Palmyra (Syria and Phoenicia, Greater Syria and the East — Pleiades map), 131 CE
IPalmyra 245
= IOriente 153
= IEuphrat 702
= PHI 314607
= AGRW ID# 9128
Stone on a column console on location in the market (agora) of Palmyra (S 1494). Meredates (or Meherdat or Mithradates) was the last king of the territory known as Mesene or Charakene, with its capital at Spasinou Charax on the Euphrates (ca. 129-152 CE). The kingdom encompassed at least the area from Charax to the Persian Gulf. Meredates was defeated by the Parthian king Vologeses IV of the Arsacid dynasty in 152 CE (IEuphrat 507; Gawlikowski 1994, 29). The present inscription indicates that Meredates had appointed Yarhai as satrap of Tylos. Tylos island (modern day Bahrain) was the first port in the Persian Gulf on the route from Spasinou Charax to India. Cf. Gregoratti 2010, 32-33. On the typical caravan routes used by Palmyrene merchants, see the description of IOriente 83.
This is the statue of Yarhai, son of Nebozabad, grandson of Sammallat, great-grandson of Achhadan, citizen of Hadriana Palmyra, satrap of the Thilouanians (i.e. inhabitants of Tylos) under king Meredates (or: Mithradates) of Spasinou Charax. The merchants in Spasinou Charax set this up in his honor in the 442nd year in the month of Xandikos.
(Palmyrene translation follows).
Translation by: Harland
Ἰαραῖον Νεβο[υζαβαδ]ου τοῦ | [Σ]αλαμαλλαθου [τοῦ] Αχχαδανου | [Ἁδ]ριανὸν Παλμυρηνόν, σατρά|[π]ην Θιλουάνων Μεερεδατου || βασιλέως Σπασίνου Χάρακος | οἱ ἐν Σπασίνου Χάρακι ἔνοροι | τειμῆς χάριν, ἔτους βμυʹ μη[νὶ] | Ξανδικῷ.
{Palmyrene translation}
Item added: January 4, 2013
Item modified: December 2, 2013
ID number: 9128
Short link address:
http://www.philipharland.com/greco-roman-associations/?p=9128
2 Comments