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Composite photo by Georg Petzl of Sardis fragment and fragment found in Allahdiyen by Hasan Malay; for Petzl's publication. Based on perhaps our SD2015.6494 and a photo of Petzl's. (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College, and G. Petzl)
Inscribed Plaque: Verse Funerary Inscription for Apphion, treasurer of Kore and Pluteus, and her foster-children
- Date
- 2nd century AD? (letter shape)., Roman
- Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
- NoEx81.039
- Material
- Marble, Stone
- Object Type
- Inscription
- Inscription Type
- Funerary Inscription
- Inscription language
- Greek
- Inscription Text
Κούρης γαζοφύλαξ καὶ Πλου- τέος Ἄπφιον ἔρξε v αὑτῇ σῆ- μα τόδε καὶ τροφίμοισιν 4 ἑοῖς, v τοῖς καὶ ἐλευθερίην θῆκεν πάρος. Εἰ δ᾿ ἀθεμίσ- τως v ἐνθάδε τις θάψῃ ἀλ- λοδαπὸν φθίμενον, v ὡς ἀ- 8 λιτρὸς τείσειε θε̣οῖσιν, ‹π›- ρόστατα Λυδῶν, v οὐ̣ατόεν λειτρῶν ἓξ δέπας ἀ̣ργύρε- ον. In verses: Κούρης γαζοφύλαξ καὶ Πλου/τέος Ἄπφιον ἔρξε αὑτῇ σῆ/μα τόδε καὶ τροφίμοισιν / ἑοῖς, τοῖς καὶ ἐλευθερίην / θῆκεν πάρος. Εἰ δ᾿ ἀθεμίσ/τως ἐνθάδε τις θάψῃ ἀλ/λοδαπὸν φθίμενον, ὡς ἀ/λιτρὸς τείσειε θε̣οῖσιν, ‹π›/ρόστατα Λυδῶν, οὐ̣ατόεν / λειτρῶν ἓξ δέπας ἀ̣ργύρε/ον.
- Inscription Translation
- “Apphion, the treasurer of Kore (Persephone) and Pluteus, had this tomb built for herself and for her foster-children, to whom she had formerly bestowed freedom. If anybody unlawfully buries here a foreign corpse, he should, because he is a sinner, give to the gods as a fine, o head of the Lydians, a silver goblet with handles weighing six pounds.”
- Inscription Comment
- Site
- Allahdiyen
- Findspot
- The left fragment is kept at the Sardis Expedition compound, IN81.011 (NoEx81.039); the right one, which was found in Allahdiyen by H. Malay during his survey in 2009, is in the Manisa Museum.
- Description
Plaque of coarse-grained white marble with gray veins. Framed by a cornice, which has been cut off at the lower edge; broken into two parts.
- Dimensions
- H. 0.60, W. ca. 0.62, max. Th. 0.11, average H. of letters 0.022.
- Comments
There is a one-letter vacat after each verse.
1–2 The fact that Apphion is called treasurer of Kore and Pluteus is an additional testimony for the cult of that couple at Sardis. Men Kamarites, Pluto, and Kore are the addressees of the dedication no. 452, which is also said to come from Allahdiyen; the inscription no. 411 mentioning the ἀρχενβάται, who probably belonged to the cult of Kore, also originates from there. Does this point to the location of her sanctuary somewhere near Allahdiyen? - For Kore see nos. 447, 4–5; 723, 3; and SPRT, pp. 92–93. For Pluto and Kore in funerary curses see Strubbe, ΑΡΑΙ, no. 8.
4 Ligature PIHN
6 θάψῃ: probably not aorist subjunctive but itacistic spelling of future indicative θάψει; cf. θελήσῃ no. 692, 10–11, and, for the opposite phenomenon, no. 673, 3–4 comm.
6–7 The ἀλλοδαπὸς φθίμενος corresponds to the ἀλλότριος νεκρός (e.g., IGSK 23 [Smyrna], no. 253, 6–7) or to the ἀλλότριον (IGSK 23, no. 214, 6)/ἐξωτικὸν πτῶμα (IGSK 23, no. 219, 6).
8–11 It is not clear whom Apphion addresses as head of the Lydians (<π>ρόστατα Λυδῶν, neglecting the syllabification; Α/ΡΟΣΤΑΤΑ, the stone) who would have to enforce the fine. Petzl, in the ed. pr., suggested a poetic designation of Sardis; in her title, the city is called μητρόπολις τῆς Ἀσίας καὶ Λυδίας ἁπάσης καὶ Ἑλλάδος. C. P. Jones, per litt., considers that Zeus Lydios, whose name is known from coins from Sardis and Kidrama (L. Robert, Villes, p. 298 n. 2; and L. and J. Robert, La Carie II, p. 76) is here the προστάτης Λυδῶν.
Apphion stipulates that the illegal user of her tomb has to give to the gods (i.e., probably to Kore and Pluteus whose treasurer was Apphion) a silver goblet of the weight of six pounds as fine. The goblet had to be of a special shape, namely showing two “ears,” i.e., handles.
For fines stated in pounds (sign of devaluation of the currency from the middle of the third century onward), see Strubbe, ΑΡΑΙ, no. 140, 12 comm.; ibid., no. 366, Index 5, s.v. Fines in silver pounds/gold coins; L. Robert, Hellenica III, pp. 106–7; D. Feissel, TravMém. 10 (1987), pp. 429–30, no. 46 (= SEG 37, 1072; Nikomedeia), l. 12; SEG 49, 1827 = Ameling, Inscr. Jud. Or. II, pp. 406–8, no. 191, B 6–7 (Hierapolis, ca. 200 AD).
- See Also
- Bibliography
- Left fragment: Herrmann, ms.; both fragments assembled: G. Petzl, “Leben abseits der Zentren. Religion und Kultur im ländlichen Lydien” (in Der Beitrag Kleinasiens zur Kultur- und Geistesgeschichte der griechisch-römischen Antike, ed. J. Fischer [2014], pp. 301–7) pp. 301–3, with photographs p. 307 (SEG 64, 1193).
- Author
- GP