Gephyra (May 2021)
Neue Inschriften aus dem phrygischen Hochland
Abstract
In this article, we present six inscriptions (one has already been published) discovered in the course of the on-going surveys in the Phrygian Highlands conducted by Rahşan Tamsü-Polat and Yusuf Polat from the archaeology department of Anadolu University (Eskişehir). Two of the inscriptions are ex-votos dedicated to Megistos Hosios, which are most likely to be associated with Hosios and Dikaios worshipped predominantly in Dorylaion and in its environs. In both of these dedications, the god appears as one deity and does not bear the name ‘Dikaios’, but has the epithet of Megistos, attested here for the first time. Two of the inscriptions are epi-grams. The first is an epigram comprising of one pentamer and 6 hexameters in verse. The in-scribed monument is erected by a certain Pasikrates who expresses his gratitude through this poem to his Lord Letoides (Leto’s son) i.e. to Apollon. In this epigram, Pasikrates list the names of his wife and many children along with their characteristics. The other poem is of the funerary epigram genre, belonging to a man called Karikos. According to the epigram, two lions were standing on the top of the funerary monument, apparently serving an apotropaic function. Even though these lions are missing today, the dowel holes visible on the monument were almost certainly employed to secure the recorded statues of two lions. In the epigram there is a sort of wordplay and the deceased seemingly performed something (i.e. θήρα = hunting) which bears the same name with these wild animals (θήρ), and this possibly indicates that Karikos was a hunter. The last two inscriptions (nos 5-6) are funerary inscriptions. The first is inscribed for Solon and Nana by their child Menodoros. The other is fragmentary. All of these inscriptions date from the Roman Imperial Period (2nd and 3rd century A.D.).
Keywords
