Aphrodisias (Caria, Asia Minor — Pleiades map), 161-169 CE
IAph 12.920
= PPA 91
= PHI 265183
= AGRW ID# 5577
Copenhagen Inventory info: 1716
(i, A) It was resolved by the sacred athletic . . . travelling synod gathered around (?) . . . Herakles, the agonistic one (i.e. Hermes) . . . and the emperors Marcus Aurelius Antoninus and Lucius Aurelius Verus (?), . . . of sacred and crowned victors (?) from the whole world . . . at Antioch (?) . . . Caesaria . . . Colonia on the occasion of the contest worth one (?) . . . talent: . . . Proposer of the motion (?) . . . seconded by Titus Aelius M. . . , extraordinary wrestler: Since Aelius Aurelius Menandros, (10) extraordinary head of the athletes (xystarch) for life of the contests in Colonia Antiochia (i.e. Pisidian Antioch), who practiced as an athlete with honor and with concern, has reached such honor that, firstly, he has won with good fortune so many contests and has brought honor 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 honored with (20) particular honors. Meanwhile, having become head of the athletes (xystarch), he cared with such forethought, concern, and zeal for our interests, exercising his office in an exceptional manner. For these reasons, both on many previous occasions and now praising the man and bearing witness to him, we have sent resolutions to our lords, the emperors, considering that these would be the greatest, (30) appropriate returns to him for his goodwill towards us. Furthermore, 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 honor him with the erection of statues and the dedication of images in the most distinguished location of his homeland. The honors are to be inscribed with the publication of this decree, in order that his honors from us should be perpetual. He is also citizen of the following cities: citizen of the Pergamenes, citizen of the Antiochenes, Caesarean colonists, councillor of the Thebans, councillor of the Apolloniatians, (50) Lycian and Thracian, and councillor of the Milesians, the Pessinuntians, and the Claudiopolitans. Zenon son of Apollonios son of Menandros, his brother, was responsible for the honors.
(ii) The Council and People (?) . . . honored with the finest and greatest . . . honors (?) . . . Aelius Aurelius Menandros, who practised as an athlete with distinction and with diligence, multiple victor, kick-boxer (pankratiastēs), extraordinary, head of the athletes, of an honorable and . . . leading family (?) . . . , who was the first and only man of all time to participate in the contest over three years in the three categories, as . . . boy (?) . . . , (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, including the following: kick-boxing among the Claudian boys at Neapolis in the Augustan (Sebasta) games; boys’ kick-boxing at the Nemean games; young men’s kick-boxing at the Isthmian games; young men’s kick-boxing at Ephesos in the Balbillean games (a contest with no outright victor); men’s kick-boxing at Pergamon in the provincial festival of Asia; men’s kick-boxing at Ephesos in the Balbillean games; men’s kick-boxing at Smyrna (20) in the provincial festival of Asia; men’s kick-boxing on the occasion of the seventh Panathenais in the Panathenaian games (the first Aphrodisian to do so); men’s kick-boxing in the Nemeian games and in the following Nemeian games (a contest with no outright victor); men’s kick-boxing in the Olympian games at Athens (the first Aphrodisian to do so); men’s kick-boxing in the Pythian games; men’s kick-boxing at Rome in the Capitolian Olympian games (the first Aphrodisian to do so); (30) . . . men’s kick-boxing (?) . . . men’s kick-boxing (?) . . . at the . . . festival of Asia at Mitylene; men’s kick-boxing . . . at Adramyttion (?); . . . men’s kick-boxing at . . . ; men’s kick-boxing at . . . ; (40) . . . men’s kick-boxing at . . . ; men’s kick-boxing . . . at Nikomedia (?) . . . men’s kick-boxing at . . . ; men’s kick-boxing at Nikaia; men’s kick-boxing at Prusias; men’s kick-boxing — twice — at Claudiopolis; men’s kick-boxing at Ankyra in Galatia; men’s kick-boxing at Pessinous (50); men’s kick-boxing — twice — at Damascus; men’s kick-boxing at Berytos (i.e. Beirut); men’s kick-boxing at Tyre; men’s kick-boxing at Caesarea Stratonos; men’s kick-boxing at Neapolis of Samaria; men’s kick-boxing at Scythopolis; men’s kick-boxing at Gaza; men’s kick-boxing at Caesarea Panias; men’s kick-boxing at Hieropolis; men’s kick-boxing at Anazarbus; (60) men’s kick-boxing at Mopsuestia; men’s kick-boxing at Tripolis of Syria; men’s kick-boxing at Philadelphia of Arabia; men’s kick-boxing at Zeugma by the Euphrates; and, men’s kick-boxing at Kibyra.
