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Hadrian and Cyrene

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 September 2012

P. M. Fraser
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Extract

The inscription here published was first seen by Mr. Applebaum in 1945, when he was in charge of Antiquities in the newly-acquired territory of Cyrenaica. It was at that time standing by the Museum at Cyrene, and its provenience is unknown.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Roman Studies , Volume 40 , Issue 1-2 , November 1950 , pp. 77 - 90
Copyright
Copyright © P. M. Fraser 1950. Exclusive Licence to Publish: The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

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References

1 I owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Hugh Last who gave me the opportunity of publishing this inscription; to Mr. M. N. Tod for reading my commentary before publication and making numerous valuable suggestions and corrections; to Mr. S. Applebaum for consenting to add a Note concerning other evidence for Hadrian's activities at Cyrene, including several hitherto unpublished inscriptions; to Mr. C. Morgan, of the Antiquities Department, Cyrenaica; and Mr. R. G. Goodchild, Assistant Director of the British School at Rome, for answering queries, and to the former for re-reading on my behalf certain lines of the inscription, and to the latter for the photograph reproduced as Plate V, and for measurements of the stone, as given.

I have been considerably helped in the task of reading this difficult text by independent readings from the photograph, made by Professor Wade-Gery and Mr. Tod. I have recorded their readings, where they had not first occurred to me, by the initials W-G, M and T. Mr. Morgan's readings are noted by M.

The following abbreviations, apart from those generally in use, may be noted :—

Afr. Ital. = Africa Italiana 1927–1941.

Annuario = Annuario della (regia) scuola archeologica di Atene 1914–.

DAI = Documenti antichi dell' Africa Italiana 1932–6.

Notiz. arch. = Notiziario archeologico 1915–1927.

Avi-Yonah, Abbr. in Gk. Inscr. = Avi-Yonah, M., ‘Abbreviations in Greek Inscriptions’ (Quarterly of Dept. of Antiq. in Palestine IX, Supp., 1940)Google Scholar.

Bourguet, De Reb. Delph. imp.aet. = Bourguet, E., De rebus Delphicis imperatoriae aetatis, Lille, 1905Google Scholar.

Ferri, Contributi = Ferri, S., Contribute di Cirene alla storia della religione greca, Roma, 1923Google Scholar.

Lafoscade = Lafoscade, L., De epistulis imperatorum Romanorum, Lille, 1902Google Scholar.

Larfeld, Handbuch = Larfeld, W., Handbuch der griechischen Epigraphik, 2 vols., 1902–1907.Google Scholar

Ricc2. = Fontes iuris romani anteiustiniani I, Leges, iterum edidit S. Riccobono, Florentiae, 1941.

Schürer, GJV = Schürer, E., Geschichte des jüdischen Volkes, 4te Aufl. 3 vols. (and index), Leipzig, 1901–1911.Google Scholar

Weber, Untersuchungen = Weber, W., Untersuchungen zur Geschichte des Kaisers Hadrianus, Leipzig, 1907Google Scholar.

2 For this heading, see SEG ix, 3; 128 (without θεόσ); 179–182. τύχη ἀγαθή is also possible; see ibid. 7; 192; 293, etc. τύχα alone, as in SEG IX, 28, would make the following lines impossibly short, on the assumption that the words stood symmetrically to 11. 2–4. Mr. Last suggested to me that the line should be supplemented as θεòσ Τ[ραιανòσ 'Αδριανóσ], but the second letter of the second word appears to be upsilon, while the third letter is evidently chi, even though it appears to be unnaturally close to the remains of the upsilon.

3 I. von Perg. 274 = Syll3. 831.

4 Cf. Stein, P-W, s.v. ‘Dacicus’, col. 1976: ‘Nur ausnahmsweise wird auch dem divus Traianus Parthicus die Bezeichnung D. beigegeben.’

5 Syll3 829B.

6 For Hadrian's titles, see especially, Perret, , La titulature impériale d'Hadrien, Paris, 1929Google Scholar, passim; v. Rohden, P-W, s.v. ‘Aelius’ (64), col. 500, and under the particular years; and the references given in the following notes.

