Letter of Nikomedes IV
created: Transcription (Reynolds); publications.
source date: Document; text: Second to third centuries CE
language: en; grc
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βασιλεὺς Βιθυνῶν Νικομήδης Πλαρασέων καὶ ων τῇ βουλῇ καὶ τῷ δήμῳ χαίρειν [...]σθεικαν ὡς βουλόμεθα καὶ αὐτοὶ ὑγιαίνομεν Ἀρτεμίδωρος καὶ οἱ ἅμα τούτῳ αἱρεθέντες πρεσβευταὶ συνμείξαντες καὶ ἀσπασάμενοι ἡμᾶς παρὰ τοῦ πλήθους ἀπέδωκαν καὶ ἣν γεγράπφειτε ἐπιστολὴν δι’ ἧς ἐδηλοῦτε συνησθῆναι ἐπὶ τοῖς κατὰ λόγον ἡμεῖν προκεχωρηκόσιν καὶ ἐστεφανωκέν αι ἡμᾶς χρυσέῳ στεφάνῳ καὶ εἰκόνι διελέχθησαν δὲ καὶ οἱ πρεσβευταὶ ἀκολούθως τοῖς ἐν αὐτῇ κατακεχωρισμένοις τήν τε θυσίαν παρέστησαν ἀξίαν τῆς ἡμετέρας προαιρέσεως κατειληφότες οὖν τὸν δῆμον ὑμῶν ἐκ πλείονων εὐνοϊκῶς? διακείμενον τὰ πρὸς ἡμᾶς καὶ σπεύδοντα? vac ἀεὶ ἐπιτυνχάνειν ἡμᾶς ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς προκειμένοις ἀποδεχόμεθα καὶ ἐπῃνέσαμεν πολὺ μάλιστα τὴν εὔνοιαν ὑμῶν καὶ πειρασόμεθα εὐκαιρήσαντες χαρισθῆναι ἀξίως καὶ ὑμῶν καὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας δόξης [...] Ἀρτεμίδωρον [...]αλεξαμε[...] οὺς υἱοὺς κατὰ τὸ παρὸν συνε[...]έσθαι ἡμεῖν [...] ίουςκ[...]ςεπαν [...]ουσυ[...]αιτου εἶναι [...]ἐκρείναμεν καὶ ὑμεῖν ἐγράψαμεν περὶ τούτων ἔρρωσθε

[? Nikomedes king of the Bithynians] to the Council and People of the [Plarasans and Aphrodisians], greetings.

[? If you are well it would be] as we wish; we too are in good health. Artemidoros and the ambassadors chosen at the same time met and greeted us from the People and gave us the letter you have written, in which you reported that you had rejoiced at the satisfactory progress of our affairs and had crowned us with a golden crown and a statue. Further your ambassadors spoke in terms which accorded with those expressed in the letter and furnished a sacrifice worthy of our conduct. Understanding then from many [things] that your people are [well disposed] to us and [? anxious for our] success in all [our ? undertakings], we approve and have [praised] very highly [your] goodwill and shall try, in our prosperity, to [? do you favours] in a manner worthy both of you and [our own] reputation. [. . . ? . . . ] Artemidoros [.. ? ..] sons [.. ? ..] to be [.. ? ..] with us [ . . . ? . . . we ?decided] and [? have written] to you about these things. Farewell

See Aphrodisias and Rome, 23-26, and further bibliography, below.

[...] the main block in situ (67.552) the remaining fragments over several years (67.311, 67.451, 67.452, 67.456, 67.457, 67.458, 67.460, 67.469, 67.470, 67.490, 67.526, 67.552, 69.312, 69.372, 69.451, 76.11, 76.12, 76.196.2, 76.196.12)

Published by [...] Reynolds, A&R 4 whence [...] 32.1097 , [...] 1983.365 ; discussed, with emendations, Jones, EMC 29, 1985, 309-317 (lines 1, 2, 4, 18, 20-21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30-31), whence [...] 35.1083 ; from all these [...] 36 ; [...] 8.24.