IAph: 8.3. Decree of Plarasa/Aphrodisias

Description: Two white marble blocks (together w: 3.06 × h: 0.59 × d: 0.43) from a Doric entablature with architrave and frieze in one piece; block a. is chipped at both sides, block b. is broken in two.

Text: Inscribed a on one metope and b on the frieze. The decree is laid out in two columns.

Letters: av. 0.02; ligatured ΤΗ in a. line 1, ΜΕ in a. line 6, ΤΗ, ΜΕ, ΗΝ, ΝΕ, ΗΜ in b. line 5, ΜΕ, ΝΕ in b. line 6.

Date: Document: 88 BCE Inscription: Second century CE (prosopography, events, lettering)

Findspot: Aphrodisias: Theatre: stage building, the pilaster forming the northern end of the Doric entablature.

Original location: Theatre, stage

Last recorded location: Findspot

Interpretive

ἔδοξεν τῇ βου-
λῇ καὶ τῷ δήμῳ
καὶ Περείτου {του}
τοῦ Ἀντιόχου γραμ-
5ματέως δήμου
καὶ Ἀττάλου τοῦ Με-
νάνδρου τοῦ ἐπὶ
τῆς χώρας στρα-
τηγοῦ

b

i

ἐπεὶ Κόϊντος̣ Ὄππιος Κοΐντου υἱὸς στρατηγὸς ἀνθύπατος Ῥω[μαίω]ν πέπομφεν πολιορκεῖσθαι Λαοδίκηάν τε καὶ̣
ἑαυτὸν ὁ δὲ δῆμος ἔκρεινεν βοηθεῖν κατὰ πλῆθος συνεκπορεύεσθαι δὲ καὶ τοὺς παροίκους καὶ τοὺς δούλους, εἵλατο δὲ ἐπὶ
τῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ ἄνδρα τὸν ἡγησάμενον ( vac. 1) ἀνανκαῖον δέ ἐστιν ἐξαποστεῖλαι καὶ πρεσβευτὰς τοὺς ἐνφανιοῦντας τῷ ἀνθυ-
πάτῳ περί τε τῆς αἱρέσεως ἧς ἔχει ὁ δῆμος ἡμῶν πρὸς Ῥωμαίους ὄντας σωτῆρας καὶ εὐεργέτας καὶ ἐάν τι ὁ στρ<ατ>ηγὸς ἐπι-
5τάσσῃ καὶ ἕτερον τῇ πόλει διαταξαμένους ὥστε διασαφηθῆναι καὶ γενέσθαι δεδόχθαι τῷ δήμῳ ἑλέσθαι πρεσβευτὰς ἄνδρας τῶν τειμ-
ωμένων καὶ πίστιν ἐχόντων καὶ εὐνοϊκῶς πρὸς Ῥωμαίους διακειμένων οἵτινες ἀφικόμενοι πρὸς Κόϊντον Ὄππιον τὸν ἀνθύ-
πατον ἐνφανιοῦσιν αὐτῷ ἣν ἔχει ὁ δῆμος ἡμῶν αἵρεσιν πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ πρὸς πάντας Ῥωμαίους ὑποδείξωσι δὲ ὅτι οὐ
μόνον κατὰ πλῆθος συμμαχεῖν ἐκρείναμεν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄνδρα̣ τὸν ἐπὶ τῆς συμμαχίας εἱλάμεθα

Ἀρτεμίδωρον τὸν στεφανηφόρον ἄνδρα τῶν τειμωμένων
10 καὶ πίστιν ἐχόντων καὶ τῇ ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις ἀρετῇ διαφέροντα
ἐνφανιοῦσιν δὲ αὐτῷ ὅτι πᾶς ὁ δῆμος ἡμῶν σὺν γυναιξὶ
καὶ τέκνοις καὶ τῷ παντὶ βίῳ ἐτῦμος παραβάλλεσθαι ὑπὲρ
Κοΐντου καὶ τῶν Ῥωμαίων πραγμάτων καὶ ὅτι χωρὶς τῆς
Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίας οὐδὲ ζῆν προαιρούμεθα

Diplomatic

ΕΔΟΞΕΝΤΗΒΟΥ
ΛΗΚΑΙΤΩΔΗΜΩ
ΚΑΙΠΕΡΕΙΤΟΥΤΟΥ
ΤΟΥΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥΓΡΑΜ
5ΜΑΤΕΩΣΔΗΜΟΥ
ΚΑΙΑΤΤΑΛΟΥΤΟΥΜΕ
ΝΑΝΔΡΟΥΤΟΥΕΠΙ
ΤΗΣΧΩΡΑΣΣΤΡΑ
ΤΗΓΟΥ