7 For the date of Hadrian's assumption of the office of Pontifex Maximus, see Perret, op. cit. pp. 47–8.

8 Used for τò γ' in SB 6944.

9 JRS xxx, 1940, 148–152 = Hesp. x, 1941, 369–370.

10 For Hadrian's assumption of the title pater patriae see Perret, op. cit. pp. 62–73 I v. Rohden, op. cit. col. 508, sub an. 128; Weber, Untersuchungen 200, n. 710.

11 Found in Syll3. 838; ibid. 839; PWürz. 9; POslo 78 = SB 6944 = Ricc2. 81.

12 SEG IX, 54; ibid. 136.

13 cf. Perret, op. cit. 50–6 (which stands in need of correction in the light of the true reading of SEG IX, 136, recorded in the following note); Schürer, GJV I, 697, n. 139.

14 Found in POslo 78 (cf. n. 8, above). In another Greek inscription from Cyrene, Ann. Épigr. 1919, no. 6, 1. 3 was read as αὐτοκράτωρ τὸ θ', and this reading is accepted by Perret, op. cit. 55, n. 4. It had, however, already been corrected by Ferri, Contributi 3–4, n. i, to αὐτοκράτωρ τὸ β', and this is now given as the true reading in the latest publication of the inscription, SEG ix, 136.

15 Compare the prescripts of the following documents: SEG IX, 54, 136, 168 (all from Cyrene); SB 6944 = Ricc2. 81, PWürz. 9 (Egypt); IG2 II, 1101, 1102, 1105 (Athens).

16 See e.g. Theophr. Char. xxx, 10, and Polyb. V, 74; for related uses see Preisigke, Wörterbuch, s.v. ἐϕέλκω.

17 Salvius Carus is otherwise known only from Hadrian's undated letter to him reproduced in Dig. 48, 16, 14 = Haenel, Corpus Legum p. 100.

18 For the first class see e.g. TAM II, 905 (Opramoas) XIIA, no. 44, 11. 13–14 (cf. ibid. XIID, no. 47, 11. 4–5; ibid. XIIE, no. 48, 11. 2–3; ibid. XIIE, no. 49, 11. 12–13; XIIF, no. 50, 11. 10–11); Syll3. 849 (Antoninus Pius to the Ephesians, A.D. 140–4); ibid. 850 (Antoninus to the Ephesians, A.D. 145); Lafoscade 55, 11. 16–17; Syll3. 851. For the second, Syll3. 837; IG VII, 2870.

19 e.g. Syll3. 837, and the Opramoas-texts quoted in n. 13 above.

20 e.g. Syll3. 838; ibid. 850.

21 For the use of ἅλλο (sc. κεϕάλαιον), ἅλλησ, etc., in a series of excerpted documents v. PWürz. 9, ll. (33), 41, 57; PTeb. 8 = W. Chrest. 2, 11. 19; Annuario iv–v, 1924–5, pp. 223 ff. = SEG III, 674 = Annuario N.S. I–II, 1942, pp. 156 ff. (with new readings), A, l. 19; Lind. Chron. D, 1. 94, ἅλλα SC. επιϕάνεια).

22 e.g. Syll3. 888, ll. I ff.: Αὐτοκράτορι Καίσαρι Μ. ᾿Αντωνίῳ Γορδιανῷ Εὐσεβεῖ Εὐτυχεῖ Σεβαστῷ δέησις παρὰ κωμητῶν Σκαπτοπαρηνῶν τῶν καὶ Γρησειτῶν.

23 This is the most serious objection to the obvious alternative ἐπὶ τέλουσ.

24 προ- here may however only be intensitive, since it is found in compound forms with the meaning of ‘instead of’, even in the Hellenistic age: v. OGIS. 331, I. 14, and Dittenberger's note.

25 Bourguet, De Reb. Delph. imp. aet. 72–3, 1. 5, of A.D. 118; cf. Harv. Stud. XLIX, 1938, 143.

26 Facsimile in Notiz. arch., IV, 1927, pl. II–IV.

27 Dieterich, v., Untersuchungen z. Gesch. d. griech. Sprache (Byz. Zeit. Ergänzungsheft I, 1898), 204Google Scholar.

28 v. Bell, Jews and Christians in Egypt 7–8, for official use of θεóσ during the lifetime of Claudius: for its application to Augustus in his lifetime Klaffenbach, v., Mus. Helv. VI, 1950, 223Google Scholar, note 18.

