Description: Outcrop of natural rock, on which texts are cut more or less roughly,
in a series of different hands, with dates ranging from 15/16 to 52 CE: M.3, M.4,
M.5, M.6, M.7, M.8,
M.9, M.10, M.11, M.12,
M.13, M.14, M.15, M.16,
M.17, M.18, M.19, M.20,
M.21, M.22, M.23, M.24,
M.25, M.26, and perhaps M.27. They may be described as graffiti
although the surviving example and the photographs show that their production often involved much
more effort than the normal graffito.
Text: Incised within a rectangular frame (w:
1.50)
Ferri assumed loss to the left, but the text is complete.
Letters: Lunate epsilon, lunate sigma, cursive omega.
Date: First century CE
Findspot: South of Berenike:
Beside the ancient road from Corniclanum/Ajdabia,
leading south to the oasis of Gialo; recorded in 1923.
Original location: Findspot.
Last recorded location:
Now covered by modern houses.
Apparatus
1: . . . ? ρατος αὶ Ferri, 1926; Ὁράτ[ι]ος (Φ)αι/ SEG2: . . . άλαντος Ferri, 1926
3: . . . . ? νομερίω Ferri, 1926
English translation
Translation by: Editors
(H)oratios (scil. son) of Aialan, Nomerios.
Commentary
For general introduction see M.3.
Line 1: Since two names are in the genitive case it is possible that the first is also and that the first line should be interpreted as . . . Π]ρ̣άτ[ι]οϲ, from the local name, Πρᾶτις.
Line 3: This could be a name (so LGPN), but the syntax remains unclear. But it could also be a miltary term (member of a numerus) as in later Greek (see the lexica of Lampe, Trapp, online at TLG)
Bibliography: Ferri, 1926, 11, with drawing, p.379, whence SEG 9.783.
Text constituted from: From previous publications (Reynolds).
Images
None available (2020).