Description: A statue base shaft apparently with moulded panels. A fragment from the base capital survives (w: 0.25 × h: 0.25 × d: 0.22).

Text: Inscribed on three faces: a (Text i, 7 ff.), b and c (Text ii) (from left to right). i, lines 1-6 are on the base capital fragment, inscribed on three fasciae of the moulding (lines 1-2, line 3, l.4) which are broken away at both ends, and on the face below (lines 5-6) which is broken to the right. While it cannot be proved beyond doubt that this is the opening of i, it seems overwhelmingly likely. It is implied, at least in Fellows' description, that line 7 was the first line of the base; if so, the last line of the capital can be considered to precede it immediately. The opening letters of lines 19, 27, 29-32 appear to have been cut on the moulding

Letters: The letters on the shaft are reported to be standard forms, slightly irregular 0.01-0.015. Those on the capital are standard second-third-century forms, lines 1-2, 5-6, 0.015; lines 3-4, 0.02; dot for stop. Diairetic dots flanking initial Η, lines 23, 25, 31, 35, first Η of ΑΝΗΡΗΣΘΑΙ, line 35, initial Α, l.41, of ΑΜΟΙΒΑΣ, line 30, initial I, lines 1, 32.

Date: A.D. 138-69 (reign)

Findspot: Aphrodisias: Walls, West stretch: shaft 'outside of the west wall' (Fellows); capital a stray find.

Original location: Unknown

Last recorded location: Capital in Museum (1977); shaft at findspot (1844); shaft fragment at findspot (1934)

English translation

Translation source: Roueché, PPA

i.a [It was resolved] by the sacred xystic [?travelling synod under] Herakles and the agonistic one (i.e. Hermes) [and the emperors M(arcus) Aur(elius) Anto]ninus and L(ucius) Au[r(elius) Verus, of sacred and crowned victors] from the whole world [?at Antioch] Caesaria Co[lonia ?on the occasion of the contest worth ?one] talent: [Proposer ....] seconded by T(itus) Aelius M[...], wrestler, extraordinary: since Aelius Aurelius Menandros, (10) extraordinary, and xystarch for life of the contests in Colonia Antiochia, who practised as an athlete with honour and with concern, has reached such honour that, firstly, he has won with good fortune so many contests and has brought honour at each contest to his splendid homeland by proclamations and crowns and especially also in the time of the divine Antoninus, so that he was not only crowned at his hands, but also honoured with (20) particular honours; meanwhile, having become xystarch, he cared with such forethought and concern, and with all zeal, for our interests, exercising his office excellently well; for these reasons both on many other occasions and now praising the man and bearing witness to him we have sent resolutions to the lords emperors, considering that (these would be) the greatest and (30) appropriate returns to him for his goodwill towards us, and because with sufficient expenditure and much effort he succeeded in arranging that the recent contest was conducted among the people of Antioch, so that we think that the prizes were obtained from his own resources. Therefore it has been decreed, with good fortune to thank Menandros before the most sacred Council and the most splendid People of the Aphrodisians concerning what has been described, (40) and to honour him with the erection of statues and the dedication of images in the most distinguished location of his homeland; the honours are to be inscribed with the publication of this decree, in order that his honours from us should be perpetual.

He is also citizen of the following cities: of the Pergamenes, of the Antiochenes, Caesarean colonists, and councillor of the Thebans, and councillor of the Apolloniatai, (50) Lycian and Thracian, and councillor of the Milesians, the Pessinuntii, the Claudiopolitai.