29 p. 87.

30 v. Lafoscade, 87, n. 4.

31 SEG IX, 8 = Ricc2. 68.

32 Tac, Ann. XIV, 18; cf. Notiz. arch. II, 1916, 159–161.

33 For the relations of Vespasian with Cyrene, see Suet., Vespas. 2, 3; Tac, Ann. xvi, 28 ff. (cf. ibid. ch. 33); SEG IX, 165, with the discussions of Ghislanzoni, , Notiz. arch. II, 1916, 165–177Google Scholar, and Ferri, Contributi 12, nr. II; Hygin. Grom. vet. I, p. 122 L: ‘In provincia Cyrenensium agri sunt regii, id est illi quos Ptolemaeus rex populo Romano reliquit … lapides vero inscripti nomine divi Vespasiani sub clausola tali: OCCVPATI A PRIVATIS FINES P(OPVLO) R(OMANO) RESTITVTI.

34 For the Jewish revolt, see Schürer, GJV 1, 661–670, the fullest account; cf. also Groag, P-W, s.v. ‘Lusius’ (9), cols. 1881 ff. (a reference I owe to Professor Syme).

35 Dio Cass. LXVIII, 32; cf. Euseb. HE IV, 2.

36 Euseb. l.c.

37 Türk Tarih Bell XI, 1947, 101–4, no. 19, a reference I owe to Mr. Applebaum: for convenience I quote the entire inscription: Λ(ούκιον) Γάουιον Λ(ουκίου) Γαουίου Φρόν|τωνος υ(ἱὸν) Φρόντωνα, πρει|μοπειλάριον λεγ (εῶνος) γ᾿ Κυρηνα|ικῆς καὶ στρατοπεδάρ|χην λεγ(εῶνος) ιέ ᾿Απολλιναρί|ας πρῶτον καὶ μὸνον έκ|τῆς πατρίδος, πατέρα Λ(ουκίου) Γαουίου Αἰλιανοῦ ταμίου καὶ|ἀντιστρατήγου δήμου Ῥωμαί|ων, πάππον Λ(ουκίου) Γαουίου Κλάρου | πλατυσήμου, ἵππῳ δημοσί|ῳ τετειμημένον ὑπὸ τοῦ Σε|βαστοῦ καὶ τειμαῖς ἀριστεί|οις, ἐνχειρισθέντα ὑπὸ θε|οῦ Τραιανοῦ τρισχειλίους οὐ|ετρανοὺς λεγεωναρίους εἰς τὸ|κατοικίσαι Κυρήνην, ἐπηνγελμέ|νον αἰώνιον γυμνασιαρχίαν κα|τὰ πενταετίαν, πρῶτον ἀρχιε|ρέα πάντων τῶν ί Σεβαστῶν ἐπὶ| τετραετίαν καὶ ἀγωνοθέτην ἐ|κ τῶν ἰδιων σκηνικῶν ἀγώνων | καὶ γυμνικῶν Λ(ούκιος) Γάουιος Σέ|λευκος τὸν ἑαυτοῦ πάτρωνα|καὶ εὐεργέτην. cf. Robert, REG, 1948, 201. The revolt in Alexandria was still in progress after the accession of Hadrian: v. Euseb., Chron. II, 164ff. (Schoene), quoted by Schürer, op. cit. 667, n. 4.

38 Oros. VII, 12, b.

39 See Mr. Applebaum's note at the end of this article.

40 See ibid. nos. A2 (?); B, 1–2; C, 1–2 (D, 3–4; E, I; undated).

41 Ibid. no. A3.

42 See Prehn, P-W, s.v. ‘Ktistes’, cols. 2085–7.

43 See below, p. 88, no. A4.

44 I am much indebted to Dr. Momigliano for discussing possible interpretations of the text with me, and putting forward several suggestions embodied in my account; and also to Professor Robert for giving me the advantage of his opinion on many difficult points.

45 For the difficulty of interpretation here, see above, p. 81.

46 cf. SEG IX, I,II. I ff., quoted below, p. 86.

