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Inscribed Stele Fragment (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College)
Inscribed Stele Fragment: Funerary Inscription for Theon, son of Apollonides, an Arcadian
- Date
- 3rd–2nd century BC? (letter shape)., Hellenistic
- Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
- IN68.003
- Material
- Marble, Stone
- Object Type
- Stele, Inscription
- Inscription Type
- Funerary Inscription
- Inscription language
- Greek
- Inscription Text
Θέων Ἀπολλωνίδο[υ] Ἀρκάς.
- Inscription Translation
- “Theon, son of Apollonides., Arcadian”
- Inscription Comment
- Site
- Sardis
- Sector
- Syn
- Trench
- Syn 68
- Locus
- Syn FC Spolia
- B-Grid Coordinates
- E107.8 / N1 *96.50
- Findspot
- Synagogue, southern door, built into a wall.
- Description
Upper part of a stele of marble; partly damaged above and broken below. Below the inscription are traces of red paint.
- Dimensions
- H. 0.45, W. 0.43, Th. 0.13, H. of letters 0.029.
- Comments
Ll. 1 and 3 are written with expanded spacing.
1–3 The following interpretation is owed to A. Chaniotis: Both names, Theon and Apollonides, “are well attested in Arcadia. The exact origin of an Arcadian is not always indicated in inscriptions mentioning Arcadians (usually mercenaries) abroad” (references, e.g., to SEG 38, 375 and CID II, no. 1, col. II, 31 and 39; no. 4, col. I, 42, 43, and 48; col. III, 5, 8, and 44; see the Index p. 301, s.v. Ἀρκάς, “avec anthr., seul”). Our Theon “probably was a mercenary, exactly as the Mysian man in no. 633” (Chaniotis).
Less probable is the interpretation of Ἀρκάς as Theon’s second name. For the personal name Ἀρκάς, see IGSK 13 (Ephesos), nos. 905, 3 (Ἀρκὰς Ἀρκάδος, second century BC); 899, 35; and LGPN VA, s.v., with further references.
- See Also
- Bibliography
- Unpublished.
- Author
- GP