IRCyr   Inscriptions of Roman Cyrenaica

M.65. Fragmentary building inscription

Description: Crudely moulded piece of sandstone probably from a lintel (w: 0.72 x h: 0.29 x d: 0.44) broken at both ends.
Text: Inscribed on the face (surviving w: 0.48 x h: 0.035).
Letters: Lightly inscribed and rough: 0.02; lunate epsilon and sigma, cursive omega.

Date: Probably not earlier than the third century

Findspot: South of Berenike: at Tika/?Gasr Tecasis near the Gasr; found in 1967
Original location: Unknown
Last recorded location: Findspot.

Interpretive

[---]τ̣αντοϲ τῇ τέχνῃ τῶν ἐργαϲαμ̣[ένων? ---]

Diplomatic

[---].ΑΝΤΟϹΤΗΤΕΧΝΗΤΩΝΕΡΓΑϹΑ.[....---]

Apparatus

1: The initial Τ might be lunate Ϲ.

English translation

Translation by: Charlotte Roueché

[ So-and-so, son of -]as, by the skill of ?the builders [ . . .

Commentary

It would appear that a monument (? a tomb), erected by a man of whose name only the end of the patronymic survives, was described as due in some way to the skill of the builders – an unprecendentedly sophisticated concept to appear in a country district of Cyrenaica.

Bibliography:
Text constituted from: Transcription (Reynolds).

Images

None available (2020).