Ancient Greek Inscriptions

from Bulgaria

Klada Bg

Statue base for Emperor Gordian III, erected by the city of Augusta Traiana

Monument III_1565
Editor(s)
Georgi Mihailov, Nicolay Sharankov.
Type of monument
statue base
Material
limestone
Find place
Stara Zagora, found before 1868, exact findspot unknown; in 1881 observed, together with other ancient inscriptions and sculptures, on "Bogoridi" Square (now Park "Peti Oktomvri")
Origin
Augusta Traiana
Observed in
Institution and inventory
Dimensions
height 173 cm, width 50 cm, depth 55 cm
Letter size
height 1.5 - 5 cm
Layout description
Rectangular base, moulded above and below; inscription on the front. The moulding on the sides was hammered out, probably for a re-use of the stone as building material, similarly to many other statue bases from Augusta Traiana.
Decoration description
Floral ornament and acroteria on the upper moulding.
Text
Category of inscription
honorary inscription for emperor - prose
Date
AD 238-241
Dating criteria
titulature, office
Images
Text

Ἀγαθῆι τύχη[ι].
Τὸν μέγιστον καὶ
θειότατον Αὐτο-
κράτορα δεσπό-
5την τῆς οἰκου[μ]ένης
Μ(ᾶρκον) Ἀντώνιον Γορδια-
νὸν Εὐσεβῆ Εὐτυ-
χῆ Σε(vac.1)β(αστὸν) (vac.1) ἡ ἱερωτά-
τη βουλὴ καὶ ὁ λαμ-
10πρότατος δῆμος Τρα[ι]-
ανέων ἐκ τῶν ὑπερπαι-
όντων, ἡγεμονεύοντος
τῆς Θρᾳκῶν ἐπαρχείας
Καττίου Κέλερος.
15 (vac.) Εὐτυχῶς. (vac.)
ἐπιμελουμένου Αὐρ(ηλίου)
Κοίντου Κοίντου (vac.)
Α (πρώτης) ἀρχῆς. Εὐτυχῶς.

AΓΑΘH.ΤYΧ.Ι
ΤONMEΓΙΣΤΟNΚΑI
ΘΕΙOΤΑΤΟNΑYΤΟ
ΚΡAΤΟΡΑΔΕΣΠO
5ΤΗNΤHΣΟIΚΟΥMENΗΣ
MANΤΩNΙΟNΓΟΡΔΙΑ
NONΕYΣΕΒHΕYΤΥ
ΧHΣΕ vacat Β vacat HIΕΡΩΤA
ΤΗΒΟΥΛHΚΑIOΛΑM
10ΠΡOΤΑΤΟΣΔHMΟΣΤΡΑΙ
ΑNEΩNEΚΤΩNYΠΕΡΠΑΙ
ONΤΩNHΓΕMΟNΕYΟNΤΟΣ
ΤHΣΘΡAΚΩNEΠΑΡΧΕIΑΣ
ΚΑΤΤIΟΥΚEΛΕΡΟΣ
15 vacat ΕYΤΥΧΩΣ vacat
EΠΙMΕΛΟΥMENΟΥΑYΡ
ΚΟINΤΟΥΚΟINΤΟΥ vacat
ΑAΡΧHΣΕYΤΥΧΩ.
To Good Fortune! To the greatest and most divine Emperor, the Lord of the world Marcus Antonius Gordianus Pius Felix Augustus - the most sacred Coundil and the most splendid People of Traiana (erected this statue) from the surplus funds, when Cattius Celer was governor of the province of Thrace. May it be fortunate! Aurelius Quintus son of Quintus, first archon, was in charge (of the erection of the statue). May it be fortunate!
⤦ n: 1

tag: lb
Ἀγαθῆι

lemma: ἀγαθός
tag: w
Ἀγαθῆ

tag: #text
ι

tag: unclear
τύχηι

lemma: τύχη
tag: w
τύχ

tag: #text
η

tag: unclear
ι

tag: supplied
.

