IAph: 8.35. Letter of Commodus to Aphrodisias

Description: Archive wall, column five, first two courses. The upper right hand block is badly damaged, but partly reconstructed from fragments found fallen. The lower right hand block is in two large fragments, the second located after 1982. Loose fragment a (w: 0.10 × h: 0.12 × d: 0.08)

Text: Inscribed area surviving, w: 1.58 × h: 0.57. Outspacing for new paragraphs in lines 1, 6. Loose fragment a from the right side of the text, lines 10-12.

Letters: Second to third centuries C.E.; ave 0.02; apices, lines 1, 2; Heightened initial epsilon at the beginning of l.6. Tall initial Υ in υἱωνός, line 1, perhaps to cover an erroneous iota.

Date: Inscription: second to third centuries C.E. Document: A.D. 189 (lettering, context, titulature)

Findspot: Aphrodisias: Theatre: north parodos wall; fragments fallen in front of wall

Original location: Theatre: north parodos

Last recorded location: Findspot; fragments in Museum

Interpretive

Αὐτοκ̣[ρά]τωρ Κα̣[ῖσαρ] θεοῦ Μάρκου Ἀντωνείνου Εὐσεβοῦς Γερμανικοῦ Σ̣[αρματ]ικοῦ [υ]ἱός θ<ε>οῦ Ε̣ὐσε[β]οῦς υἱωνός ( vac. )
θεοῦ Ἁ̣δριανο̣[ῦ] ἔγγονος θεοῦ Τραϊα̣νοῦ Π̣αρθικοῦ καὶ θεοῦ Νέρουα ἀπόγ̣[ονος] Μᾶρκ̣[ο]ς Αὐρήλιος Κόμ̣[μ]οδος ( vac. )
Ἀντων̣[εῖ]νος Εὐσεβὴς Εὐτυχὴς Σεβαστὸς Σαρματικός Γερμανικὸς μέγιστος̣ [Βρε]τ̣αννικ[ός ἀρχιερ]εὺς μέγιστο[ς]
δημαρχικ[ῆς] ἐξουσίας τὸ ιδ αὐτοκράτω[ρ] τὸ η ( vac. ) ὕπατος τὸ ε ( vac. ) πατὴρ πατ̣[ρίδο]ς [Ἀφροδ]ε̣ισιέω̣[ν τοῖς ἄ]ρ̣χου̣[σι]
5 καὶ ( vac. 18) τῇ βουλῇ ( vac. 6) καὶ τῷ δήμῳ ( vac. 5) χαίρειν ( vac. )
Ἐνέτυχον τῷ ψηφίσματι δι’ οὗ ἠξιοῦτε τ̣[ὸ]ν τῆς Ἀσίας ἀνθύπατον ἐπιδημε[ῖν ἐν τῇ πόλει τ]ῇ ὑμ[ετέρᾳ κα]ὶ δι̣[α]τρ̣ε̣ί̣-
βειν ἡμερῶν τινῶν ἐπισκοποῦντα [καὶ ἐξε]τ[ά]ζοντα τὰ δημόσια πράγματα ὡς π[άνυ κατη]μ̣ελη[μένα] κ̣α̣ὶ̣ δεόμεν̣α
μείζονος τῆς ἐπανορθώσεως ὑπ[ὲρ? τοῦ πάσας? τ]ὰ̣ς κρ̣[ί]σ̣ε̣ι̣ς̣ τοῦ λογιστοῦ βεβαίας δύνασθαι μένειν [( vac. )?] ὑμεῖς μὲν̣ ( vac. )
ταῦτα ὡς ὑπὲ[ρ πόλ]εως γεινομενη βουλευό[μενοι ἐψηφίσασθ?]ε ἐμοὶ δὲ ἀνανκαῖον ταύτην τὴν τάξιν τ̣[ε]τ̣α̣γ̣μ̣ένῳ φυ̣[λά]σ̣-
10σειν τὰς πόλεις ἐπὶ τῶν ὁμοίων ἀξ[ιωμάτω?]ν ὅπερ καὶ τὴν ὑμ̣[ετέραν πόλιν --- ἐπι-]
δημίας ἡγεμόνος ἢ ἀνθυπάτου επὶ̣[ πόλεως? γ]εινομένης ΑΠΗ[---]
καὶ ἐν τούτῳ τὰ τῆς ἐλευθερίας δίκαια̣ [c. 6]Σ̣ΤΟΙ σφόδρα μοι ΕΦ[---]
πράγματα ἐπέστειλα τῷ φίλῳ μου Οὐλ[πί]ῳ Μαρκ̣έλλῳ παυσαμενι̣[---]
διατρεῖψαι χρόνον αὐταρκῆ πρὸς τὴν τῶν κοινῶν πραγμάτων κα̣[τάστασιν?---]
15 εἰ γὰρ τοῦτο οὕτω γένοιτο τά τε δημόσια πράγματα [τ?]εύξεται τῆς πρό̣[τερον? καὶ τὰ τῆς?]
( vac. 30) ἐλευθερίας δίκαια ἐπὶ τῶν ὁμ̣[οίων ἀξιωμάτων φυλάξονται ( vac. )?]

