Dedication and Vow to Theos Hypsistos by a Synod Around Phannes (155 CE)

Tanais (Bosporan region, Danube and Black Sea areas — Pleiades map), 155 CE
IBosp 1260 = IPontEux II 438 = IGR I 916 = PHI 184001 = AGRW ID# 7800
Copenhagen Inventory info: 1324

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Slab of marble reassembled from 21 broken pieces (98 x 62 x 11 cm; letter height: 1.2-2 cm). Found at Nedvigovka in 1869-70. Now in the National Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg (inv. no. Tn. 320). The relief depicts two eagles on either side of the god's name and a smaller eagle above. See the drawing by Stephani below. See also Levinskaya 1996, 242-43 (no. 1).

To good fortune. This was dedicated as a vow to Theos Hypsistos (“God Most High”), who hears, during the reign of king . . . Tiberius (?) . . . Julius Eupator, friend of Caesar and friend of the Romans, pious one, in the 452nd year . . . on the xth of the month of . . . by the synod (?) . . . which is gathered around Phannes son of Stratoneikos the priest, . . . Name the synagogue-leader (synagōgos), . . . Name the goodness-loving official (philagathon) (?) . . . and Juliades son of Herakleides (?) the assistant to the goodness-loving official (paraphilagathos) (?) . . . . The rest of the society-members (thiasitai) are: Dadas II, . . . Name son of Amarthastos, Demetrios II, . . . Name son of Chariton, Atarbas son of Zabargos (?), Amarthastos II, Dadas son of Theangelos, Ardaros son of Myron, Athenodoros son of Menophilos, Eros son of Parthenokleus, Achaimenes son of Theangelos (?), Ompsalakos son of Phidas, Synekdemos (?) son of Name . . . , Myreinos II, (column I) Herakleides (?) son of Name . . ., Name son of Chariton (?). . . Name son of Philotos. . . , Name son of Pappos, Menestratos (?) II, and Zenon (?) son of Phaneus.

(column II) Phannes son of Stratoneikos, the priest who vows, set up the monument (telamōn; or: base) from his own resources.

Translation by: Harland

[ἀγα]θ̣ῆι τ[ύχηι]. | Θεῷ | Ὑψίστῳ ἐπη̣|κόῳ εὐχή. || βασιλε̣ύον[τ]ο̣ς βασιλέ̣ως [Τιβερίου] | Ἰουλίου Εὐπ̣[άτ]ο̣ρος, φ̣ιλοκ[αίσαρος] | καὶ φιλο̣ρωμα[ίου, ε]ὐ̣σε̣βοῦς, [ἐν τῶι ἔτει] | βνυ [κ]α̣ὶ μηνὶ [— — — —. ἡ σύνοδος] | ἡ π̣[ερὶ ἱε]ρέα Φά̣[ννην Στρατονείκου] || [καὶ συναγ]ωγὸ[ν — — —] | [καὶ φιλάγα]<θ>ο[ν? — — —] | [— — καὶ παραφιλάγαθον? Ἰο]υλιάδ̣[ην] | [Ἡρακ]λείδ̣[ου καὶ οἱ λ]οιποὶ θ̣[ι]α|σ[ῶ]ται. vac. || [Δά]δας βʹ [— — — — —]ω̣ν Ἀμαρθά̣στου, | [Δ]η̣μήτριος βʹ, [— — —]α̣κος Χ[α]ρίτωνος, | [Ἀ]τάρβας Ζαβά̣[ργου?, Ἀμ]ά̣ρθα̣σ̣τ̣ος βʹ, | [Δ]άδας Θεαγ[γέλο]υ̣, Ἄρδαρος [Μ]ύρωνος, | [Ἀ]θηνόδωρος Μη̣[νοφί]λ̣ου, Ἔρως Παρ[θ]ενοκλέου[ς], || [Ἀ]χ̣αιμένη̣ς̣ Θ̣[εαγγέ?]λ̣ου, Ὀμψάλακος Φίδα, | [Συν]έκδημ̣ος Ἀρ[— —]ου, Μυρεῖν̣ος βʹ, |

(column I, beginning at line 22)

[Ἡρακ]λεί̣δη̣[ς — —] | [— —]λ̣[․․ Χα]ρίτω|[νος, ὁ δεῖνα — —]κ̣ου, || [— — —]ο̣ς Φιλ[ώ]του, | [— — —]ο̣ς Πάπ̣<π>ου, | [Μενέ?]σ̣τρατος βʹ, | [Ζήνω?]ν Φάννεως.

(column II, beginning at line 22)

Φάννης Στ[ρα]|τονείκου ἱε̣|[ρ]ε̣ὺς εὐξ[ά]||μενος ἀπε|κατέστησε τ̣[ὸν] | τελαμῶνα̣ | ἐκ τῶν ἰδίω[ν].

IBosp 1260: Drawing by Ludolf Stephani, “Erklärung einiger im südlichen Russland gefundener Kunstwerke,” Compte rendu de la Commission Impériale Archéologique (1874) [1870-1871] 232.
Public domain.

Item added: December 12, 2012
Item modified: October 4, 2020
ID number: 7800
Short link address:
http://www.philipharland.com/greco-roman-associations/?p=7800

Category: c) Bosporan Kingdom, Dedication inscription, f) 2nd century CE, Hypsistos, i) Images of monuments or buildings, j) Facsimiles or squeezes of inscriptions, Vow / Prayer

Associations in the Greco-Roman World (AGRW)

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Dedication and Vow to Theos Hypsistos by a Synod Around Phannes (155 CE) ║ Tanais - Bosporan region

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