English translation

Translation by: Joyce M. Reynolds, Charlotte Roueché, Catherine Dobias-Lalou

[Year ?], when Aiglanor was priest of Apollo, [X was priest of Emperor Caes]ar divine Augustus [ . . . ] from supervisors [ . . . ] Hippias (scil. son) of Ptolemaios; [the ephors and gerontes ] introducing [to the council the following: since Alexis ] (scil. son) of Alexander [ . . . ] has been shown to be a good [man and . . . ] of the land, spent [much acting as ambassador] on embassies without pay, and took part in the Marmarican [War] and as first [man of this] province underwent [dangers on behalf of his] homeland and the other cities [ . . . ] as a private citizen (?) [ . . . ] unsparing spent [. . ? on] soldiers [ . . . ] ?risking his body [ . . . ] and making other efforts killed not a few and took prisoners, and often took position [in face of] the enemies, having encouraged us in our struggle, and ?contributing to the costs [ . . . ] they were fulfilled [ . . . ?when he ] was appointed leader [ of . . . ] and (had) all authority he showed moderation [ . . . towards] those on campaign [ . . . ] spending and much moderation ?in need [ . . . ] to those on campaign and caring [for. . . . ] the consul campaigning [ . . . ?worthy] of many awards [ . . . ] he appeared not as [ . . . ] but adorned with all virtue and getting very close to the dangers; with his own hand he slew [ . . . ] of the Marmaridae and [ . . . ?collecting] from fortresses [ . . . ] So it has been decided to praise him publicly and to urge him the same ?with goodwill [ . . . ] ?towards the homeland, and to set up for him in the most prominent location in the city [a gilded shield] and an statue in Parian marble and another [in bronze], having the inscriptions: Alexis [(scil. son) of Alexander] leader and [ . . .

Arabic translation

Translation by: Muna Abdelhamed

[السنة؟] ، عندما كان إيقلانور كاهناً لأبولو، [فلان كان كاهن الإمبراطور قيص] ر إلاه أغسطس [···] من المشرفين [···] هبياس (بن) بتوليمايوس؛ [الأيفوري والشيوخ] تقديم [للمجلس ما يلي: بما أن الكسيس] (بن) الإسكندر [···] تبين أنه [رجل خير و · ··] للأرض، أنفق (أدى)[الكثير من العمل كسفير(ممثل)] في السفارات بدون أجر ، وشارك في [الحرب] المرمرايكية وكأول [رجل من هذا] الإقليم تعرض [للمخاطر من أجل] وطنه والمدن الأخرى [. . . ] كمواطن عادي (؟) [. . . ] أنفق بسخاء [··؟ على] الجنود [. . . ] مُخاطراً بجسده [. . . ] وباذلاً جهود أخرى قاتلاً عدد ليس بالقليل وممسكاً بأسرى، وغالبًا ما اتخذ موقفًا [في مواجهة] العدو، مشجعاً لنا في نضالنا، و؟ مسهماً في التكاليف [····] كانت كاملة أومستوفية (ربما الشروط) [·· ·؟عندما ]عين قائداً [ل··· ] و (امتلك كل السلطة وأظهر الاعتدال (التوسط) [. . . نحو] أولئك المعسكرين[. . . ] منفقأ مظهراً الكثير من االاعتدال؟ حقاً [. . . ] أولئك الذين في الحملة والعناية [بــ (لأجل) ... ] حملة القنصل [. . . ؟ يستحق] العديد من الجوائز [. . . ] لم يظهر كـ [. . . ] لكن تحلى بكل فضيلة وأصبح قريباً جدًا من المخاطر؛ بيده قتل [. . . ] من المارمريديين و [. . . ؟ جمع] من الحصون [. . . ] لذا فقد تقرر الثناء عليه بشكل علني وحثة على العمل بنفس الطريقة؟ ؟ مع النية الحسنة [···] ؟ تجاه الوطن ، وأن يُنصب له في أبرز مكان في المدينة [درعًا مُذَهَّبًا] وتمثالاً من الرخام الباري وأخر [من البرونز] تحمل (هذه) النقوش: الكسيس [(بن) الكسندر] قائد و [. . .

Commentary

l.2 cf. ἱερατεύσας τε δὶς Καισάρος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκτενως καὶ φιλοτείμως, C.416

The ends of lines 1,2 recall the initial dating formula of C.145, are restored accordingly; at the beginning of line 2 there is space for the patronymic of the priest of Apollo, e.g. Καρνήδα (cf. Αἰγλάνωρ Καρνήδα in C.247). For the priest of Augustus it is worth noting that in his title Augustus, who is simply Αὐτοκράτωρ Καῖσαρ Σεβαστός in C.145 of 16/15 BCE is now also θεός.

ll.3-6: We have no other preamble to a civic decree so that it is impossible to make much headway with the restoration; the sense of ἐξ ἐπισκόπων (? τὰ ἐξ [ . . . ]) is very obscure.

Line 6: The name is restored from line 42; it shows that, despite the similarities of this text and C.416, they were concerned with two different people who had served Cyrene in something of the same way.

Line 8: Perhaps to be restored on the lines of [ἀεὶ γενόμενος ἡμετέρας φιλή]τωρ γῆς.

Lines 10 ff.: This is presumably the war in which Sulpicius Quirinus was involved.The text, like C.416 and perhaps GVCyr 27, shows that Cyrene had to rely on local initiative for her defence to a larger degree than might have been expected.

Line 18-19. The cutter misunderstood his draft.

Line 28: The reference to a consul is of some historical significance; it would presumably imply that he was on the spot and therefore that the normal provincial administration was temporarily superceded.

Line 41: For ὅπλον ἐπιχρυσον, see C.416, b, lines 4-5.

Line 41: For Parian marble in Cyrenaica see also C.416, B.76, B.45, B.75, with Robert, Hellenica XI-XII, p.119.

Images

   Fig. 1. Front view (Department of Antiquities, D 558)