IRCyr   Inscriptions of Roman Cyrenaica

C.96. Dedication of a statue of Concord by nomophylakes

Description: Two adjoining fragments of a fluted marble column.
Text: Inscribed within a panel prepared by planing down the fluting.
Letters: Probably first century BCE to Augustan.

Date: Probably first century BCE to Augustan

Findspot: Cyrene: in the Hall of the Nomophylakeion: first recorded in 1919.
Original location: Unknown.
Last recorded location: Findspot.

Interpretive

( vac. 1) Νομοφ[ύλ]α̣κες ( vac. 1)
οἱ ἐφ’ἱαρ[εῦς] Ξούθω
Ἰσιδωρο[ς Ἐ]τεάρχω
Κλητόμα[χος Κ]λητομάχω
5Νίκιππος Ἀριστοβούλω
Εὔνικος Εὐίππω
Βίων Ἰσογόνω
Ἡλιόδωρος Ἡλιοδώρω
( vac. 2) Γραμματές ( vac. 2)
10Μουσαῖο[ς] Μουσα[ίω]
Σώστρατ[ος] Σ̣ω̣[στράτω?]
Θαλίαρχ[ος ---]
Ὁμονόια[ν ---]
( vac. 2)ἀν[έθηκαν]

Diplomatic

  ΝΟΜΟΦ[..].ΚΕΣ  
ΟΙΕΦΙΑΡ[...]ΞΟΥΘΩ
ΙΣΙΔΩΡΟ[..]ΤΕΑΡΧΩ
ΚΛΗΤΟΜΑ[....]ΛΗΤΟΜΑΧΩ
5ΝΙΚΙΠΠΟΣΑΡΙΣΤΟΒΟΥΛΩ
ΕΥΝΙΚΟΣΕΥΙΠΠΩ
ΒΙΩΝΙΣΟΓΟΝΩ
ΗΛΙΟΔΩΡΟΣΗΛΙΟΔΩΡΩ
    ΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΕΣ    
10ΜΟΥΣΑΙΟ[.]ΜΟΥΣΑ[..]
ΣΩΣΤΡΑΤ[..]..[......]
ΘΑΛΙΑΡΧ[..---]
ΟΜΟΝΟΙΑ[.---]
    ΑΝ[......]

Apparatus

11: Σώστρατ[ος - -], whence SEG Ghislanzoni, 1925
13: ὁμονοία[ς ἕνακα] Ghislanzoni, 1925; Ὁμονοία[ν Roussel, Bulletin Épigraphique ; Oliverio suggested ὁμονοία[ν Σεβαστήν ?]

English translation

Translation by: Editors

The nomophylakes in the time of the priest Xouthos, Isidoros (scil. son) of Etearchos, Kletomachos (scil. son) of Kletomachos, Nikippos (scil. son) of Aristoboulos, Eunikos (scil. son) of Euippos, Bios (scil. son) of Isagonos (scil. and) the secretaries, Mousaios (scil. son) of Mousaios, Sostratos (scil. son) of So[stratos], Thaliarchos [---], set up (scil. the image of) Homonoia

French translation

Translation source: Thériault, 1996

Les nomophylaques (en charge) sous le prêtre Xouthos, Isidôros fils d'Etéarchos, Klètomachos fils de Klètomachos, Nikippos fils d'Aristoboulos, Eunikos fils d'Euippos, Biôn fils d'Isogonos, Hèliodôros fils d'Hèliodôros; secrétaires Mousaios fils de Mousaios, Sôstratos fils de ..., Thaliarchos fils de ..., ont consacré (une statue) d'Homonoia.

Commentary

One of a series of lists recording nomophylakes: C.93, C.94, C.96, C.95, C.97, GVCyr 26, all describing a series of dedications, and another list, C.98; cf also C.99; see further on C.93.

This inscription is the only one in which the secretaries of the nomophylakes are mentioned. It seems just possible that their inclusion here represents constitutional reform after a period in which six nomophylakes had had complete control of the Archive (as in C.94). Such a reform perhaps presupposes some agitation against oligarchic tendencies - a context which would give especial point to the dedication of a statue of Ὁμόνοια recorded in line 13; Cyrene is known to have been the scene of stasis on several occasions in the first century BCE. It would appear from later inscriptions, eg. C.95, C.97, C.98, that the secretaries were soon fully assimilated into the board.

Line 13: For the importance of Concord, see Robert, on C.95, noting the association with Aphrodite. This is probably Concord among the Cyrenaeans, cf. Ὁμόνοια Ἀπαμέων (Head, BMC Phrygia, no. 161), whether the reference is general, cf. on C.95 or specifically to a restoration of peace after stasis as suggested above. Thériault, op.cit. above, suggests that this is to be Concord among the nomophylakes themselves; he suggests a slightly later date of the first century CE. Homonoia could also be the peace restored to the Roman world after the civil wars, but this concept is not particularly relevant to the Nomophylakes.

Bibliography: Ghislanzoni, 1925, 421 and fig 9, whence Roussel, Bulletin Épigraphique, 1926, p. 287, SEG 9.135, whence PHI 323988, Thériault, 1996, 54-5.
Text constituted from: Photograph (Reynolds).

Images

None available (2020).