Zenon son of Apollonios son of Menandros, his brother, was responsible for the honours.

ii.[?The Council and People] honoured with the [finest] and greatest [?honours] Aelius Aurelius Menandros, who practised as an athlete with distinction [and with diligence], multiple victor, pancratiast, extraordinary, xystarch, of an honourable and [leading family], who was the first and only man of all time to contest over three years in the three categories, as [boy] and (10) as young man and as adult, and who won sacred (contests) and (contests) with prizes to the value of a talent and very many other contests:

(He won) at Neapolis, in the Sebasta, the pancration of the Claudian boys; in the Nemea, the boys'pancration; in the Isthmia, the young men's pancration; at Ephesus, in the Balbillea, the young men's pancration - - a contest with no outright victor; at Pergamum, in the provincial festival of Asia, the men's pancration; at Ephesus, in the Balbillea, the men's pancration; at Smyrna, (20) in the provincial festival of Asia, the men's pancration; on the occasion of the seventh Panathenais in the Panathenaia, the men's pancration, first Aphrodisian (to do so); in the Nemeia, the men's pancration, and in the following Nemeia, the men's pancration - - a contest with no outright victor; in the Olympia at Athens, the men's pancration, the first Aphrodisian (to do so); in the Pythia, the men's pancration; at Rome, in the Capitolia Olympia, the men's pancration, the first Aphrodisian (to do so); (30)[... , the men's pancration, the first] Aphrodisian (to do so); c [ at ? ... , in the provincial] festival of Asia, [the men's pancration;] at Mitylene, [the men's pan]cration; at Adra[myttion, the men's] pancration; [at ? ...], the men's pancration; [at ? ...], the men's pancration; (40) [in the ?], the men's pancration; [at ? Nicomed]ia, the men's pancration; at Nicea, the men's pancration; at Prusias, the men's pancration; at Claudiopolis, twice, the men's pancration; at Ancyra of Galatia, the men's pancration; at Pessinus, the men's (50) pancration; at Damascus, twice, the men's pancration; at Beirut, the men's pancration; at Tyre, the men's pancration; at Caesarea Stratonos, the men's pancration; at Neapolis of Samaria, the men's pancration; at Scythopolis, the men's pancration; at Gaza, the men's pancration; at Caesarea Panias, the men's pancration; at Hieropolis, the men's pancration; at Anazarbus, the men's pancration; (60) at Mopsuestia, the men's pancration; at Tripolis of Syria, the men's pancration; at Philadelphia of Arabia, the men's pancration; at Zeugma by the Euphrates, the men's pancration; at Kibyra, the men's pancration.

English translation

Translation source: Fellows, 1841

(21): . . . . . the extraordinary, and for his lifetime Xystarches of the games [celebrated] in the colony of Antiocheia. Being a glorious and diligent Athlete, he advanced so far in glory as to be the first who fortunately carried off so great prizes, and so as to glorify along with each prize his most splendid native city, by proclamations and crowns; but chiefly under . . . . . Antoninus, so as to be not only crowned by his [the Emperor's] hands, but honoured also by extraordinary [gifts]. Having afterwards become Xystarches, he with the greatest benevolence and diligence, and all [possible] zeal, takes care of our interests, conducting himself as a very good and honourable citizen amongst us. And in regard to these and other things, we, praising the man and bearing him testimony, have often and at present sent decrees to our masters, the Emperors; being of opinion that there should be made to him very great [?] and corresponding returns for his benevolence towards us, and because he put himself to considerable expense and much trouble, and effected . . . . . . . It was therefore decreed — May it be fortunate! to render thanks unto Menander on the part both of the most worshipful Council and the most splendid People of the Aphrodisians, in consideration of the aforesaid points, and to honour him by erecting statues and putting up images in the most conspicuous place of the city, his honours being recorded in the preamble of this decree, to the end that his honours amongst us may be perpetuated.

He is also a citizen of the under-mentioned cities, [that of the] Pergamenes, Antiocheians, Caesarean Colonists; and a Councilman of the Theraeans, and a Councilman of the Apolloniatae in Lycia [and in] Thracia, and a Councilman of the Milesians, Pessinuntians and Claudiopolitans.

There acted as superintendent in [conferring] these honours, his brother Zeno, son of Apollonius, the son of Menander.

(22): [The Senate and the People and the Gerusia ?] honoured with the [fairest] and greatest honours Aelius Aurelius . . . . . . . who was a glorious Athlete, a victor in many games, an extraordinary Pancratiastes, Xystarches of . . . . . . . and who won sacred games, and games in which the prize was a talent, and a great many other games.