47 See above p. 84.

48 SEG IX, I, II. I ff; cf. De Sanctis, Riv. Fil. lvi, 1928, 210–13.

49 For Hadriane or Hadrianopolis, see Georg. Cypr. 778–794: 'Eπαρχία Λιβύησ πεντάπολισ Σώζουσα κυρίνη Πτολεμσισ Τέυχηρα 'Αδριανή; Βερενίκη Hieroc. Synec. 733, 2; Rav. Cosm. 137 (Itin. Rom. II, 36); ibid. 353 (Itin. Rom. II, 89); Tab. Peut. VIII; cf. Miller, Itiner. Roman. col. 877; Jones, CERP 363. The modern Driana preserves the name of Hadrian's foundation.

50 cf. the Augustan Cyrene-edicts (though these are of course not κεϕάλαια but complete texts, each with its own titular prescript), all of which are inscribed on one stone, though they were issued in more than one year.

51 Contrast the careful engraving of the Hadrianic dedication, SEG IX, 54, reproduced DAI 11, pl. XXI, fig. 31, with the script of the ‘stele of the epheboi’ (A.D. 224–5), SEG IX, 128, reproduced DAI I, XXXIV, no. 52) 65, which is very similar to that of the present inscription. A glance at the reproduction of the two Hadrianic inscriptions from Athens in Graindor, Athènes sous Hadrien pl. 1, shows, however, that such an argument cannot be conclusive.

52 Amm. Marc, XXII, 16, 4: ‘In Pentapoli Libya Cyrene est posita, urbs antiqua sed deserta, quam Spartanus condidit Battus.’

53 Among many other passages see in particular the description in § 3 of the περι βασιλείασ: ἐνέ σοι πέμπει Κυρήνη, … πόλις Ἑλληνίς, παλαιὸν ὄνομα καὶ σεμνόν, καὶ ἐν ῷδῇ μυρίᾳ τῶν πάλαι σοφῶν νῦν πένης καὶ κατηφὴς καὶ μέγα ἐρείπιον καὶ βασιλέως δεόμενον, κ.τ.λ.

54 See the inscription quoted above, p. 84, n. 37.

55 Tab. Peut. VIII, 4, 5; cf. CIL III, I, 6, the epitaph of a legionary veteran (of XV Apollinaris?) buried at Teucheira. The rectangular plan of Teucheira, with its chess-board grid of streets, presents a markedly colonial appearance (plan, Afr. Ital. IV, 242), to be compared with that of Antinoupolis (Jomard, Déscr. de l'Égypte, Antiquités, atlas, tom, iv, pl. 54).

56 See above, p. 86, n. 49.

57 IG II2, 3306.

58 Cohen, Méd. imp. 2a, II, no. 1278.

59 Athen. xv, 677D–E.

60 See Henderson, Hadrian 283; cf., however, above, p. 84; Weber, Untersuchungen z. Gesch. Had., 97–8, 119–20, believes in Hadrian's Libyan visit, placing it in early 123.

61 See Pernier, Afr. Ital. IV, 173 ff. But the style of the Pronaos of Artemis III resembles that of the Capitol, dedicated in Hadrian's time.

62 See Orosius, quoted above, p. 84: ‘interfectis cultoribus, etc’ On the significance of τροϕεύσ as a title given to those supplying corn in times of scarcity, see Robert, , Hellenica VII, 74–81Google Scholar, with examples.

63 op. cit. 42, no. 26.

64 Pernier, Il tempio e l'altare di Apollo a Cirene 139: cf. SEG IX, 173, 189.

64a See Chamoux, , BCH LXX, 1946, 66–77Google Scholar, for doubts on the building's identity.

65 I must record my thanks to Mr. M. N. Tod for the various suggestions which he has made concerning some of these inscriptions.

66 cf. SEG IX, 189, 1. 3.

67 ibid. 168, 1. 9.

68 BCH LXXI–LXXII, 1947, 353, n. 1.

69 ibid. 349.

70 Mr. Tod suggests as alternatives ἐϕ' ίερἐωσ or ὑπὲρ τῆς (τᾶς) αὐτοκράτορος τοῦ δεῖνος διαμονῆς (-ᾶς) καὶ σωτηρίασ, 96, 99, 101, 171, 174, 175.

71 cf. SEG IX, 411.

72 cf. ibid. 121–2.

73 DAI II, 2, no. 516: Ψβ = ‘by vote of the Council’.

74 Afr. Ital. III, 189.