Description: White marble doric half-column, supporting stage architrave.
Text: Inscribed on the east face. a: traces of a text in red paint. b: cut below a large square hole.
Letters: a: 0.05-0.06. b: Carefully inscribed and well aligned angular letters (rhomboid omicron and theta, square-bottomed omega), with serifs; fairly lightly cut, 0.025-0.03; line 5 is in smaller letters (0.01), apparently squeezed in after the text had been cut.
Date: Third to fifth centuries CE (context, lettering)
Findspot: Aphrodisias: Theatre: portico across stage, thirteenth column from south.
Original location: Theatre, stage
Last recorded location: Findspot
Apparatus
b.1: The E suggests that the cutter started to write Εὐτέρπη.
b.2: The rho was squeezed in, and is barely determinable.
English translation
Translation source: Roueché, PPA
(a): . . . Melpom]ene, [ .. . ., . . .] , Ourania, Kalliope
(b): Klio, Euterpe, Thalia, Erato, Polymnia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Ourania, Kalliope
Commentary
One of a series of inscriptions on the columns supporting the architrave on the stage (which carries 8.1): 8.89, 8.98, 8.90, 8.91, 8.92, 8.93, 8.94, 8.95, 8.96, 8.97 . All the inscriptions are on the stage side of the columns, and were presumably only visible to those using the stage.
Bibliography
Transcription: New York University expedition
Publication: Roueché, PPA 6.13 , whence PHI PPAphr 6.13a, PPAphr 6.13b; IAph2007 8.97.
Images
Fig. 1. View of stage columns (M. Roueché, 1985)
Fig. 2. East face, upper part (M. Roueché, 1976)
Fig. 3. East face, lower part (M. Roueché, 1976)