III 600. Neapolis Scythica.Metrical epitaph of Argotos, II century B.C.Е.
Monument
Type
Stele.
Material
Limestone.
Dimensions (cm)
H.64.0, W.78.0, Th.12.0.
Additional description
Mainly the upper part of the stele is preserved, split into more than 200 fragments. The front and sides are well worked, the epigraphic field is polished. Adorned at the top with moulded cornice, showing traces of paint. The epigraphic field is situated in the top left corner of the front and is framed on the right by a relief image of a vertically positioned spear with a long spearhead. A fragment of a relief, found in 1950, but now lost, probably belongs to this stele. The relief bore a male head in a helmet or pointed headgear, shield (?), horse's head, and a vertically positioned spear shaft (see Vinogradov, Zaitsev 2003, fig. 3, 2). The position of a small fragment (3,5 x 5 x 3) with one letter preserved (see photo) cannot be determined.
Place of Origin
Neapolis Scythica.
Find place
Simferopol (Kermenchik/Neapolis Scythica?).
Find context
During excavations at the central gates in the southeast part of the South Palace, rock-cut pit, old soil deposit on the edge of the pit, upper layer. The rock-cut pit is interpreted by Zaitsev as the lower part of a monumental heroon dated to shortly after 135-130 B.C.E.
Find circumstances
Found in 1999, excavations of Yu.P. Zaitsev.
Modern location
Simferopol.
Institution and inventory
Historical and Archaeological Reserve Neapolis Scyhtian, НС, А № 1.
Epigraphic field
Position
The epigraphic field is situated in the top left corner of the front and is framed on the right by a relief image of a vertically positioned spear with a long spearhead. H.55.0, W.20.0
Lettering
Even, neatly cut letters; serifs and flaring of the ends of hastae. Alpha with broken crossbar, dotted theta, extended horizontals of gamma, pi, tau; round letters smaller than others, kappa with short diagonals, mu with slightly slanted outer hastae, pi with short right vertical and extended horizontal, four-bar sigma with parallel top and bottom bars, wide almost circular omega with long horizontals. Distance between lines: 1.5cm.
Letterheights (cm)
1.0-1.4
Text
Category
Metrical epitaph.
Date
II century B.C.Е.
Dating criteria
Palaeography, archaeological context, historical context.
Editions
Vinogradov, 2003 (= SEG 53, 775 ); Zaitsev2003, 52, № 17.
[Ἀ]ργότο̣υ ὁ Σκυθίης κοίρ̣α̣νος ἱππο̣βό̣[του]·
[εἵ]νεκεν Ἑλλάνων στέργε φιλο[φροσύνης?]·
5
Θ̣ρ̣αικῶν Μαιω[τῶν τ’ ---]Ο̣Π̣...[.] δά[μασεν ?]
θ̣[ρ]ε̣ψ[--- πι]νυτοῦ παιδὸς ΙΔ[---]
vac.
<div type="edition" xml:lang="grc">
<ab>
<lb n="1"/><lg met="elegiac"><l met="hexameter">Λαΐνε<unclear>ο</unclear>ν
τόδε σ<unclear>ῆ</unclear>μα
μεγαυχ<supplied reason="lost">ήτοι</supplied><unclear>ο</unclear> ἔ<supplied reason="lost">στησεν</supplied></l>
<lb n="2"/><l met="pentamerer"><supplied reason="lost">Ἀ</supplied>ργότ<unclear>ο</unclear>υ ὁ
Σκυθίης κοί<unclear>ρα</unclear>νος
ἱππ<unclear>ο</unclear>β<unclear>ό</unclear><supplied reason="lost">του</supplied>·</l></lg>
<lb n="3"/><lg met="elegiac"><l met="hexameter"><supplied reason="lost">αἰ</supplied><unclear>ζη</unclear>οῖς δὲ
λιπόντ<unclear>α</unclear> ποθὴν
<w part="I">προσ</w><gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/><gap reason="illegible" quantity="2" unit="character"/><w part="F">ς</w></l>
<lb n="4"/><l met="pentameter"><supplied reason="lost">εἵ</supplied>νεκεν Ἑλλάνων
στέργε φιλο<supplied reason="lost" cert="low">φροσύνης</supplied>·</l></lg>
<lb n="5"/><lg met="elegiac"><l met="hexameter"><supplied reason="lost">π</supplied><unclear>ο</unclear>λλὰ δὲ
<w part="I"><unclear>Ι</unclear></w><gap reason="illegible" quantity="1" unit="character"/><gap reason="lost" quantity="1" unit="character"/><gap reason="illegible" quantity="1" unit="character"/><w part="M"><unclear>Π</unclear></w><gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/>
