Ancient Greek Inscriptions

from Bulgaria

Klada Bg

Statue base for Caesar Maximus, erected by the city of Philippopolis

Monument AE1247
Editor(s)
Nicolay Sharankov.
Type of monument
statue base
Material
marble
Find place
Plovdiv, re-used in a Late Antique bridge construction
Origin
Philippopolis
Observed in
exhibited at the lapidarium in the Old town of Plovdiv
Institution and inventory
Dimensions
height 192 cm, width 89 cm, depth 68 cm
Letter size
height 3.2 - 4 cm
Layout description
Decoration description
Text
Category of inscription
honorary inscription for emperors - prose
Date
AD 236 - 238
Dating criteria
office, titulature
Images
Text

Ἀγαθῆι τύχηι.
Τὸν μγι[στ]ον κα[ὶ θειότατον]
Καίσαρ[α ⟦Γ(άιον) Ἰούλ(ιον) Οὐῆρον Μάξιμον⟧]
Εὐτυχ Εὐσεβῆ Σεβ(αστὸν) υἱὸν τοῦ με-
5γίστου [κ]αὶ θειοτάτου Αὐτοκρά-
τ[ορος ⟦Γ(αίου) Ἰουλ(ίου) Οὐήρου Μαξιμείνου⟧]
[Ε]τ υχο[ῦ]ς Εὐσεβοῦς Σεβ(αστοῦ) ((·)) ἡ <λ>αμπροτάτη
μητρόπολις τῆς Θρᾳκῶν ἐπαρχείας
Φιλ ιππόπολις τὸν τῆς οἰκουμένης
10[δε] σπότην ὑπατεύοντος τῆς ἐπαρ-
χείας Σειμωνίου Ἰουλιανοῦ (vac.3)
πρωταρχοῦντος ((·)) Αὐρ(ηλίου) ((·)) Ἀπολλω-
νίδου Ἀπολλοδώρου τοῦ αὐτοῦ
καὶ ἐπιμελουμένου ἐκ τῶν ὑπερπαι-
15όντων χρημάτων. Εὐτυχῶς.

AΓΑΘHΙΤYΧΗΙ
ΤONM.ΓΙΣΤΟ...IΘΕΙOΤΑΤΟN
.ΑIΣΑΡΑΓIΟYΛΟYHΡΟNMAΞΙMΟN
.YΤΥΧ.ΕYΣΕΒHΣΕΒΥIONΤΟYMΕ
5ΓIΣΤΟΥΚΑIΘΕΙΟΤAΤΟΥΑYΤΟΚΡA
ΤΟΡΟΣΓIΟΥΛΟYHΡΟΥMΑΞΙMΕINΟΥ
Ε.ΤΥΧ.YΣΕYΣΕΒΟYΣΣΕΒ · HΛΑMΠΡΟΤAΤΗ
MΗΤΡOΠΟΛΙΣΤHΣΘΡAΚΩNEΠΑΡΧΕIΑΣ
.ΙΛΙΠΠOΠΟΛΙΣΤONΤHΣΟIΚΟΥMENΗΣ
10ΔΕ.ΠOΤΗNYΠΑΤΕYΟNΤΟ.ΤHΣEΠΑΡ
.ΕIΑΣΣΕΙMΩNIΟΥIΟΥΛΙΑNΟY vacat
ΠΡΩΤΑΡΧΟYNΤΟΣ · ΑYΡ · AΠΟΛΛΩ
NIΔΟΥAΠΟΛΛΟΔΩΡΟΥΤΟYΑYΤΟY
ΚΑIEΠΙMΕΛΟΥMENΟΥEΚΤΩNYΠΕΡΠΑΙ
15ONΤΩNΧΡΗMAΤΩNΕYΤΥΧΩΣ
To Good Fortune! To the greatest and most divine Emperor Caesar Gaius Iulius Verus Maximus Felix Pius Augustus, son of the greatest and most divine Emperor Gaius Iulius Verus Maximinus Felix Pius Augustus. The most splendid metropolis of the province of Thrace Philippopolis (honoured with this statue) the Lord of the world, when Simonius Iulianus was governor of the province of Thrace, and Aurelius Apollonides son of Apollodorus was first archon; the latter was also in charge (of the erection of the statue), from the surplus funds. May it be fortunate!
⤦ n: 1

tag: lb
Ἀγαθῆι

lemma: ἀγαθός
tag: w
τύχηι

lemma: τύχη
tag: w
.

