Termessos (Pisidia, Asia Minor — Pleiades map), after 212 CE
TAM III 765
= PHI 280870
= AGRW ID# 9872
Copenhagen Inventory info: 1670
Coffin (sarcophagus) decorated with two shields and a tabula (109 x 188 x 91 cm). The neighborhood that is designated as recipient of fines is likely an ongoing neighborhood-association with some structure. Syriaches was the manumitted slave of Aurelia Opletiane Perikleia, and he was likely the grandson of Syriarches son of Hermaios, a household slave (οἰκέτης) of Perikleia who had prepared a tomb for his wife and son, Hermianos (TAM III 764). TAM III 483 attests to another female slave of Perikleia. The name Syriarches is common at Termessos but not common elsewhere (there are 29 occurrences of the name in Termessos, 1 from Lycia, and only 2 from elsewhere [Italy and Syria] in the online PHI database at this point). Others with the name were likewise slaves (TAM III 764, likely the grandfather) or ex-slaves (cf. SEG 41 [1991], nos.1290, 1298).
Aurelius Syriarches son of Hermianos, freedman of Opletiane Perikleia, prepared the coffin (sarcophagus) for himself alone. No one else is permitted to open his tomb or to bury another body in it. Anyone who attempts any of these things will end up among the dead with curses from the gods of the underworld (?), and the one who attempts any of these things will pay a fine of 1000 denarii to Zeus Solymeus (“of Mount Solymos”), 1500 to the most sacred treasury, and 1000 denarii to the sacred neighborhood of the goddess Leto. Anyone who prosecutes the case will be entitled to half the fine amount.
Translation by: Harland
Αὐρ(ήλιος) Συριάρχης Ἑρμιανοῦ, ἀπελ(εύθερος) Οπλητιανῆς Περικλείας, τὴν σωματοθ[ήκην] | ἑαυτῶ μόνω· ἄλλω δὲ μηδενὶ ἐξέσται μετὰ τὴν ἐνταφὴν αὐτοῦ ἀνῦξαι ἢ ἐ[πι]|θάψαι ὡδήποτε οὖν τρόπω, ἐπεὶ ὁ πειράσας τι τούτων ἕξει πρὸς | τοὺς κατοιχο||μένους ἀραῖς | καταχθονίοις | καὶ ἐκτείσει ὁ | πειράσας τι τού | των Διὶ Σολυμῖ || (δην.) ͵α καὶ τῶ ἱερωτάτω | ταμείω (δην.) ͵αφʹ καὶ τῆ ἱερᾶ Λητοῦς γειτνιάσει (δην.) ͵α, παντὶ ἔχοντος ἐξο̣[υσίαν ἐκδικεῖν ἐπὶ τῶ] | ἡμίσει.
Item added: January 21, 2013
Item modified: November 13, 2020
ID number: 9872
Short link address:
http://www.philipharland.com/greco-roman-associations/?p=9872