Associations in the Greco-Roman World (AGRW)

An expanding collection of inscriptions, papyri, and other sources in translation (run by Philip A. Harland)

Honors by a Merchant Caravan for Shoadu, part 2 (144 CE) Palmyra - Syria and Phoenicia


Palmyra (Syria and Phoenicia, Greater Syria and the East — Pleiades map), 144 CE
IPalmyra 127 = IOriente 92 = PHI 314535 = AGRW ID# 9077


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Monument with a bilingual inscription (Greek and Phoenician), now in the Palmyra museum (44 x 62 x 70 cm). See IOriente 89 concerning the previous statues set up in the four temples. On the typical caravan routes used by Palmyrene merchants, see the description of IOriente 83.

The caravan of all the Palmyrenes from Vologesias set up . . . four bronze statues (?) . . ., this one in the . . . temple of Athena (?) (Allat in Palmyrene), one in the sacred garden, one . . . in the temple of Ares (Arsu in Palmyrene), . . . (?) and one in the temple of Atargatis.  These were raised beside the former four statues that were set up by the first caravan (synodia) for Shoadu, son of Bolyada, grandson of Shoadu Taimshamsh, a pious man and friend of the homeland, because of his good-will and good thoughts in relation to the citizens, in every way adorning the caravan of all Palmyrenes with rewards and great honors.   This was done because he pressed on in a distinguished manner, taking with him a great force to oppose Abdallat of Ahitaya and the brigands brought together by Abdallat from . . . who for a long time were lying in wait to harm the . . . caravan (?) . . . he preserved them.  For this reason, they set up . . . the statues (?) . . . for him to honor him when Male, son of Semon, and Hanibel, son of Semon, Bazeqa, were chiefs of the caravan, in the 455th year (of the Seleucid era) in the month of Daisios.

(Palmyrene text follows; for an English translation of the Palmyrene text, see Kaizer 2002, 63).

Translation by: Harland



[τοὺς ἀνδριάντας τέσσαρας χαλκείους, ἕνα] τοῦτον τὸν ἐν | [ἱερῷ Ἀθην]ᾶς, ἕνα τὸν ἐν ἱερῷ ἄλσει, ἕνα δὲ τὸν | [ἐν ἱερῷ Ἄρεο]ς καὶ ἕνα τὸν ἐν ἱερῷ Ἀταργάτειος | [τοὺς] ἐγηγερμένους παρὰ τοῖς πρώτοις || τέσσαρσι ἀνδριᾶσι τοῖς ἀνεγερθεῖσι | ὑπὸ τῆς πρώτης συνοδίας Σοάδῳ Βωλιάδους | οῦ Σωάδου τοῦ Θαιμισάμσου εὐσεβεῖ καὶ φιλο|πάτριδι τῷ διὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ εὔνοίαν καὶ μεγαλο|φροσύνην τὴν πρὸς τοὺς πολείτας παντὶ || τρόπῳ κεκοσμημένῳ ἀρεταῖς καὶ μεγίσ|ταις τειμαῖς, ἀνέστησεν ἡ ἀπὸ Ὀλογασίας ἀνα|βᾶσα συνοδία πάντων Παλμυρηνῶν, ἐπεὶ | προώρμησεν ἐπισήμως παραλαβὼν μ[ε]|θ’ ἑαυτοῦ πολλὴν δύναμιν καὶ ἀντέστ[η] || [Ἀβ]δαλλάθῳ Ἐειθήνῳ καὶ τοῖς ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ συναχθεῖσα ἀπὸ π[— — —] | δ[— ληστ]ηρίοις, τοῖς ἐπὶ χρόνον ἐνεδρεύσασι ἀδικῆσαι τὴν σ[υνοδίαν] | [— — —] προσδιέσωσεν αὐτούς· διὰ τοῦτο ἀνήγειραν αὐτῷ | [τοὺς ἀνδριάντας] τειμῆς χάριν, συνοδιαρχούντων Μαλη Συμωνου | [— — καὶ Ε]ννιβήλου Συμωνου τοῦ Βαζεκη, ἔτους ενυʹ, μη[νὸς] Δαισίου.

{Palmyrene text follows}

Relief depicting Aglibol, Baal Shamin, and Malakbel.
Found near Bir Wereb, Wadi Miyah, Syria; now in the Louvre.
Reproduced under a creative commons license (no photographer identified).

Item added: January 3, 2013
Item modified: January 22, 2016
ID number: 9077
Short link address:
http://www.philipharland.com/greco-roman-associations/?p=9077

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