Description:
Marble
base, flanged outwards at the lower edge on three sides,
with a dowel hole on top for the attachment of another block
(w:
0.79-0.62 x h:
0.73 x d:
0.60).
Text: Inscribed on one face.
Letters: 0.035; line 3 is a monogram, 0.075.
Date: First century CE
Findspot:
Cyrene,
Temple of Aphrodite:
First recorded in 1817 with C.41;
seen "about 10 yards to the eastwards of the Temple " (Smith and Porcher, 1861).
Original location: Unknown.
Last recorded location:
Cyrene Museum
3: Χαρίτων Reynolds-Goodchild, 1996 The monogram was resolved by all previous editors as χάριν.
Italian translation
Translation source: Oliverio, DAI, 1933-1936
- della sua benevolenza verso di essa, in grazia.
English translation
Translation by: Editors
. . . in gratitude for] (scil. his/her/their) kindness to her (scil. gave ?the statue of) the Graces.
Commentary
There is space above on the block for one more line at most; it seems probable that part of the text was inscribed on the block above.
The city, or less probably a lady, is clearly honouring a benefactor or benefactress.
The monogram in line 3 was read by previous editors as representing χάριν 'thanks for', to be taken with the preceding genitive; but as Reynolds pointed out (art. cit.) this does not explain all the letters, which are better interpreted as referring to the Graces, to whom the monument was presumably dedicated - perhaps being a representation of them. This might be related to the dedication of one of the small unnamed temples in the area.
Bibliography: Della Cella, 1819, 142; Pacho, 1827 LXIII.7 with Letronne, p.395; Beechey, 1828, 545; from all of which and from a copy made in 1819 by Fr. Pacifico da Monte Cassiano and passed to Pietro Negri, the Sardinian
consul in Tripoli, CIG, Vol.III, 5132; mentioned, Smith-Porcher, 1864, 77; Oliverio, DAI, 1933-1936, 62 (55), fig. 18 pl. XII whence SEG 9.60; Gray, 1956, 59, on which see Reynolds-Goodchild, 1996, 273, whence Robert, Bulletin Épigraphique, 1959.511, SEG 17.811, PHI 324421.
Text constituted from: Transcription (Reynolds).
