Associations in the Greco-Roman World (AGRW)

An expanding collection of inscriptions, papyri, and other sources in translation (run by Philip A. Harland)

[160] Honors by the League of Asia for Hymn-singers (41-54 CE) Ephesos area [Hypaipa] - Ionia


Ephesos area [Hypaipa] (Ionia, Asia Minor — Pleiades map), 41-54 CE
AGRW 160 = IEph 3801 = Josef Keil, "Zur Geschichte der Hymnoden in der Provinz Asia," JÖAI 11 (1908) 101–110 = SEG 4 (1930), no. 641 = AGRW ID# 1264


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Slab of marble found in the village of Hypaipa, east of Ephesos. Column 1 contains the hymn-singers’ honors for the imperial household and the beginning of a letter from emperor Claudius to the group. Column 2 is a resolution by the provincial League of Asia honoring the hymn-singers for their participation in provincial imperial cult celebrations at Pergamon in honor of the goddess Roma (Rome personified) and god Augustus Caesar (who is identified with Ancestral Zeus).

(column 1) … on behalf of the eternal (?), enduring Tiberius…Claudius Caesar (?)…Augustus Germanicus and his whole household.  During the crown–bearing of Tiberius Claudius Asklepiodoros son of Tryphon of the tribe Quirina, and while Alexandros son of Apollonides was secretary of the People (dēmos) and both temple–warden and distributer of the properties of the temple of Augustus, (10) the hymn–singers (hymnōdoi) set this up according to the existing decree which was engraved by the sacred synod (synodos) in Pergamon, having inscribed everything that is just and kind granted to them (i.e. to members of the imperial household).  Hosios son of Apollonios … took care of it …

Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, twice proclaimed emperor (imperator), high–priest, with tribunician power, twice appointed consul, proconsul, father of the fatherland, to the sacred synod of the hymn–singers, greetings. (20)  Acknowledging the decree which …

(column 2) … resolved by the Hellenes of Asia (i.e. the provincial Assembly of Asia) on the motion of G. I. (?) … Anaxagoras son of … Caesar–loving high–priest of Asia and life–long director of contests … for goddess Roma (?) … and god Augustus Caesar, … Zeus Patroos (“Ancestral”) (?), emperor and greatest high–priest, father of the fatherland and of the whole race of humankind: (10) Since it is proper to offer a visible exhibition of piety and of every intention befitting the sacred to the Augustan household each year, the hymn–singers from all Asia, coming together in … Pergamon (?) … for the most sacred birthday of Augustus Tiberius Caesar, god, accomplish a magnificent work for the … glory of the synod (?), singing hymns to the Augustan household, accomplishing … sacrifices to the Augustan gods, (20) leading festivals and (?)… banquets …

Translation by: Harland



(column 1)

[— — —]ωνο[— — —]ο[— — —] ǀ [ὑπὲρ τῆς αἰωνί]ας διαμονῆς Τιβε[ρίου Κλαυ]ǀ[δίου Καίσαρο]ς Σεβαστοῦ Γερμανικ[οῦ καὶ] ǀ [τοῦ σύμπαν]τος οἲκου αὐτοῦ· ἐπὶ στ[εφανη]ǀǀ[φόρου Τ]ιβερίου Κλαυδίου Ἀσκληπιο[δώ]ǀ[ρου υἱοῦ] Κυιρίνα Τρύφωνος, ἐπὶ δὲ γρα[μ]ǀ[ματὲ]ως τοῦ δήμου καὶ νεωκόρου καὶ [δ]ι[α]ǀ[νομ]έως τῶν Σεβαστείων χρημάτω[ν] ǀ [Ἀ]λεξάνδρου τοῦ Ἀπολλωνίδου. ǀǀ οἱ ὑμνωδοὶ ἀνέθηκαν κατὰ τὸ γενόμε[νον] ǀ ψήφισμα ἐν Περγάμῳ ὑπὸ τῆς ἱερᾶς [συνό]ǀδου ἐνγράψαντες ὅσα δίκαια [καὶ φιλάν]ǀθρωπά ἐστιν αὐτοῖς δεδομέ[να] ǀ Ὅσιος Ἀπολλωνίου Ἑρμ[— — — ἐπεμελήθην (?)] ǀǀ Τιβέριος Κλαύδιος Καῖσαρ Σ[εβαστὸς Γερ]ǀμανικὸς αὐτοκράτωρ τ[ὸ βʹ, ἀρχιερεύς, δη]ǀ[μ]αρχικῆς ἐξουσίας, [ὕπατος ἀποδεδει]ǀ[γμέ]νος τὸ βʹ, ἀνθύπ[ατος, πατὴρ πατρίδος (?)] ǀ [τῇ ἱερ]ᾷ ὑμνωδῶν [συνόδῳ χαίρειν (?)] ǀǀ [ἀναγνοὺ]ς τὸ ψή[φισμα τὸ — — —]

(column 2)

[— — —]το[— — —] ǀ [ἔδοξεν το]ῖς ἀπὸ τ[ῆς Ἀσίας Ἕλλησιν, ǀ γνώμη Γ. Ἰ. (?) Ἀν]αξαγόρου τ[οῦ . . . . . . . . . . ] ǀ [. . . . . .]νος φιλοκαίσα[ρος τοῦ ἀρχιερέως] ǀǀ [τῆς Ἀσί]α̣ς καὶ διὰ βίου ἀγων[οθέτου θεᾶς] ǀ [Ῥώμης] καὶ θεοῦ Σεβαστοῦ Κα[ίσαρος Διὸς] ǀ [Πατρῴ]ου αὐτοκράτορος καὶ ἀρ[χιερέως] ǀ [μεγ]ίστου, πατρὸς τῆς πατρίδος κ[αὶ τοῦ] ǀ [σύμ]παντος τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένους· ǀǀ [ἐπεὶ δέ]ον πρὸς τὸν Σεβαστὸν οἶκον εὐσεǀ[βείας κ]αὶ πάσης ἱεροπρεποῦς ἐπινοίας ǀ [δεῖξιν φαν]ερὰν κατ’ ἐνιαυτὸν παρέχεσǀ[θαι, οἱ ἀπὸ πά]σης Ἀσίας ὑμνωδοὶ τῆι ἱερωǀ[τάτηι τοῦ Σεβα]στοῦ Τιβερίου Καίσαρος ǀǀ [θεοῦ γενεθλίῳ ἡ]μέρᾳ συνερχόμενοι εἰς ǀ [Πέργαμον μεγα]λοπρεπὲς ἔργον εἰς τὴν ǀ [τῆς συνόδου δόξ]αν ἐπιτελοῦσιν καθυǀ[μνοῦντες τὸν Σεβα]στὸν οἶκον καὶ το[ῖς] ǀ [Σεβαστοῖς θεοῖς θυσία]ς ἐπιτελοῦν[τες] ǀǀ [καὶ ἑορτὰς ἄγοντες καὶ ἐσ]τιάσεις [καὶ] ǀ [— — —]παν[— — —].

IEph 3801: Drawing by Keil 1908, 101.
Public domain.

 

Item added: December 7, 2011
Item modified: December 7, 2015
ID number: 1264
Short link address:
http://www.philipharland.com/greco-roman-associations/?p=1264

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