Translation by: Charlotte M. Roueché(i, A) [ἔδοξ]ε̣ τῇ ἱερᾷ ξυστικ[ῇ ?περιπολιστικῇ συνόδῳ τῶν περὶ τὸν] | [Ἡρα]κλέα καὶ τὸν ἀγώ[νιον καὶ αὐτοκράτορας Μ(ᾶρκον) Αὐρ(ήλιον) Ἀντ] | [ω]ν̣εῖνον stop καὶ stop Λ(ούκιον) stop Αὐ[ρ(ήλιον) Οὐῆρον] | [ἀ]πὸ τῆς οἰκουμέ[νης ἱερονεικῶν στεφανειτῶν ἐν ?Ἀντιοχείᾳ] || Καισαρείᾳ stop Κο[λωνείᾳ (e.g)ἐπὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα] | ταλαντια̣ῖ̣[ον ·· ? ··] | [·· ? ··Α ?εἰσηγ]η̣σαμένου Τ(ίτου) Αἰ̣λ̣[ί]ου Μ[·] | [·· ? ··]ΚΑ[·· c. 7 ·· π]αλαιστοῦ παραδόξο[υ] | [ἐπεὶ] Αἴλιος Αὐρήλιος Μένανδρος || παράδοξος καὶ διὰ βίου ξυστάρχης | τῶν ἐν κολωνείᾳ Ἀντιοχείᾳ ἀγώνων | ἀθλήσας ἐνδόξως καὶ ἐπιμελῶς ἐπὶ το|σοῦτον δόξης προέβη ὡς πρῶτον μὲν | [ἀ]νελέσθαι εὐτυχῶς τοσούτους ἀγῶ||[ν]ας καὶ δοξάσαι καθ' ἕκαστον ἀγῶνα τὴν | [λ]αμπροτάτην πατρίδα αὐτοῦ κηρυγμα|[σ]ιν καὶ στεφάνοις μάλιστα δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ | [θ]εοῦ Ἀντωνείνου ὡς οὐ μόνον στε[φαν]|[ω]θῆναι ταῖς ἐκείνου χειρσὶν ἀλλὰ καὶ || [τει]μ̣αῖς ἐξαιρέτοις τειμηθῆναι μεταξὺ | [δὲ γ]ενόμενος ξυστάρχης τοσαύτῃ προ|ν̣οίᾳ καὶ ἐπιμελείᾳ μετὰ σπουδῆς ἁπά|σης κήδεται τῶν ἡμεῖν διαφερόν|των τὰ κάλλιστα καὶ ἄριστα πολειτευ||όμενος ἐν ἡμεῖν καὶ διὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἄλλο|τε μέν πολλάκις καὶ τὰ νῦν ἐπαινοῦν|[τ]ες τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ μαρτυροῦντες αὐτῷ | ψηφίσματα τοῖς κυρίοις Αὐτοκράτορ|[σ]ιν πεπόμφαμεν ἡγούμενοι μεγίσ||[τ]ας καὶ ἀνταξίας ἀμοιβὰς αὐτῷ γενεσ|[θ]αι ἀντὶ τῆς περὶ ἡμᾶς εὐνοίας καὶ ὅτι δα|[π]ανήμασιν ἱκανοῖς καὶ κόπῳ πολλῷ περι|εγένετο καὶ διεπράξατο ἀχθῆναι τὸν ἔναγ|χ̣ος ἀγῶνα παρὰ τοῖς Ἀντιοχεῦσιν ὡς νομί||ζειν ἡμᾶς οἰκόθεν παρ' αὐτοῦ ἀνῃρῆσθαι | τὰ θέματα διὰ ταῦτα δεδόχθαι τύχῃ ἀγαθῇ | εὐχαριστῆσαι τῷ Μενάνδρῳ ἐπί τε τῆς ἱερω|τάτης βουλῆς καὶ τοῦ λαμπροτάτου δήμου | Ἀφροδεισιέων περὶ τῶν προηγορευμένων || τειμῆσαί τε αὐτὸν ἀνδριάντων ἀναστάσει καὶ | εἰκόνων ἀναθέσει ἐν τῷ ἐπισημοτάτῳ | τῆς πατρίδος τόπῳ ἐπιγραφησομένων | τῶν τειμῶν τῇ προγραφῇ τοῦδε τοῦ ψη|φίσματος πρὸς τὸ ἀιδίους ὑπάρξαι αὐ||τῷ τὰς παρ' ἡμῶν τειμάς | ἔστιν δὲ καὶ πολείτης πόλεων τῶν ὑπο|γεγραμμένων stop Περγαμηνῶν Ἀντιοχέ|ων Καισαρέων Κολωνῶν καὶ βουλευτὴς | Θηβαίων καὶ βουλευτὴς stop Ἀπολλωνιατῶν || Λυκίων Θρακῶν καὶ | βουλευτὴς stop Μειλη | σίων stop Πεσσινουντίων stop Κλαυδιοπολειτῶν || ἐπιμεληθέντος τῶν τειμῶν Ζήνωνος | τοῦ Ἀπολλωνίου τοῦ Μενάνδρου τοῦ | scroll ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ scroll
