter rather larger); line 2, 0.055; lines 3-9, 0.05 lunate epsilon and sigma, cursive omega; bars above the praenomina in lines 1,2; both praenomina written small and inserted in the lines as if afterthoughts.

Date: CE 161

Findspot: Cyrene: Agora, near the North Stoa; found probably in 1919.
Original location: Unknown.
Last recorded location: Standing on the steps of the stoa.

Interpretive

ἔτει α´ Μ(άρκου) Αὐρηλίου
Ἀντωνείνου ((leaf))
καὶ Λ(ουκίου) Αὐρηλίου Οὐ[ήρου]
Αὐτοκρατόρων
5Γ(άϊοϲ) Κλ(αύδιοϲ) Τιτιανὸϲ Δη[μό-]
ϲτρατοϲ ἀνθύπ[ατοϲ] Κρήτηϲ καὶ Κυρήν[ηϲ]
( vac. 1) μητροπόλεωϲ
( vac. 1) ἀφιέρωϲεν ( vac. 1)

Diplomatic

ΕΤΕΙΑΜΑΥΡΗΛΙΟΥ
ΑΝΤΩΝΕΙΝΟΥ
ΚΑΙΛΑΥΡΗΛΙΟΥΟΥ[....]
ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΟΡΩΝ
5ΓΚΛΤΙΤΙΑΝΟϹΔΗ[..-]
ϹΤΡΑΤΟϹΑΝΘΥΠ[....]ΚΡΗΤΗϹΚΑΙΚΥΡΗΝ[..]
  ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΕΩϹ
  ΑΦΙΕΡΩϹΕΝ  

Apparatus

1: Αὐρηλίο[υ] Oliverio, 1916 ; so AE and SEG
2: Οὐήρου Oliverio, 1916 ; so AE and SEG
7: Κυρή[νηϲ] Oliverio, 1916 ; so AE and SEG

English translation

Translation by: Editors

Year one of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus and Lucius Aurelius Verus, Emperors; G(aius) Cl(audius) Titianus Demostratos, proconsul of Crete and Cyrene, metropolis, consecrated (scil. this).

Commentary

Line 1: CE 161.

Line 6: for the proconsul see PIR2, C 1044, and Thomassen, Laterculi 38.044.

Line 8: Metropolis: The earliest dated instance of this applied as a title to Cyrene; it presumably underlines her position as chief city of the koinon of the Hexapolis. It is strange that it should be stressed in the title of the proconsul which ought to refer to the whole province: Larsen, loc. cit. argued from it that the other cities of Cyrenaica did not enjoy full civic status but were in some real sense dependent on Cyrene.

l.9 Applebaum, loc.cit., takes the text as evidence for the insertion of a small shrine between the columns of the Northern portico, and connects the work with restoration after the Jewish Revolt. The findspot is too imprecise to allow the first conclusion; and it is unnecessary to attribute every second century building at Cyrene to rebuilding after the Jewish Revolt.

Bibliography: Oliverio, 1916, 3 and fig. 3, whence AE 1919.95, SEG 9.170, PHI 324021. Discussed Applebaum, 1951, 179, Larsen, 1952, 8; mentioned Kenrick, 2013, 179..
Text constituted from: Transcription (Reynolds).

Images

   Fig. 1. Face (2008, H.Walda)

   Fig. 2. View of block (2008, H.Walda)