<w part="I"><unclear>κ</unclear>αμὼ<supplied reason="lost">v</supplied></w></l>
<lb n="6"/><l met="pentameter"><unclear>Θρ</unclear>αικῶν
Μαιω<supplied reason="lost">τῶν</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost">τ’</supplied> <gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/><w part="M"><unclear>ΟΠ</unclear><gap reason="illegible" quantity="3" unit="character"/><gap reason="lost" quantity="1" unit="character"/></w>
δά<supplied reason="lost" cert="low">μασεν </supplied></l></lg>
<lb n="7"/><lg met="elegiac"><l met="hexameter"><unclear>υ</unclear>ἱ<unclear>εῖ</unclear>ς <unclear>δ</unclear>' <supplied reason="lost">ἑξήκο</supplied><unclear>ντα</unclear>
<unclear>κό</unclear><supplied reason="lost">ρ</supplied><unclear>α</unclear>ς ἴσ<unclear>α</unclear>ς
<unclear>τ</unclear>ε<gap reason="illegible" quantity="1" unit="character"/><gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/></l>
<lb n="8"/><l met="pentameter"><w part="I"><unclear>θ</unclear><supplied reason="lost">ρ</supplied><unclear>ε</unclear>ψ<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/></w> <supplied reason="lost">πι</supplied>νυτοῦ παιδὸς <w part="I">ΙΔ<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character"/></w></l>
<lb n="8a"/><space extent="unknown" unit="line"/></lg>
</ab>
</div>Λαΐνεο̣ν τόδε σῆ̣μα μεγαυχ[ήτοι]ο̣ ἔ[στησεν] |
[Ἀ]ργότο̣υ ὁ Σκυθίης κοίρ̣α̣νος ἱππο̣βό̣[του]·
[αἰ]ζ̣η̣οῖς δὲ λιπόντα̣ ποθὴν προσ[---]..ς |
[εἵ]νεκεν Ἑλλάνων στέργε φιλο[φροσύνης?]·
5
[π]ο̣λλὰ δὲ Ι̣.[.].Π̣[---] κ̣αμὼ[v] |
Θ̣ρ̣αικῶν Μαιω[τῶν τ’ ---]Ο̣Π̣...[.] δά[μασεν ?]
υ̣ἱε̣ῖ̣ς δ̣' [ἑξήκο]ν̣τ̣α̣ κ̣ό̣[ρ]α̣ς ἴσα̣ς τ̣ε.[---] |
θ̣[ρ]ε̣ψ[--- πι]νυτοῦ παιδὸς ΙΔ[---] | vac.
Commentaries
Sidorenko2005 (= SEG, 56, 889); Müller2010, 400, № 23.
Apparatus criticus
Восстановления, не отраженные в критическом аппарате, принадлежат edd. pr. в
работе Виноградов, Зайцев 2003. Незначительные расхождения с editio
princeps не отмечены.
;
на камне после [Ἀ]ργότου кружок-разделитель
3:
[αἰ]ζηοῖς δὲ λιπόντα ποθὴν προσ[ήκοντα]
ἄγευςVinogradov;
конец стк. составляет
фрагмент, на котором видна Σ и нижняя часть двух букв; не исключено, однако,
что фрагмент мог располагаться чуть ниже и относиться к концу стк. 4
4:
[εἵ]νεκεν Ἑλλάνων στέργε φιλο[φροσύνης] со
ссылкой на Hdt. 5.92: φιλοφροσύνης τοῦ πατρόςVinogradov;
я не исключаю, что обломок с
буквой Σ и следами двух букв перед ней, который edd. pr. помещают в конец
стк. 3, мог относиться к концу стк. 4, в этом случае следует читать
φιλο[φροσύνη]ς.
5:
после Ι видна верхняя часть вертикали, перед Π - верх наклонной
[π]ολλὰ δὲ κ[αὶ
ἰ]σχῦσι [προ]καμὼ[ν πάτρης ἐπὶ πλήθει]Vinogradov
6:
после Π видна нижняя часть вертикали, затем верх двух вертикальных
гаст
Θραικῶν Μαιω[τῶν τ’ Ἄρει] ὄπιν κίδα[σεν]Vinogradov
7:
[ἔφυσεν]Vinogradov;
однако в конце стк. после Ε виден след
наклонной гасты (Χ или Υ)
e.g.: τ’ εὐ[ζώνους]
8:
в начале стк. вероятно
θ[ρ]έψ[ας] vel
θ[ρ]έψ[ε];
[(?) πι]νυτοῦ scripsi;
θ[ρ]έψ[ας δ’ ἀντί] νυ τοῦ παιδὸς Ἰδ[ανθέμιδος (?)]Vinogradov
Translation
This stone tomb of much-renowned Argotos the lord of Scythia rich in horses has set up. (Him) who has left behind a longing (for himself) [among great (men) - - -], he (the lord of Scythia) esteemed on account [of a friendly disposition] to Hellenes. Having accomplished much ... he (Argotos) [tamed --- the host?] of Thracians [and] Meotae. [He raised?] sixty sons and as many daughters [- - - wise?] son [- - -].
Commentary
II century B.C.E. (probably in the third quarter).
Images
© 2017 Igor Makarov (edition), Irene Polinskaya (translation)
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