PHRC016 : Dedication to Arsinoe Philadelphos, Paros - Cyclades (270-240 BC) Dedication

This small but relatively thick slab of local stone has delivered one of the three genitive dedications to Arsinoe Philaldephos discovered on Paros. The poor quality of this specimen is revealed by the use of both sides for the same text: the carver probably started writing the dedication on one side but was unsatisfied with his work (perhaps because of a careless spacing between letters), left this side unfinished and wrote the text on the other surface. The stone was probably part of a small altar.

Permanent ID http://s.phrc.it/phrc016

Images

Photo 1: Drawing of the stone

Current location

Unknown

Support

Object Type: Slab

The drawing shows that the stone was broken, except for the upper side.

Material: Local limestone

Dimensions:
Height (max): 15,5 cm
Width: 26 cm
Depth: 7 cm

Layout

Two lines written near the upper edge of the stone

Letter form of the reign of Ptolemy II

History

Original Place: Paros

Date: 270-240 BC

Justification: lettering and comparison with other small inscribed objects pertaining to the cult of Arsinoe Philadelphos.

Provenance: Copied by Hiller von Gaertringen, who found it reused in the wall of a lavatory near the Church of Panagia Katapoliani, in the town Paroikia.

Bibliography

Text constituted from: IG XII 5 266; we do not publish the epiclesis Philadelphos supplied by the editor Hiller von Gaertringen in line 2 of the backside; the cultic denomination of the queen does not appear in the drawing and probably was never carved, since the inscription on this side remained unfinished.

Other editions:

Edition

Back

Ἀρσινόης

Front

[Ἀρ]σινόης
[Φ]ιλα[δ]έλφου

Translation

Of Arsinoe Philadelphos

Traduzione

Di Arsinoe Philadelphos

Commentary

This is one of the three preserved genitive deications to Arsinoe Philadelphos preserved on the island of Paros (IG XII 5, 264-266 = Caneva 2014a, p. 114, no. 43-45). The dedication is written on a small but relatively thick slab of local stone, probably belonging to an altar. The low quality of this inscription, suggested by the editor's description of the stone as a "fragmentum rude", is confirmed by the use of the slab on two sides, implying that the carver was unsatisfied by the writing on the first side (perhaps due to a careless spacing between letters, as in the case of PHRC014, from Paphos), and consequently left it unfinished to then restart and accomplish his work on the other available surface.

Author:

Stefano Caneva, 03.11.2018

Revisions:

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