[------]
[---]ΟΥΣ[---]
[---]ΟΜ̣ΜΕ̣[---]
[---]Σ̣ Ἀφρ̣[οδει- ---]
[------]

Diplomatic

ΑΥΤΟ.[..]ΤΩΡΚ.[....]ΘΕΟΥΜΑΡΚΟΥΑΝΤΩΝΕΙΝΟΥΕΥΣΕΒΟΥΣΓΕΡΜΑΝΙΚΟΥ.[.....]ΙΚΟΥ[.]ΙΟΣΘΟΥ.ΥΣΕ[.]ΟΥΣΥΙΩΝΟΣ
ΘΕΟΥ.ΔΡΙΑΝ.[.]ΕΓΓΟΝΟΣΘΕΟΥΤΡΑΙ.ΝΟΥ.ΑΡΘΙΚΟΥΚΑΙΘΕΟΥΝΕΡΟΥΑΑΠΟ.[....]ΜΑΡ.[.]ΣΑΥΡΗΛΙΟΣΚΟ.[.]ΟΔΟΣ
ΑΝΤΩ.[..]ΝΟΣΕΥΣΕΒΗΣ ΕΥΤΥΧΗΣΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΣΣΑΡΜΑΤΙΚΟΣΓΕΡΜΑΝΙΚΟΣΜΕΓΙΣΤΟ.[...].ΑΝΝΙΚ[........]ΕΥΣΜΕΓΙΣΤΟ[.]
ΔΗΜΑΡΧΙΚ[..]ΕΞΟΥΣΙΑΣΤΟΙΔΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΩ[.]ΤΟΗ      ΥΠΑΤΟΣΤΟΕ      ΠΑΤΗΡΠΑ.[....]Σ[.....].ΙΣΙΕ.[......].ΧΟ.[..]
5ΚΑΙ                                    ΤΗΒΟΥΛΗ            ΚΑΙΤΩΔΗΜΩ          ΧΑΙΡΕΙΝ
ΕΝΕΤΥΧΟΝΤΩΨΗΦΙΣΜΑΤΙΔΙΟΥΗΞΙΟΥΤΕ.[.]ΝΤΗΣΑΣΙΑΣΑΝΘΥΠΑΤΟΝΕΠΙΔΗΜΕ[............]ΗΥΜ[.......]ΙΔ.[.]Τ...
ΒΕΙΝΗΜΕΡΩΝΤΙΝΩΝΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥΝΤΑ[......]Τ[.]ΖΟΝΤΑΤΑΔΗΜΟΣΙΑΠΡΑΓΜΑΤΑΩΣΠ[.......].ΕΛΗ[....]...ΔΕΟΜΕ.Α
ΜΕΙΖΟΝΟΣΤΗΣΕΠΑΝΟΡΘΩΣΕΩΣΥΠ[...........].ΣΚ.[.]....ΤΟΥΛΟΓΙΣΤΟΥΒΕΒΑΙΑΣΔΥΝΑΣΘΑΙΜΕΝΕΙΝ[...]ΥΜΕΙΣΜΕ.
ΤΑΥΤΑΩΣΥΠΕ[....]ΕΩΣΓΕΙΝΟΜΕΝΗΒΟΥΛΕΥΟ[..............]ΕΕΜΟΙΔΕΑΝΑΝΚΑΙΟΝΤΑΥΤΗΝΤΗΝΤΑΞΙΝ.[.]....ΕΝΩΦ.[..].
10ΣΕΙΝΤΑΣΠΟΛΕΙΣΕΠΙΤΩΝΟΜΟΙΩΝΑΞ[......]ΝΟΠΕΡΚΑΙΤΗΝΥ.[...........---...-]
ΔΗΜΙΑΣΗΓΕΜΟΝΟΣΗΑΝΘΥΠΑΤΟΥΕΠ.[.......]ΕΙΝΟΜΕΝΗΣΑΠΗ[---]
ΚΑΙΕΝΤΟΥΤΩΤΑΤΗΣΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΙΑΣΔΙΚΑΙ.[······].ΤΟΙΣΦΟΔΡΑΜΟΙΕΦ[---]
ΠΡΑΓΜΑΤΑΕΠΕΣΤΕΙΛΑΤΩΦΙΛΩΜΟΥΟΥΛ[..]ΩΜΑΡ.ΕΛΛΩΠΑΥΣΑΜΕΝ.[---]
ΔΙΑΤΡΕΙΨΑΙΧΡΟΝΟΝΑΥΤΑΡΚΗΠΡΟΣΤΗΝΤΩΝΚΟΙΝΩΝΠΡΑΓΜΑΤΩΝΚ.[........---]
15ΕΙΓΑΡΤΟΥΤΟΟΥΤΩΓΕΝΟΙΤΟΤΑΤΕΔΗΜΟΣΙΑΠΡΑΓΜΑΤΑ[.]ΕΥΞΕΤΑΙΤΗΣΠΡ.[.............]
                                                            ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΙΑΣΔΙΚΑΙΑΕΠΙΤΩΝΟ.[..........................]

