III 360. Chersonesos.Epitaph of Delphos, on sarcophagus, 2nd half of II - early III century C.E.

Monument

Type

Sarcophagus wall. 

Material

Marble. 

Dimensions (cm)

H.80.0, W.155.0, Th.16.0.

Additional description

Five joining fragments. The edges are broken off, except the top. Moulded cornice along the top edge. The front is worked with tooth-chisel, but not polished. The back is treated summarily. The inscription of seven lines is framed as tabula ansata in the centre of the panel. 

Place of Origin

Chersonesos. 

Find place

Sevastopol (Chersonesos). 

Find context

North sector of the Chersonesos, in the excavations of a VI-century basilica; secondary use as floor panel. 

Find circumstances

Found in 1935, excavations of G.D. Belov. 

Modern location

Sevastopol. 

Institution and inventory

National Preserve of Tauric Chersonesos, 35228. 

Epigraphic field

Position

On the front. 

Lettering

Theta with attached crossbar, cursive mu, pi with even verticals and extended horizontal. Ligatures: eta-sigma, tau-epsilon, omega-sigma; moderate serifs 

Letterheights (cm)

3.0 – 3.5

Text

Category

Epitaph. 

Date

2nd half of II - early III century C.E. 

Dating criteria

Palaeography. 

Editions

Shangin1938, 80, № 10, II; Belov1940, 268, № 1. 

Edition

Δε[λ]φός Στρατονείκου
ἀγορανομήσας καὶ ἄρξας τὴ-
ν πρώτην̣ ἀρχὴν, ζήσας κο-
σμίως ἔτη vac. κεῖμαι ἐν-
5θάδε, σεμνὸς ἀνὴρ, πάσης ἀρετ-
ῆς κὲ δόξης ἐπεν[ούμενος].
χαῖρετε, παροδεῖτα̣[ι]

Diplomatic

ΔΕ[.]ΦΟΣ ΣΤΡΑΤΟΝΕΙΚΟΥ
ΑΓΟΡΑΝΟΜΗΣΑΣΚΑΙΑΡΞΑΣΤΗ
ΝΠΡΩΤΗ.ΑΡΧΗΝΖΗΣΑΣΚΟ
ΣΜΙΩΣΕΤΗ      ΚΕΙΜΑΙΕΝ
5ΘΑΔΕΣΕΜΝΟΣΑΝΗΡΠΑΣΗΣΑΡΕΤ
ΗΣΚΕΔΟΞΗΣΕΠΕΝ[.......]
ΧΑΙΡΕΤΕΠΑΡΟΔΕΙΤ.[.]

EpiDoc (XML)

<div type="edition" xml:lang="grc">
   <ab>
      	<lb n="1"/>Δε<supplied reason="lost">λ</supplied>φός 
      	   Στρατονείκου
      	<lb n="2"/>ἀγορανομήσας καὶ ἄρξας τὴ 
      	<lb n="3" break="no"/>ν πρώτη<unclear>ν</unclear> ἀρχὴν, ζήσας κο      		
      <lb n="4" break="no"/>σμίως  ἔτη <space extent="unknown" unit="character"/> κεῖμαι ἐν      		
      <lb n="5" break="no"/>θάδε, σεμνὸς ἀνὴρ, πάσης ἀρετ      		
      <lb n="6" break="no"/>ῆς κὲ δόξης ἐπεν<supplied reason="lost">ούμενος</supplied>. 
      	<lb n="7"/>χαῖρετε, παροδεῖτ<unclear>α</unclear><supplied reason="lost">ι</supplied>
   </ab>
   </div>
Commentaries

Belov1938, 41; Bull.ép. 1939, 244; Античная скульптура Херсонеса1976, № 475; Solomonik1990, 105, № 104. 

 
Apparatus criticus

3: πρώτη[ν]Shangin ΗΣ in ligatura
4: ΩΣ in ligatura
5: ἀρ(ε)τShangin
6: κὲ = καὶ; ἐπεν[ούμενος] scripsi secundum lap. (= ἐπαιν[ούμενος]); ἐπ(αι)ν[ούμενος]Shangin; ἐπέν[δυμα vel -δυσις vel -δύτης]Belov1938 ΗΣ in ligatura
7: παροδεῖτ[αι] edd. ΤΕ in ligatura

Translation

Delphos, (son of) Stratoneikos, who had served as agoranomos and first archon, lived decently vac. years. I lie here, honourable man, [praised for] every virtue and good repute. Greetings to you, passers by.

 

Commentary

G.D. Belov (1940, 269) observed that the age of the deceased is left blank in the inscription and concluded that the stele had been prepared during the lifetime of Delphos. This circumstance fits well with "the examples of unfinished treatment that we time and again see in the case of sculpted reliefs" (АСХ, с. 152).

 

Images

 

(cc)© 2017 Igor Makarov (edition), Irene Polinskaya (translation)
You may download this inscription in EpiDoc XML. (This file should validate to theEpiDoc schema.)