Nakoleia (Phrygia, Asia Minor — Pleiades map), II CE (?)
C.H. Emelie Haspels, "Relics of a Dionysiac Cult in Asia Minor," AJA 66 (1962) 285 (no. 1)
= MAMA V Appendix, p. 168 (no. KB 6)
= PHI 270097
= AGRW ID# 6561
Altar of grey marble (110 x 35-48 x 33-42 cm), found at Ayvali and now in the museum at Brusa (inv. 1064). Ptolemenos (or Ptolemenoi) is a village, most likely located west of Nakoleia. The front side has a relief depicting Dionysos in a short tunic (chiton) with grapes hanging on either side of his head. Dionysos carries a drinking vessel (kantharos) in his left hand and a staff (thyrsos) in his right hand. A smaller figure appears to the left of the god, perhaps an initiate, according to Haspels. Two snakes rap around the entire monument with their heads on the front approaching the bunches of grapes. The right side depicts a bust above the snake's body. The left side depicts a vase for wine (kratēr) above the snake's body. The rear side depicts a vine with a bunch of grapes being eaten by a small goat. There is a modern graffito on the top of the altar.
The Ptolemenian initiates (mystai) dedicated this to Dionysos as a vow (euchē).
Translation by: HarlandΠ̣τολεμηνοὶ μύσται | Διονύσῳ εὐχή|ν.
Item added: November 25, 2012
Item modified: December 4, 2015
ID number: 6561
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