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Inscribed Block (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College)
Inscribed Block (Altar?): Honorific Inscription for Emperor Hadrian
- Date
- Between 128/29 and 132 AD., Roman
- Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
- NoEx71.013
- Material
- Marble, Stone
- Object Type
- Altar, Inscription
- Inscription Type
- Honorific Inscription
- Inscription language
- Greek
- Inscription Text
Σωτῆρι καὶ κτίσ- τῃ Αὐτοκράτορι Ἁδριανῷ Ὀλυμ- 4 πίωι.
- Inscription Translation
- “For the Savior and Founder Imperator Hadrianus Olympios.”
- Inscription Comment
- Site
- Keklik Suyu
- Findspot
- Eastern side of the Pactolus valley.
- Description
Block (altar?) of white marble; in order to be reused, the upper and lower moldings have been chiseled off.
- Dimensions
- H. 0.47, W. 0.30, Th. 0.19, H. of letters 0.03.
- Comments
Herrmann’s text. Summary of his commentary:
This is the first altar dedicated to Hadrian that has come to light in Sardis; elsewhere such altars are attested in great quantity; see the commentary on IGSK 24, 1 (Smyrna), no. 625; and TAM V 3, 1653–1654. The fact that the title “Olympios” occurs here, but “Panhellenios” does not, leads to a date between 128/29 and 132 AD (cf. D. Kienast, Römische Kaisertabelle [21996], p. 130). The altar’s erection does not seem to have been caused by Hadrian’s visit to Sardis in 124 AD. For another visit at a later date, perhaps 128/29, there is insufficient evidence; see P. Weiß, Chiron 25 (1995), pp. 213–24; see no. 373 comm. on the date.
For the institution of a penteteric contest at Sardis in honor of Hadrian, νέος Διόνυσος, see Sardis VII 1, nos. 13–14. The inscription no. 319, 1 mentions a Hadrianeion (cf. SPRT, p. 145).
- See Also
- Bibliography
- Unpublished. Herrmann, ms.
- Author
- GP