Letter of Severus and Caracalla to Aphrodisias
created: transcription (Reynolds)This edition: Reynolds (2007)
source date: Inscription: second to third centuries C.E. Document: A.D. 198 .
language: en; grc
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Αὐτοκράτωρ Καῖσαρ θεοῦ Μάρκου Ἀντωνείνου Εὐσεβοῦς Γερμανικοῦ Σαρματικοῦ υἱός θεοῦ Κομμόδου ἀδελφός θεοῦ Ἀντωνείνου Εὐσεβοῦς υἱωνός θεοῦ Ἁδριανοῦ ἔκγονος θεοῦ Τραϊανοῦ Παρθικοῦ καὶ θεοῦ Νέρουα ἀπόγονος Λούκιος Σεπτίμιος Σεουῆρος Εὐσεβὴς Περτίναξ Σεβαστὸς Ἀραβικός Ἀδιαβηνικός Παρθικὸς μέγιστος ἀρχιερεὺς μέγιστος δημαρχικῆς ἐξουσίας τὸ Ϛ αὐτοκράτωρ τὸ ια ὕπατος τὸ β πατὴρ πατρίδος ἀνθύπατος καὶ Αὐτοκράτωρ Καῖσαρ Λουκίου Σεπτιμίου Σεουήρου Εὐσεβοῦς Περτίνακος Σεβαστοῦ Ἀραβικοῦ Ἀδιαβηνικοῦ Παρθικοῦ μεγίστου υἱός θεοῦ Μάρκου Ἀντωνείνου Εὐσεβοῦς Γερμανικοῦ Σαρματικοῦ υἱωνός θεοῦ Ἀντωνείνου Εὐσεβοῦς ἔγγονος θεοῦ Ἁδριανοῦ καὶ θεοῦ Τραϊανοῦ Παρθικοῦ καὶ θεοῦ Νέρουα ἀπόγονος Μᾶρκος Αὐρήλιος Ἀντωνεῖνος Σεβαστὸς δημαρχικῆς ἐξουσίας ἀνθύπατος ιέων τοῖς ἄρχουσι καὶ τῇ βουλῇ καὶ τῷ δήμῳ χαίρειν Πάνυ τῶν εἰκότων ἦν θεὸν ὑμᾶς προσκυνοῦντας παρ’ ἧς ἡ εὐγένεια ι[...] ἡσθῆναι ἐπὶ τοῖς περὶ τῶν βαρβάρων κατωρθωμένοις καὶ ἑορτὴν ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς κοινὴν σὺν πάσῃ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ ἄγοντας ἐπιστεῖλαι διὰ ψηφίσματος ὡς εἰδείημεν ὑμῶν τὴν εὐσέβειαν τὰ ὑπάρχοντα δίκαια τῇ πόλει ὑμῶν μεμενηκότα μέχρι τῆς ἡμετέρας ἀρχῆς ἀσάλευτα καὶ ἡμεῖς φυλάττομεν κλ[...] εὐτυχεῖτε

[^a1: at 10: κοινὴν σ[ὺν γειτιώσαις πόλεσιν? ἄγοντας | σ[ὺν πάσῃ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ?]

Imperator Caesar L. Septimius Severus, Pius, Pertinax, Augustus, [Arabicus, Adiabenicus, Parthicus] maximus, [son] of divus Marcus Antoninus Pius, Ge[rmanicus, Sarmaticus], brother [of divus] Com[mo]dus, grandson of [divus] Antoninus Pius, great grandson of divus Hadrianus, [descendant] of [divus Traianus Parthicus and divus Ner]va, Pontifex Maximus, holding tribunician power for the sixth time, acclaimed victor for the [eleventh time, consul for the second time,] father of his country, proconsul, [and] lmperator Caesar M. Aureli[us Antoninus] Augustus, son of L. Septimius Severus, Pius, [Per]tina[x, Augustu]s, A[rabic]us, Adiab[enicu]s, [Parthi]cus maximus, grandson of M. Antoninus Pius, German[ic]us, Sarm[aticus], great grandson of divus Antoninus Pius, descendant of] divus Hadrianus, of divus Trajanus Parthicus and of divus Nerva, holding the tribunician power, proconsul, to the Magistrates, [Council and People] of the Aphrodisians, greetings.

It was entirely likely that you who worship a goddess from whom the nobility [.. ? .. rejoiced in our] successes [over] the barbarians and [conducted] a festival to celebrate them in common [?with your neighbours and sent to us though your] decree so that we should know your piety. The existing rights [of your city which have endured up to] our reign we too preserve unchanged [.. ? .. ?Farewell].

[...] 67.449, 69.315, 69.458, 69.459, 69.460, 69.463, 76.62, 76.107, 76.196.1-8

[...] 17 whence [...] 296, [...] 32.1097 , [...] 1983.378 , [...] 1984.871 , [...] 54 , [...] 8.36; Discussed by C.P. Jones in V. Fromentin and S. Gottelend edd., Origines Gentium (Bordeaux 2001) 183, whence [...] 51.1492 ;