[------]
[---]ΟΥΣ[---]
[---]Ο.Μ.[---]
[---].ΑΦ.[.....---]
[------]

Apparatus

1: ΥΣΟΥ, lapis
10-16: The fragment with ends of these lines not recorded Reynolds, 1982, IAph2007

English translation

Translation source: Reynolds, 1982

Imperator Caesar M. Aurelius Commodus Antoninus, Pius, Felix, Augustus, Sarmaticus, Germanicus maximus, Britannicus, pontifex maximus, son of divus M. Antoninus, Pius, Germanicus, Sarmaticus, grandson of divus Pius, great-grandson of divus Hadrianus, descendant of divus Trajanus Parthicus and divus Nerva, Pontifex Maximus, holding the tribunician power for the fourteenth time, acclaimed victorious for the eighth time, consul for the fifth time, father of his country, sends greetings to the Magistrates, Council and People of the Aphrodisians.

I received the decree in which you asked that the proconsul of Asia should visit your [city] and spend some days looking into [and examining] your public affairs on the grounds that they are [quite neglected ?] and in need of a greater reconstruction [to enable ?] the decisions of the curator to stand confirmed. You of course [voted for these proposals ?] with the interests of the city in mind; on me, since I have been appointed to this station, falls the necessity of preserving the cities in the same [position of honour ? as my predecessors ? ....] visit(s) from an official ? or proconsul [.. ? ..] and meanwhile the rights of freedom [.. ?. .] matters, I have sent to my friend Ulpius Marcellus ? [.. ? ..] to spend a sufficient time with a view to [the reconstruction ?] of the common [.. ? ..] for if this were to happen in this way and the public affairs [.. ? ..] the rights of freedom [.. ? ..].

Bibliography

Transcription: New York University expedition in 1967, fragments found over subsequent years: 67.432, 67.453, 67.461, 67.462, 67.468, 67.472, 69.309, 69.428, 69.432, 69.462, 69.464, 76.196.3, 76.196.7; fragment a: 67.455; a further fragment located in 1988.

Publication: Reynolds, 1982 16 whence SEG 32.1097 ; Robert, Bulletin Épigraphique 1983.377 , AE 1984.870 , McCabe, PHI, 1996 53 , IAph2007 8.35.