IRCyr: C.420. Building inscription for the restoration of the Temple of Zeus

Description: Seven blocks of limestone, some fragmentary, made by chiselling down the echinoi of the capitals of the interior colonnade of the pre-Antonine temple.
Text: Inscribed on one face.
Letters: Second century CE: c. 0.185; rubricated.

Date: CE 172-175

Findspot: Cyrene: Temple of Zeus: lying fallen in the pronaos. Found between 1939 and 1956.
Original location: Temple of Zeus: In view of the findspot within the pronaos, we originally assumed that these blocks had fallen from the wall above the entrance to the cella (see Goodchild et al., below), but on reconsideration we are now inclined to believe that they stood above the architrave of the Temple, which ws inscribed with C.419.
Last recorded location: Temple of Zeus.

Interpretive

[ὑ]πὲρ τᾶς [Αὐ]το[κρά]το[ρος Καίσ]α̣ρος Μ(άρκω) Αὐρηλίω [Ἀν]τωνείν[ω Σεβαστῶ Ἀρμενι-]
[α]κῶ Παρθ[ικῶ Μηδικῶ Γερ]μανικῶ τύχας καὶ ν[ε]ίκας καὶ α[ἰωνίας διαμονᾶς]
[κ]αὶ τῶ σύνπαντος ὠτῶ οἴκω καὶ ἱερᾶς συν̣κλήτω [καὶ δάμω Ῥωμαίων]
[ἁ] πόλις [ἁ Κυ]ρανάων ἁ ματρόπολις τὸν ν[αὸν] τῶ [Διὸς c. 7 τὸν]
5 [κα]τ[αβλ]η̣θέντα το͂ι Ἰουδ[αικο͂ι ταράχοι c. 14]
[c. 9]ΜΑ ἀνέστα[σ]εν [c. 26]

Diplomatic

[.]ΠΕΡΤΑΣ[..]ΤΟ[...]ΤΟ[.......].ΡΟΣΜΑΥΡΗΛΙΩ[..]ΤΩΝΕΙΝ[..............-]
[.]ΚΩΠΑΡΘ[............]ΜΑΝΙΚΩΤΥΧΑΣΚΑΙΝ[.]ΙΚΑΣΚΑΙΑ[..............]
[.]ΑΙΤΩΣΥΝΠΑΝΤΟΣΩΤΩΟΙΚΩΚΑΙΙΕΡΑΣΣΥ.ΚΛΗΤΩ[..............]
[.]ΠΟΛΙΣ[...]ΡΑΝΑΩΝΑΜΑΤΡΟΠΟΛΙΣΤΟΝΝ[...]ΤΩ[....·······...]
5[..]Τ[...].ΘΕΝΤΑΤΟΙΙΟΥΔ[.............··············]
[·········]ΜΑΑΝΕΣΤΑ[.]ΕΝ[··························]

German translation

Translation source: Lüderitz-Reynolds, 1983

(Lines 1-5): Für das Glück (τύχη) und den Sieg und die ewige Dauer des Imperators Caesar M(arcus) Aurelius Antoninus Augustus Armeniacus Parthicus Medicus Germanicus und für sein gesamtes Haus und den heiligen Senat und das Volk der Römer hat die Stadt der Kyrener, die Metropolis, den Tempel des Zeus . . ., den im jüdischen Aufstand umgestürzten . . . wieder aufgestellet . . .

English translation

Translation source:

For the fortune, victory, and everlasting preservation of the emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus Armeniacus Parthicus Medicus Germanicus and all his house and the sacred Senate and People of the Romans, the city of the Cyreneans, the metropolis, the temple of [Zeus] seized in the Jewish riots [...] rebuilt.

English translation

Translation by: Editors

On behalf of the fortune and victory and [eternal endurance] of the Emperor M(arcus) Aurelius Antoninus [Augustus], victor in [Armenia] victor in Parthia, [victor in Media], victor in Germania, and for his whole house, and the sacred senate [and the people of the Romans], the city of the Cyreneians, the metropolis, set up/restored the [temple] of [Zeus] which had been thrown down in the Jewish [revolt . . .

Commentary

For discussion and bibliography see A. Blanco Pérez., loc.cit.

Line 2: between 172 when Marcus became Germanicus, and 175 when he became also Sarmaticus.

Line 4: at the end of the line there was very probably a cult title for Zeus.

Line 6: Here there may have been a reference to the authority stimulating the Cyrenaeans to rebuild, e.g. [...κατὰ τὸ Αὐτοκράτ] / [ορος διάταγ]μα ἀνέστα[σ]εν [...] or conceivably, to the cult statue, e.g. [... ἀνωκοδόμησεν] / [καὶ τὸ ἄγαλ]μα ἀνέστα[σ]εν [...] but as the statue was probably paid for privately this seems less likely.

Bibliography: Pesce, 1951, 5 (three blocks only), whence Robert, Bulletin Épigraphique, 1953.251, AE 1954.41 , reviewed by J.Bingen, Chronique d'Egypte XXVIII (1953) 186, whence Robert, Bulletin Épigraphique, 1955.276; republished Goodchild-Reynolds-Herington, 1958 vol. XXVI, no.A, p. 31-34, fig. 1, p. 32; whence AE 1960.260, SEG 17.800, PHI 324413, Lüderitz-Reynolds, 1983, 22, discussed, with bibliography, A. Blanco Pérez in Berthelot, 2018
Text constituted from: Transcription (Reynolds).