Ancient Greek Inscriptions

from Bulgaria

Klada Bg

Altar for Apollo Raniscelenus, erected by Lucius Fulvius Asticus

Monument IGBulg_1928
Editor(s)
Georgi Mihailov, Nicolay Sharankov.
Type of monument
altar
Material
limestone
Find place
Sofia, re-used in a Late Roman wall, about 3 meters below the modern surface; found in September 1889 in the trenches for the foundations of the house of Kosta Makedonetsa on Lomska Street (now 4, G. Washington St.).
Observed in
Origin
around Sofia, re-used in a Late Roman wall, about 3 meters below the modern surface; found in September 1889 in the trenches for the foundations of the house of Kosta Makedonetsa on Lomska Street (now 4, G. Washington St.).
Dimensions
height 85 cm, width 50 cm, depth 45 cm
Institution and inventory
Letter size
height 3 - 4 cm
Layout description
Altar, broken below; moulded above; inscription on the front.
Decoration description
Plant ornaments on the upper moulding.
Text
Category of inscription
private dedication - prose
Date
170s or 180s AD, not later than AD 187
Dating criteria
lettering, prosopography
Images
Text

Ἀγαθῆι τύχηι.
Λ(ούκιος) (vac.1) Φούλβιος (vac.1)
Ἀστικὸς Ἀπόλ-
λωνι Ρανισκε-
5(vac.2) ληνῳ. ((leaf)) (vac.2)

AΓΑΘHΙΤYΧΗΙ
Λ vacat ΦΟYΛΒΙΟΣ vacat
AΣΤΙΚOΣAΠOΛ
ΛΩNΙΡΑNΙΣΚΕ
5 vacat ΛΗNΩ- leaf vacat
To Good Fortune! Lucius Fulvius Asticus (dedicated) to Apollo Raniscelenus.
⤦ n: 1

tag: lb
Ἀγαθῆι

lemma: ἀγαθός
tag: w
τύχηι

lemma: τύχη
tag: w
.

tag: #text
⤦ n: 2

tag: lb
Λούκιος Φούλβιος Ἀστικὸς

nymRef: Λούκιος Φούλβιος Ἀστικός
tag: persName
Λούκιος

ref: Lucius
nymRef: Λούκιος
type: praenomen
tag: name

unit: character
quantity: 1
tag: space
Φούλβιος

ref: Fulvius
nymRef: Φούλβιος
type: gentilicium
tag: name

unit: character
quantity: 1
tag: space
⤦ n: 3

tag: lb
Ἀστικὸς

ref: Asticus
nymRef: Ἀστικός
type: cognomen
tag: name
Ἀπόλ λωνι

type: divine
ref: Apollo
tag: persName
Ἀπόλ

tag: #text
⤦ n: 4

break: no
tag: lb
λωνι

tag: #text
Ρανισκε ληνῳ

type: divine
ref: Raniscelenus
tag: persName
Ρανισκε

tag: #text
⤦ n: 5

break: no
tag: lb

unit: character
quantity: 2
tag: space
ληνῳ

tag: #text
.

tag: #text

type: leaf
tag: g

unit: character
quantity: 2
tag: space
Apparatus
Apparatus:
2 The initial letter Λ, used as an abbreviation for the praenomen, is higher than the other letters.
Commentary

The lettering is identical with that of the two building inscriptions for the fortification walls of Serdica dated between June AD 177 and March AD 180, IGBulg 1902 and IGBulg 5668.

The dedicant Lucius Fulvius Asticus bears the three names of a Roman citizen; his cognomen Asticus could have been derived from the name of the Thracian tribe of Astae. He is attested as thracarch (president of the Common council of the cities in Thrace) in an inscription from Philippopolis honouring Emperor Commodus and dated to AD 187 (AE 2006, 1246). Since Fulvius Asticus is still not a thracarch in the inscription from Serdica, the latter must predate the one from Philippopolis of AD 187. Lucius Fulvius Asticus's son or grandson, Fulvius Asticus, was one of the agonothetes (organizers) of the first Pythian Games in Serdica under Emperor Gordian III, ca. AD 240 (IGBulg 1910). A later descendant of the same family was Fulvius Asticus, member of the equestrian order ("vir perfectissimus"), attested ca. AD 301 as governor of Caria and Phrygia.

The dedication was made for Apollo, one of the most popular deities in Serdica (and probably main god of the city). The epithet Ρανισκεληνος, as indicated by the suffix -ηνός, was derived from a toponym (*Ρανισκελα, or with another ending; unlocated).

The dedication to Apollo Raniskelenos was found in re-use together with an altar for Sabazius Athyparenus, IGBulg 1927.

Bibliography
Mihailov, Georgius. Inscriptiones Graecae in Bulgaria repertae. Vol. IV, 1966.

текуща версия 1 / 2022-08-07