tag: #text
⤦ n: 2

tag: lb
Τὸν

tag: w
μέγιστον

lemma: μέγας
tag: w
καὶ

tag: w
⤦ n: 3

tag: lb
θειότατον

lemma: θεῖος
tag: w
Αὐτο κράτορα

lemma: αὐτοκράτωρ
tag: w
Αὐτο

tag: #text
⤦ n: 4

break: no
tag: lb
κράτορα

tag: #text
δεσπό την

lemma: δεσπότης
tag: w
δεσπό

tag: #text
⤦ n: 5

break: no
tag: lb
την

tag: #text
τῆς

tag: w
οἰκουμένης

lemma: οἰκουμένη
tag: w
οἰκου

tag: #text
μ

tag: supplied
ένης

tag: #text
⤦ n: 6

tag: lb
Μᾶρκον Ἀντώνιον Γορδια νὸν

ref: Gordianus
type: emperor
tag: persName
Μᾶρκον

ref: Marcus
nymRef: Μᾶρκος
type: praenomen
tag: name
Ἀντώνιον

ref: Antonius
nymRef: Ἀντώνιος
type: gentilicium
tag: name
Γορδια νὸν

ref: Gordianus
nymRef: Γορδιανός
type: cognomen
tag: name
Γορδια

tag: #text
⤦ n: 7

break: no
tag: lb
νὸν

tag: #text
Εὐσεβῆ

lemma: εὐσεβής
tag: w
Εὐτυ χῆ

lemma: εὐτυχής
tag: w
Εὐτυ

tag: #text
⤦ n: 8

break: no
tag: lb
χῆ

tag: #text
Σεβαστὸν

lemma: σεβαστός
tag: w

quantity: 1
unit: character
tag: space

tag: w
ἱερωτά τη

lemma: ἱερός
tag: w
ἱερωτά

tag: #text
⤦ n: 9

break: no
tag: lb
τη

tag: #text
βουλὴ

lemma: βουλή
tag: w
καὶ

tag: w

tag: w
λαμ πρότατος

lemma: λαμπρός
tag: w
λαμ

tag: #text
⤦ n: 10

break: no
tag: lb
πρότατος

tag: #text
δῆμος

lemma: δῆμος
tag: w
Τραι ανέων

ref: AugTr
tag: placeName
Τρα

tag: #text
ι

tag: supplied
⤦ n: 11

break: no
tag: lb
ανέων

tag: #text
ἐκ

lemma: ἐκ
tag: w
τῶν

tag: w
ὑπερπαι όντων

lemma: ὑπερπαίω
tag: w
ὑπερπαι

tag: #text
⤦ n: 12

break: no
tag: lb
όντων

tag: #text
,

tag: #text
ἡγεμονεύοντος

lemma: ἡγεμονεύω
tag: w
⤦ n: 13

tag: lb
τῆς

tag: w
Θρᾳκῶν ἐπαρχείας

type: ethnic
ref: Thrace
tag: placeName
Θρᾳκῶν

lemma: Θρᾷξ
tag: w
ἐπαρχείας

lemma: ἐπαρχία
tag: w
⤦ n: 14

tag: lb
Καττίου Κέλερος

type: official
ref: Catius
nymRef: Λούκιος Κάτιος Κέλερ
tag: persName
Καττίου

nymRef: Κάτιος
ref: Catius
type: gentilicium
tag: name
Κέλερος

ref: Celer
nymRef: Κέλερ
type: cognomen
tag: name
.

tag: #text
⤦ n: 15

tag: lb

extent: unknown
unit: character
tag: space
Εὐτυχῶς

lemma: εὐτυχῶς
tag: w
.

tag: #text

extent: unknown
unit: character
tag: space
⤦ n: 16

tag: lb
ἐπιμελουμένου

lemma: ἐπιμελέομαι
tag: w
Αὐρηλίου Κοίντου Κοίντου

ref: AT329
type: attested
tag: persName
Αὐρηλίου

ref: Aurelius
nymRef: Αὐρήλιος
type: gentilicium
tag: name
⤦ n: 17

tag: lb
Κοίντου

ref: Quintus
nymRef: Κόιντος
type: cognomen
tag: name
Κοίντου

ref: Quintus
nymRef: Κόιντος
tag: name

extent: unknown
unit: character
tag: space
⤦ n: 18

tag: lb
Α πρώτης

tag: expan
Α

tag: abbr
πρώτης

lemma: πρῶτος
tag: w
ἀρχῆς

lemma: ἀρχή
tag: w
.

tag: #text
Εὐτυχῶς

lemma: εὐτυχής
tag: w
Εὐτυχῶ

tag: #text
ς

tag: unclear
.

tag: #text
Apparatus
Letters in ligature:
2 νκ;
3 την, τησ, νησ;
5 ντων;
6 ηε;
8 ρωτ;
9 τη;
10 πρ, ημ;
11 νε, ων, των, πε;
12 ωντων, ηγ, νε, ντ;
13 τησ, ωνε;
15 ωσ;
16 με, με;
18 ησ.
Apparatus:
The first edition by G. Pappadopoulos (1868) gives only l. 1-13; the edition by Albert Dumont (1876), after a copy by Blasios Skordelis, gives l. 1-14; Paul Foucart (1882), using a copy and a squeeze by Aimé Langlais, published the entire text without the last word on l. 18; the latter was read for the first time by Dimitar Dimitrov (1937).
14 Some editors incorrectly divided the name as Κ(οίντου) Ἀττίου Κέλερος, see the commentary to IGBulg 1375.
18 The letters in Εὐτυχῶς are much smaller, 1.5 cm h.
Commentary

The statue of Emperor Gordian III was erected by the city authorities in Augusta Traiana during the tenure of the provincial governor Lucius Cattius Celer, ca. AD 238-241. Cattius Celer is attested as governor of Thrace on several milestones erected by the cities of Philippopolis (IGBulg 1069, IGBulg 1337, IGBulg 1375, and Telamon III-6) and Serdica (IGBulg 2000 and IGBulg 2016). In AD 242, after the end of his tenure in Thrace, he is attested as governor of the province of Moesia Superior (see IMS III.2, 22 and AE 1998, 1117).

The first archon of Augusta Traiana Aurelius Quintus son of Quintus has not been attested elsewhere. His gentilicium Aurelius indicates Roman citizenship granted with the Constitutio Antoniniana of AD 212; before that date, both he and his father used the Roman praenomen Quintus as a single name.

Bibliography
Mihailov, Georgius. Inscriptiones Graecae in Bulgaria repertae. Vol. III.2, 1964.

текуща версия 1 / 2024-07-15