b

i

ΕΠΕΙΚΟΙΝΤΟ.ΟΠΠΙΟΣΚΟΙΝΤΟΥΥΙΟΣΣΤΡΑΤΗΓΟΣΑΝΘΥΠΑΤΟΣΡΩ[....]ΝΠΕΠΟΜΦΕΝΠΟΛΙΟΡΚΕΙΣΘΑΙΛΑΟΔΙΚΗΑΝΤΕΚΑ.
ΕΑΥΤΟΝΟΔΕΔΗΜΟΣΕΚΡΕΙΝΕΝΒΟΗΘΕΙΝΚΑΤΑΠΛΗΘΟΣΣΥΝΕΚΠΟΡΕΥΕΣΘΑΙΔΕΚΑΙΤΟΥΣΠΑΡΟΙΚΟΥΣΚΑΙΤΟΥΣΔΟΥΛΟΥΣΕΙΛΑΤΟΔΕΕΠΙ
ΤΗΣΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣΚΑΙΑΝΔΡΑΤΟΝΗΓΗΣΑΜΕΝΟΝ ΑΝΑΝΚΑΙΟΝΔΕΕΣΤΙΝΕΞΑΠΟΣΤΕΙΛΑΙΚΑΙΠΡΕΣΒΕΥΤΑΣΤΟΥΣΕΝΦΑΝΙΟΥΝΤΑΣΤΩΑΝΘΥ
ΠΑΤΩΠΕΡΙΤΕΤΗΣΑΙΡΕΣΕΩΣΗΣΕΧΕΙΟΔΗΜΟΣΗΜΩΝΠΡΟΣΡΩΜΑΙΟΥΣΟΝΤΑΣΣΩΤΗΡΑΣΚΑΙΕΥΕΡΓΕΤΑΣΚΑΙΕΑΝΤΙΟΣΤΡΗΓΟΣΕΠΙ
5ΤΑΣΣΗΚΑΙΕΤΕΡΟΝΤΗΠΟΛΕΙΔΙΑΤΑΞΑΜΕΝΟΥΣΩΣΤΕΔΙΑΣΑΦΗΘΗΝΑΙΚΑΙΓΕΝΕΣΘΑΙΔΕΔΟΧΘΑΙΤΩΔΗΜΩΕΛΕΣΘΑΙΠΡΕΣΒΕΥΤΑΣΑΝΔΡΑΣΤΩΝΤΕΙΜ
ΩΜΕΝΩΝΚΑΙΠΙΣΤΙΝΕΧΟΝΤΩΝΚΑΙΕΥΝΟΙΚΩΣΠΡΟΣΡΩΜΑΙΟΥΣΔΙΑΚΕΙΜΕΝΩΝΟΙΤΙΝΕΣΑΦΙΚΟΜΕΝΟΙΠΡΟΣΚΟΙΝΤΟΝΟΠΠΙΟΝΤΟΝΑΝΘΥ
ΠΑΤΟΝΕΝΦΑΝΙΟΥΣΙΝΑΥΤΩΗΝΕΧΕΙΟΔΗΜΟΣΗΜΩΝΑΙΡΕΣΙΝΠΡΟΣΑΥΤΟΝΚΑΙΠΡΟΣΠΑΝΤΑΣΡΩΜΑΙΟΥΣΥΠΟΔΕΙΞΩΣΙΔΕΟΤΙΟΥ
ΜΟΝΟΝΚΑΤΑΠΛΗΘΟΣΣΥΜΜΑΧΕΙΝΕΚΡΕΙΝΑΜΕΝΑΛΛΑΚΑΙΑΝΔΡ.ΤΟΝΕΠΙΤΗΣΣΥΜΜΑΧΙΑΣΕΙΛΑΜΕΘΑ

ΑΡΤΕΜΙΔΩΡΟΝΤΟΝΣΤΕΦΑΝΗΦΟΡΟΝΑΝΔΡΑΤΩΝΤΕΙΜΩΜΕΝΩΝ
10ΚΑΙΠΙΣΤΙΝΕΧΟΝΤΩΝΚΑΙΤΗΕΝΤΟΙΣΟΠΛΟΙΣΑΡΕΤΗΔΙΑΦΕΡΟΝΤΑ
ΕΝΦΑΝΙΟΥΣΙΝΔΕΑΥΤΩΟΤΙΠΑΣΟΔΗΜΟΣΗΜΩΝΣΥΝΓΥΝΑΙΞΙ
ΚΑΙΤΕΚΝΟΙΣΚΑΙΤΩΠΑΝΤΙΒΙΩΕΤΥΜΟΣΠΑΡΑΒΑΛΛΕΣΘΑΙΥΠΕΡ
ΚΟΙΝΤΟΥΚΑΙΤΩΝΡΩΜΑΙΩΝΠΡΑΓΜΑΤΩΝΚΑΙΟΤΙΧΩΡΙΣΤΗΣ
ΡΩΜΑΙΩΝΗΓΕΜΟΝΙΑΣΟΥΔΕΖΗΝΠΡΟΑΙΡΟΥΜΕΘΑ

Apparatus

b.4: ΣΤΡΗΦΟΣ, lapis; clearly a slip.
b.12: ΕΤΥΜΟΣ.

English translation

Translation source: Reynolds, 1982

Translation: a. Decision of the Council and the People (? proposed by the magistrates), by Pereitas son of (?, grandson) of Antiochos, Secretary to the People, and by Attalos, son of Menandros, General in charge of the territory.

b. Since Quintus Oppius, son of Quintus, Roman praetor with proconsular power, has sent (a message) that Laodikeia and he himself are under siege and since the People decided that they should help him in force and that the paroikoi and slaves should march out with them and has also chosen in the assembly a man for their leader and it is necessary to despatch ambassadors too, to inform the proconsul of the policy of our People towards the Romans who are saviours and benefactors, and, if the governor gives any other instruction for the city, to arrange that it is passed on clearly and carried out, the People decided to elect as ambassadors men from among those who are honoured and hold trust and are well disposed towards the Romans, who shall go to Quintus Oppius the proconsul and inform him of the policy of our People towards him and all Romans and shall report that we have not only decided to fight alongside him in force but have also chosen a man to command this auxiliary unit, Artemidoros the stcphanephoros, a man of those who are honoured and hold trust, and one distinguished in military excellence, and they shall inform him that our whole People, together with our wives and children and all our property (7), is ready (?) to risk all for Quintus and the Roman cause; and that without the rule of the Romans we do not choose even to live.