(ii, b, beginning at line 1) [ἡ βουλὴ καὶ ὁ δῆμος (?)] | ἐτείμησαν τα[ῖς καλλίσταις] | καὶ μεγίσταις τ[ειμαῖς ·· c. 5 ··] | Αἴλιον stop Αὐρήλιον [ stop Μένανδρον] | ἀθλήσαντα ἐνδόξως [καὶ ἐπιμελῶς πλει]||στονείκην stop πανκρατια̣[στὴν παρά]|δοξον ξυστάρχην stop γ[ένους πρώ]|του καὶ ἐνδόξου stop πρῶ[τον καὶ μό]|νον τῶν stop ἀπ' αἰώνος stop ἀγ[ωνισάμε]|νον stop τριετίᾳ τὰς τρεῖς κρίσ[εις παῖδα] || ἀγένειον stop ἄνδρα stop καὶ νεική[σαντα] | ἱεροὺς stop καὶ ταλαντιαίους stop κ[αὶ πλείσ]|τους ἄλλους ἀγῶνας vac. | Νέαν πόλιν Σεβαστὰ παίδων Κλαυ|διανῶν πανκράτιν stop Νέμεια παίδων || πανκράτιν stop Ἴσθμια ἀγενείων πανκρά|τιν stop Ἔφεσον Βαλβιλληα ἀγενείων | πανκράτιν stop ἱερὰν Πέργαμον κοινὸν | Ἀσίας ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop Ἔφεσον | Βαλβιλληα ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop Σμυρ || ναν κοινὸν Ἀσίας ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop | ἑβδόμῃ Παναθηναίδι Παναθήναια | ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν πρῶτον stop Ἀφροδει | σιέων stop Νέμεια ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν | καὶ τὰ stop ἑξῆς Νέμεια ἀνδρῶν πανκρά||τιν stop ἱερὰν Ὀλύμπεια ἐν Ἀθήναις ἀν|δρῶν πανκράτιν πρῶτον Ἀφροδεισι|έων stop Πύθια ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν | Ῥώμην Καπετώλεια Ὀλύμπια stop ἀν | δρῶν πανκράτιν πρῶτον Ἀφροδεισι||scroll έων leaf [·· c. 22 ··] ΕΝ [·· c. 21 ··] ΟΝ ἀ|[νδρῶν πανκράτιν πρῶτον Ἀφ]ροδει|[σιέων ·· c. 15 ·· κοι]νὸν Ἀσί||[ας ἀνδρῶν πανκράτι]ν̣ Μιτυλή|[νην ἀνδρῶν παν]κράτιν stop Ἀδρα | [μύττιον ἀνδρῶ]ν πανκράτιν | [·· c. 8 ·· ἀνδ]ρῶν πανκράτιν | [·· c. 8 ··] ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν || [·· c. 7 ··]Α ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν | [?Νεικομήδ]ειαν ἀνδρῶν παν|[κράτιν ? stop ] Νεικέαν ἀνδρῶν παν | [κράτ]ιν stop Προυσιάδα ἀνδρῶν | [πα]νκράτιν stop Κλαυδιόπολιν stop β´ || [ἀ]ν̣δρῶν πανκράτιν Ἄνκυραν | τ̣ῆςΓαλατίας ἀνδρῶν πανκρά|τιν stop Πεσσινοῦντα ἀνδρῶν | πανκράτιν stop Δαμασκὸν stop β´ stop ἀν | δρῶν πανκράτιν stop Βηρυτὸν ἀν||δρῶν πανκράτιν stop Τύρον ἀν|δρῶν πανκράτιν stop Καισαρείαν | τῆς Στράτωνος ἀνδρῶν παν|κράτιν stop Νέανπόλιντῆς Σαμαρί|ας ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop Σκυ | θόπολιν stop ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν | Γάζαν ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop Και | σάρειαν Πανιάδα stop β´ stop ἀνδρῶν παν|κράτιν stop Ἱερόπολιν ἀνδρῶν stop παν | κράτιν stop Ἀναζαρβὸν ἀνδρῶν παν||κράτιν stop Μοψουεστίαν ἀνδρῶν | πανκράτιν stop Τρίπολιντῆς Συρίας | ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop Φιλαδέλφει | αντῆς Ἀραβίας stop ἀνδρῶν πανκρά|τιν stop Ζεῦγμαπρὸς τῷ Εὐφράτῃ || ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop Κιβύραν | vac. ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν vac.
IAph 12.920: Athletes honor a kick-boxer (i A lines 1-6).
©2007 King’s College London.
(Reproduced under a Creative Commons license).
Item added: November 8, 2012
Item modified: November 6, 2020
ID number: 5577
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