Description: Four joining fragments of a white marble plaque (w: 0.42 × h: 0.40 × d: 0.09)

Text: Inscribed on both sides within a raised and moulded edge. On face a the moulding is slightly more elaborate, and the lettering, which is more regular than on face b, is surrounded by an incised margin; the last letter of 1.4 interrupts the margin, which seems to have been cut after the letters.

Letters: Clear and not overly irregular, with square epsilon and sigma, but lunate omega. Face a: 0.01-0.015. lines 13-15 0.02; abbreviations in 1. 15: ΙΣ. ΧΡΣ. ΠΑ.. Face b: 0.15-0.02. On both sides there are diaeretic dots on some initial vowels.

Date: Fourth to sixth centuries or later (lettering, content)

Findspot: Aphrodisias: Theatre (two fragments); North-east Nymphaeum (one fragment); stray (one fragment).

Original location: Unknown.

Last recorded location: Museum.

English translation

Translation source: ALA 2004

(a): I, Athanasios, who performed every civic duty in this, my own country, and lived abroad for many years, and visited many peoples, and sailed every sea as far as Ocean, and saw every race of men, and was kept safe, I prayed to God to reach my country and to be buried by the traces of the holy [martyrs?], so that(?) [I should have an advocate in?] the day of judgement [---] Jesus Christ, Father, [--- receive my] soul [---]

(b): Here I lie, Athanasios, who lived abroad for many years, and visited many peoples. and sailed every sea as far as Ocean, and saw every race of men, and was kept safe, I prayed to God to [reach my country?] and [to be buried by the traces?] of the holy [martyrs? so that I should have an advocate in?] the day of judgement [---].

Images