IAph: 8.31. Letter of Octavian to Ephesus

Description: Archive wall, column 3, middle courses.

Text: Inscribed area w: 0.955 × h: 0.655. The final letter of line 1 is cut on the ridge which divides columns 2 and 3.

Letters: Second to third centuries C.E.; lines 1-4, ave 0.02, lines 5 ff, ave 0.018. Arabesque at the end of line 12.

Date: Inscription: second to third centuries C.E. Document: 39/38 BCE . (lettering, context, content, prosopography)

Findspot: Aphrodisias: Theatre: north parodos wall

Original location: Theatre: north parodos

Last recorded location: Findspot

Interpretive

Αὐτοκράτωρ Καῖσαρ θεοῦ Ἰουλίου υἱὸς Ἐφεσίων ἄρχουσι
βουλῇ δήμῳ χαίρειν εἰ ἔρρωσθε εὖ ἂν ἔχοι ὑγιαί-
νω δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς μετὰ τοῦ στρατεύματος ( vac. 3)
Σόλων Δημητρίου υἱὸς πρεσβευτὴς Πλαρασέων
5 καὶ ⟦Ἀ̣φροδεισιέων⟧ ἐνεφάνισέν μοι ὅσα ἐν τῷ πο-
λέμῳ τῷ κατὰ Λαβιῆνον ἡ πόλις αὐτῶν πέπονθεν
ὅσα τε διηρπάγη δημόσιά τε καὶ ἰδιωτικά περὶ ὧν
πάντων Ἀντωνίῳ τε τῷ συνάρχοντι ἐντολὰς
δέδωκα ὅπως ὅσα ποτὲ ἂν δύνηται ὃ ἂν εὕρῃ ἀ-
10ποκαταστήσῃ αὐτοῖς ὑμεῖν τε ἔκρεινα γράψαι
ἐπεὶ ἔχετε πόλιν εὔκαιρον ἐπιβοηθεῖ{α}ν αὐτοῖς
ἐὰν σώματος ἢ ἑτέρου τινὸς τῶν ἰδίων ἐπιλαμβάνωνται
Ἀπηνγέλη δέ μοι ὅτι ἐκ τῆς διαρπαγῆς Ἔρως χρυσοῦς ὅ ὑ-
πὸ τοῦ πατρὸς τῇ ⟦Ἀ̣φ̣ρ̣ο̣δ̣ε̣ίτῃ ἦν⟧ ἀνατεθεὶς εἰς ὑμᾶς
15 ἀνενήνεκται καὶ ὡς ἀνάθημα τῇ Ἀρτέμιδι τέθειται
Ὑμεῖς οὖν καλῶς ποιήσετε καὶ ἀξίως ὑμῶν ἀποκαταστή-
σαντες τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρός μου ἀνάθημα τῇ ⟦Ἀφροδείτῃ⟧
δεδομένον καὶ γὰρ οὐ χαρίεν ἀνάθημα Ἔρως Ἀρτέμιδι
Ἀνάνκη γάρ μοι ⟦Ἀ̣φ̣ρ̣ο̣δ̣ε̣ι̣σ̣ι̣έ̣ω̣ν̣⟧ ποιεῖσθαι πρόνοιαν οὓς τη-
20λικαῦτα εὐεργέτηκα ἣν καὶ ὑμᾶς ἀκούειν νομίζω