At Neapolis in the Augustean games, the pancration of Claudian boys; in the Nemean games, the pancration of the boys; in the Isthmian, the young man's pancration; at Ephesus in the Balbillean games, the sacred pancration of the young men; at Pergamus in the [games celebrated by] the corporation of Asia, the pancration of the men; at Ephesus in the Balbillean games, the pancration of the men [?]; at Smyrna [in the games celebrated by the] corporation of Asia, the pancration of the men; seventhly, in the Panathenaeans . . . . . . . the pancration of the men, being the first of the citizens of Aphrodisias; in the Nemean games, the pancration of the men, and in the Nemean immediately following, the sacred pancration of the men; in the Olympian games at Athens, the pancration of the men, being the first of the citizens of Aphrodisias; in the Pythian, the pancration of the men; at Rome, in the Capitolian games; in the Olympian, the pancration of the men, being the first of the citizens of Aphrodisias.

French translation

Translation source: Strasser, 2021

(ii.b): [Le Conseil et le Peuple] ont décerné les plus beaux et les plus grands honneurs à Titus Aelius Aurelius Menandros, qui a accompli une carrière glorieuse, vainqueur dans les concours sacrés, vainqueur dans de nombreux concours, pancratiaste, champion extraordinaire, xystarque, d’une famille de premier rang et illustre, premier et seul de toute éternité à avoir concouru en l’espace de trois ans dans les trois catégories d’âge, pais, ageneios, anèr, et à avoir remporté des concours sacrés, des concours dotés de prix d’un talent et beaucoup d’autres concours. À Naples, aux Sebasta, dans le pancrace des paides klaudianoi; aux Nemea, dans le pancrace des paides; aux Isthmia dans le pancrace des ageneioi; à Éphèse, aux Balbilleia, dans le pancrace des ageneioi, ex aequo; à Pergame, au Koinon Asias, dans le pancrace des andres; à Éphèse, aux Balbilleia, dans le pancrace des andres; à Smyrne, au Koinon Asias, dans le pancrace des andres; lors de la septième panathénaïde, aux Panathénées, dans le pancrace des andres, premier des Aphrodisiens; aux Nemea, dans le pancrace des andres, et aux Nemea suivants, dans le pancrace des andres ex aequo; aux Olympieia d’Athènes, dans le pancrace des andres, premier des Aphrodisiens; aux Pythia, dans le pancrace des andres; à Rome, aux Kapetôlia Olympia, dans le pancrace des andres, premier des Aphrodisiens.

(ii.c): - - - Aphrodis- - - - au Koinon Asias, dans le pancrace des andres; à Mytilène, dans le pancrace des andres; à Adramyttion, dans le pancrace des andres ; - - -, dans le pancrace des andres; à Byzance (?), dans le pancrace des andres; à Chalcédoine, dans le pancrace des andres; à Nicomédie, dans le pancrace des andres; à Nicée, dans le pancrace des andres; à Prousias, dans le pancrace des andres; à Claudiopolis, 2 fois dans le pancrace des andres; à Ancyre de Galatie, dans le pancrace des andres; à Pessinonte, dans le pancrace des andres; à Damas, dans le pancrace des andres; à Bérytos, dans le pancrace des andres; à Tyr, dans le pancrace des andres; à Césarée de Stratôn, dans le pancrace des andres; à Neapolis de Samarie, dans le pancrace des andres; à Scythopolis, dans le pancrace des andres; à Gaza, dans le pancrace des andres; à Césarée Panéas, 2 fois, dans le pancrace des andres; à Hiéropolis, dans le pancrace des andres; à Anazarbe, dans le pancrace des andres; à Mopsueste, dans le pancrace des andres; à Tripolis de Syrie, dans le pancrace des andres; à Philadelphie d’Arabie, dans le pancrace des andres; à Zeugma sur l’Euphrate, dans le pancrace des andres; à Kibyra, dans le pancrace des andres.

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