Associations in the Greco-Roman World (AGRW)

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

Regulations for a Cult with Mysteries for Aphrodite (?) (II CE) Phanagoria - Bosporan region


Phanagoria (Bosporan region, Danube and Black Sea areas — Pleiades map), II CE
IBosp 1005 = IPontEux II 342 = PHI 183738 = AGRW ID# 8466


bibliography            

Three fragments of a slab of marble with a fragmentary inscription (56 x 30 x 5 cm; letter height: 1.8 cm). Found at Phanagoria in 1871. Now in Kerch Historical and Archaeological Museum. Yulia Ustinova (1999, 131-132) argues quite convincingly that this heavily damaged inscription from Phanagoria, which involves “mysteries” (line 24) of a “goddess” (lines 11, 23), most likely entails Aphrodite Ourania as well (cf. IBosp 75, 1005). The document, which seems to be the rules for the cult, mentions lamps and oil – suggestive of night-time ceremonies (lines 2, 13) -- and refers to the use of incense (line 5) and to the sacrifices (lines 8-9). The rites take place in a "naokoreion" (lines 4-5) and are led by a priest.

Too fragmentary to translate.

Translation by: Harland



[— — —]δκα[— —]ω̣[— —] | [— — —] λύχνοις ἐχ[— —] | [— — — ὁ δὲ ἱερεὺ]ς θυέτω ἐπὶ τ[ῷ] | [βωμῷ — — — τελείσ]θω ἐν τῷ νεωκο[ρεί]||[ῳ — — — λιβα]νωτίσας θυέτω ἐπ[ὶ] | [τῷ βωμῷ — — — ε]ἰς ὁλοκαύστησιν μηρ[ὸν] | [καὶ — — — καὶ εἰς] κάλυψιν τὸ ἀρκοῦν κεφα̣|[λῆς· τῷ ἱερεῖ — — — ἡ γλῶσ]σα καὶ ἡ δορά· ὁμοίως | [δὲ — — — θυέτω ἐπὶ τ]ῷ βωμῷ ἄνευ τοῦ μηροῦ || [— — —] σπόνγους πλὴν ὃς τὰ | [— — — δώσει εἰς τὸ δεῖπν]ον τῆς θεᾶς ἀλεύρου | [— — — οἰ]νομέλιτος ∙ ξέσ(τας) ∙ γ ∙ | [— — — εἰς λύχν]ους ∙ ἐλαίου ∙ κοτ(ύλας) ∙ δ ∙ | [ἐὰν δὲ — — — δ]ώσει ἄλλας ∙ κοτ(ύλας) ∙ δ. || [— — —]ιον σὺν φυρτῇ καὶ στέφα|[νον? — — — ἐπὶ τῷ β]ωμῷ καὶ οὕτως εἰσφε|[ρέτω — — — ]οις β καὶ λαμπροῖς καθό|[τι καὶ πρότερον? — — —] ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τῷ δωδε|[κάτῳ — — — κα]ὶ ἐπὶ τὸ δεῖπνον προσ||[καλείσθω? — — — ]ος ὁ ἐπὶ τ[ῆ]ς αὐλῆς ἐπι|[μελείσθω? — — — ὅπως ὁ χ]ῶρος ∙ σαρῶται ∙ β ∙ καὶ | [— — —] τριῶν καὶ τοῦ προεσ|[τῶτος? — — —]ι τ<ῆ>ς θεᾶς ∙ δειπνι|[ζέτω? — — — ἐ]πιτελείσθω τὰ μυσ||[τήρια? — — — τελείσ]θωσαν ἐν τῷ νεω̣|[κορείῳ — — — ἐπὶ τὸ δεῖ]πνον κωλεὸν ․․․․ | [— — —]

Item added: December 19, 2012
Item modified: November 10, 2015
ID number: 8466
Short link address:
http://www.philipharland.com/greco-roman-associations/?p=8466

Leave a Question, Comment or Correction

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*