Diplomatic

ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΩΡΚΑΙΣΑΡΘΕΟΥΙΟΥΛΙΟΥΥΙΟΣΕΦΕΣΙΩΝΑΡΧΟΥΣΙ
ΒΟΥΛΗΔΗΜΩΧΑΙΡΕΙΝΕΙΕΡΡΩΣΘΕΕΥΑΝΕΧΟΙΥΓΙΑΙ
ΝΩΔΕΚΑΙΑΥΤΟΣΜΕΤΑΤΟΥΣΤΡΑΤΕΥΜΑΤΟΣ
ΣΟΛΩΝΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΥΥΙΟΣΠΡΕΣΒΕΥΤΗΣΠΛΑΡΑΣΕΩΝ
5ΚΑΙ⟦.ΦΡΟΔΕΙΣΙΕΩΝ⟧ΕΝΕΦΑΝΙΣΕΝΜΟΙΟΣΑΕΝΤΩΠΟ
ΛΕΜΩΤΩΚΑΤΑΛΑΒΙΗΝΟΝΗΠΟΛΙΣΑΥΤΩΝΠΕΠΟΝΘΕΝ
ΟΣΑΤΕΔΙΗΡΠΑΓΗΔΗΜΟΣΙΑΤΕΚΑΙΙΔΙΩΤΙΚΑΠΕΡΙΩΝ
ΠΑΝΤΩΝΑΝΤΩΝΙΩΤΕΤΩΣΥΝΑΡΧΟΝΤΙΕΝΤΟΛΑΣ
ΔΕΔΩΚΑΟΠΩΣΟΣΑΠΟΤΕΑΝΔΥΝΗΤΑΙΟΑΝΕΥΡΗΑ
10ΠΟΚΑΤΑΣΤΗΣΗΑΥΤΟΙΣΥΜΕΙΝΤΕΕΚΡΕΙΝΑΓΡΑΨΑΙ
ΕΠΕΙΕΧΕΤΕΠΟΛΙΝΕΥΚΑΙΡΟΝΕΠΙΒΟΗΘΕΙΑΝΑΥΤΟΙΣ
ΕΑΝΣΩΜΑΤΟΣΗΕΤΕΡΟΥΤΙΝΟΣΤΩΝΙΔΙΩΝΕΠΙΛΑΜΒΑΝΩΝΤΑΙ
ΑΠΗΝΓΕΛΗΔΕΜΟΙΟΤΙΕΚΤΗΣΔΙΑΡΠΑΓΗΣΕΡΩΣΧΡΥΣΟΥΣΟΥ
ΠΟΤΟΥΠΑΤΡΟΣΤΗ⟦......ΙΤΗΗΝ⟧ΑΝΑΤΕΘΕΙΣΕΙΣΥΜΑΣ
15ΑΝΕΝΗΝΕΚΤΑΙΚΑΙΩΣΑΝΑΘΗΜΑΤΗΑΡΤΕΜΙΔΙΤΕΘΕΙΤΑΙ
ΥΜΕΙΣΟΥΝΚΑΛΩΣΠΟΙΗΣΕΤΕΚΑΙΑΞΙΩΣΥΜΩΝΑΠΟΚΑΤΑΣΤΗ
ΣΑΝΤΕΣΤΟΥΠΟΤΟΥΠΑΤΡΟΣΜΟΥΑΝΑΘΗΜΑΤΗ⟦ΑΦΡΟΔΕΙΤΗ⟧
ΔΕΔΟΜΕΝΟΝΚΑΙΓΑΡΟΥΧΑΡΙΕΝΑΝΑΘΗΜΑΕΡΩΣΑΡΤΕΜΙΔΙ
ΑΝΑΝΚΗΓΑΡΜΟΙ⟦............⟧ΠΟΙΕΙΣΘΑΙΠΡΟΝΟΙΑΝΟΥΣΤΗ
20ΛΙΚΑΥΤΑΕΥΕΡΓΕΤΗΚΑΗΝΚΑΙΥΜΑΣΑΚΟΥΕΙΝΝΟΜΙΖΩ

English translation

Translation source: Reynolds, 1982

Imperator Caesar, son of divine Julius, to the Magistrates, Council and People of the Ephesians, greetings:

If you are well, it would be well; I myself am in good health, together with the army.

Solon, son of Demetrios, ambassador of the Plarasans and Aphrodisians has reported to me how much their city suffered in the war against Labienus and how much property, both public and private, was looted. About this I have given a commission to my colleague Antonius, that as much as he can find he should restore to them and I decided to write to you, since you have a city well-placed to help them if they lay claim to any slave or other piece of private property.

I was also informed that out of the loot a golden Eros, which had been dedicated by my father to Aphrodite, has been brought to you and set up as an offering to Artemis. You will do well and worthily of yourselve if you restore the offering which my father gave to Aphrodite. In any case Eros is not a suitable offering for Artemis.

For concerning the Aphrodisians, upon whom I have conferred such benefits, I should take the care about which I think you too have heard.