The Parties who Honoured Paulina in Aspendos

Extract

The statue base in Aspendos published by D. Hereward in JHS lxxviii (1958) 59–61 no. 3 is unusual, perhaps unique, in that it mentions not one but several groups each called οἱ περὶ τὸν δεῖνα. J./L. Robert comment on them, understanding that in all there are five groups (REG lxxii (1959) 258 no. 452); but there is uncertainty. This is one of several problems which, as Miss Hereward remarks, the text presents. She reads:

First, the edges. The numbers of letters missing at the beginnings of the first four lines, and at the ends of all but one line, are not established, yet they determine much else. The Roberts complain, and rightly, that instead of a photograph and squeeze, there is only a drawing, necessarily subjective; but I have found my confidence in it growing as I worked. It is not often so, but the drawing is to be preferred to the transcription in several places.

The left side is said to be preserved in part. This can be confirmed on the drawing, by sketching in the parts of the letters missing at the edge in lines 5–10: they give an even and satisfactory margin. The right side is broken away, but stone remains for 0·01 m. (surely not ‘·1’ as on p. 59) to the right of the last preserved letter in line 9. On this (right) side also restorations can be sketched in, and a margin, sufficiently even, and causing line 11 to be exactly centred, can be established. On this basis all of the gaps at the ends can be determined more accurately than in the previous text.