tag: #text
⤦ n: 2

tag: lb
Τὸν

tag: w
μέγιστον

lemma: μέγας
tag: w
μ

tag: #text

tag: unclear
γι

tag: #text
στ

tag: supplied
ο

tag: #text
ν

tag: unclear
καὶ

tag: w
κα

tag: unclear

tag: supplied
θειότατον

lemma: θεῖος
tag: w
⤦ n: 3

tag: lb
Καίσαρα

lemma: Καῖσαρ
tag: w
Κ

tag: unclear
αίσαρ

tag: #text
α

tag: supplied
Γάιον Ἰούλιον Οὐῆρον Μάξιμον

tag: supplied
⤦ n: 4

tag: lb
Εὐτυχῆ

lemma: Εὐτυχής
tag: w
Ε

tag: unclear
ὐτυχ

tag: #text

tag: unclear
Εὐσεβῆ

lemma: Εὐσεβής
tag: w
Σεβαστὸν

lemma: Σεβαστός
tag: w
υἱὸν

lemma: υἱός
tag: w
τοῦ

tag: w
με γίστου

lemma: μέγας
tag: w
με

tag: #text
⤦ n: 5

break: no
tag: lb
γίστου

tag: #text
καὶ

tag: w
κ

tag: supplied
αὶ

tag: #text
θειοτάτου

lemma: θεῖος
tag: w
Αὐτοκρά τορος

lemma: Αὐτοκράτωρ
tag: w
Αὐτοκρά

tag: #text
⤦ n: 6

break: no
tag: lb
τ

reason: undefined
tag: supplied
ορος

tag: supplied
Γαίου Ἰουλίου Οὐήρου Μαξιμείνου

tag: supplied
⤦ n: 7

tag: lb
Εὐτυχοῦς

lemma: Εὐτυχής
tag: w
Ε

tag: supplied

tag: unclear
τ

tag: #text
υχο

reason: undefined
tag: supplied
υχ

tag: #text
ο

tag: unclear

tag: supplied
ς

tag: #text
Εὐσεβοῦς

lemma: Εὐσεβής
tag: w
Σεβαστοῦ

lemma: Σεβαστός
tag: w

type: dot
tag: g

tag: w
λαμπροτάτη

lemma: λαμπρός
tag: w
λ

tag: supplied
αμπροτάτη

tag: #text
⤦ n: 8

tag: lb
μητρόπολις

lemma: μητρόπολις
tag: w
τῆς

tag: w
Θρᾳκῶν

type: ethnic
ref: Thrace
tag: placeName
ἐπαρχείας

lemma: ἐπαρχία
tag: w
⤦ n: 9

tag: lb
Φιλιππόπολις

ref: Phil
tag: placeName
Φ

tag: unclear
ιλ

tag: #text
ιπ

reason: undefined
tag: supplied
πόπολις

tag: #text
τὸν

tag: w
τῆς

tag: w
οἰκουμένης

lemma: οἰκουμένη
tag: w
⤦ n: 10

tag: lb
δεσπότην

lemma: δεσπότης
tag: w
δε

tag: supplied
σπ

reason: undefined
tag: supplied
σ

tag: unclear
π

tag: #text
ότην

tag: #text
ὑπατεύοντος

lemma: ὑπατεύω
tag: w
ὑπατεύοντο

tag: #text
ς

tag: unclear
τῆς

tag: w
ἐπαρ χείας

lemma: ἐπαρχία
tag: w
ἐπαρ

tag: #text
⤦ n: 11

break: no
tag: lb
χ

reason: undefined
tag: supplied
είας

tag: #text
Σειμωνίου Ἰουλιανοῦ

type: official
ref: Simonius
nymRef: Σειμώνιος Ἰουλιανός
tag: persName
Σειμωνίου

nymRef: Σειμώνιος
ref: Simonius
type: gentilicium
tag: name
Ἰουλιανοῦ

nymRef: Ἰουλιανός
ref: Iulianus
type: cognomen
tag: name

quantity: 3
unit: character
tag: space
⤦ n: 12

tag: lb
πρωταρχοῦντος

lemma: πρωταρχέω
tag: w

type: dot
tag: g
Αὐρηλίου Ἀπολλω νίδου Ἀπολλοδώρου

ref: AT016
type: official
nymRef: Αὐρήλιος Ἀπολλωνίδης Ἀπολλοδώρου
tag: persName
Αὐρηλίου

nymRef: Αὐρήλιος
ref: Aurelius
type: gentilicium
tag: name

type: dot
tag: g
Ἀπολλω νίδου

ref: Apollonides
nymRef: Ἀπολλωνίδης
type: cognomen
tag: name
Ἀπολλω

tag: #text
⤦ n: 13

break: no
tag: lb
νίδου

tag: #text
Ἀπολλοδώρου

nymRef: Ἀπολλόδωρος
ref: Apollodorus
tag: name
τοῦ

tag: w
αὐτοῦ

tag: w
⤦ n: 14

tag: lb
καὶ

tag: w
ἐπιμελουμένου

lemma: ἐπιμελέομαι
tag: w
ἐκ

lemma: ἐκ
tag: w
τῶν

tag: w
ὑπερπαι όντων

lemma: ὑπερπαίω
tag: w
ὑπερπαι

tag: #text
⤦ n: 15

break: no
tag: lb
όντων

tag: #text
χρημάτων

lemma: χρῆμα
tag: w
.

tag: #text
Εὐτυχῶς

lemma: εὐτυχῶς
tag: w
.

tag: #text
Apparatus
Letters in ligature:
2 με, νκ;
4 ησ;
7 μπρ, τη;
8 μη, τρ, ησ, ωνε;
9 ησ, με, νησ;
10 ην, ησ;
12 πρ;
14 με (-μένου), ων, πε;
15 ων, ημ, ων, ωσ.
Apparatus:
The text of the inscription follows the edition of Sharankov with some additional clarifications.
3, 6 well executed damnatio memoriae of the personal names;
6-7, 9-10 the last examination of the stone in 2022 revealed a damage which had affected a few letters at the beginnings of the lines;
7 ΗΑΜΠΡΟΤΑΤΗ: the stone-cutter has omitted the letter Λ before the similar letter Α.
Commentary

Gaius Iulius Verus Maximus, son of Emperor Maximinus Thrax, bears the title of Augustus, although he was officially only Caesar (proclaimed in the first months of AD 236). The authorities in Philippopolis probably flattered the imperial family, since they titled Maximus as Augustus in other inscriptions as well: IGBulg 1515; AE 2006, 1248; AE 2006, 1251; and IGBulg 1374.

Marcus Aurelius Apollonides, son of Apollodorus, is attested as first archon of Philippopolis in two more inscriptions with almost identical text: one from the same findspot in Philippopolis - AE 2006, 1248, and the other from Cillae - IGBulg 1515. The text of these two inscriptions differs only in the name of the provincial governor, which is T. Clodius Saturninus. The change of the provincial governor apparently took place during the archonship of Apollonides. Simonius Iulianus must have been succeeded by Clodius Saturninus, who was seemingly the last governor of Thrace under Emperor Maximinus, because a milestone with his name was prepared but never used (AE 2006, 1251).

Aurelius Apollonides was also archpriest of Philippopolis according to an inscription from Hissar (IGBulg 1476).

We should mention the use of the verb ὑπερπαίω, attested only in some inscriptions from the territories of Philippopolis and Augusta Traiana dated to the second quarter of the III c. AD, always in the same formula (IGBulg 1510; IGBulg 1515; IGBulg 1564; IGBulg 1565; IGBulg 1566; AE 2006, 1248). The city authorities, which erected these inscriptions, were probably trying to avoid accusations of dissipation in a period of economic crisis.

Bibliography
Sharankov, Nicolay. Пет филипополски надписа в чест на император Максимин Тракиец и сина му цезар Максим (235-238). In: Известия на Археологическия институт Vol. 39, 2006, p. 231-242, Vol.. 234-235, Nr. 1, .

текуща версия 1 / 2024-04-26