ISic002986: Section of the civic accounts of Tauromenion

ID
ISic002986
Language
Ancient Greek
Text type
accounts
Object type
block
Status
draft
Links
View in current site

Edition

V. Arangio Ruiz and A. Olivieri, Inscriptiones graecae Siciliae et infimae Italiae ad ius pertinentes (Milan, 1925) Zotero
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Apparatus criticus

  • Text of Arangio Ruiz and Olivieri

Physical description

Support

Description
No data
Object type
block
Material
limestone
Object condition
No data
Dimensions
height: 44 cmwidth: 84 cmdepth: 35 cm

Inscription

Layout
Text laid out over five columns, with vacat at the end of col. 5.
Text condition
No data
Technique
chiselled
Pigment
No data
Lettering

Lunate epsilon, sigma, uncial omega

Letter heights
Line 1: mm
Interlinear heights
Interlineation line 1 to 2: mm

Provenance

Place of origin
Tauromenium
Provenance found
Found by P. Rizzo in a wall to the east of the ancient theatre
Map

Current location

Place
Taormina, Italy
Repository
Antiquarium del Teatro Antico
Autopsy
Observed, not transcribed, Prag 2009-10-06
Map

Date

Prior to 45 BCE and the month of Iulius (100 BC - 45 BC)
Evidence
textual-context

Text type

accounts

commentary

This is one of two surviving blocks of the account inscriptions (see also ISic002985) which employ Roman months, as well as making reference to nomoi and duo andres. Consequently it is assumed to belong to a later period than the other account inscriptions; additionally the numerals are given in 'normal 'descending fashion, in contrast to the pseudo-ascending numerals of the other inscriptions. However, col.1.13 references the month of Quinctilius, which in principle implies a date prior to c.45 BCE and the calendrical reforms of Julius Caesar. Consequently, it has sometimes been suggested (e.g. Willers, Manganaro) that they should date specifically to the period between c.42 and 36 BCE, i.e. after the grants of Latinitas by Julius Caesar and of Roman citizenship by M. Antonius, but prior to the defeat of Sextus Pompeius by Octavian and the punitive transformation of the city into a Roman veteran colonia - with the continued use of Quinctilius explained by a pro-Pompeian, anti-Caesarian, local administration. This seems like very special pleading, and it seems much easier to assume a transition to using a variety of Roman institutions (calendar, monetary standards), likely at some point earlier in the first century BCE.

Bibliography

Digital editions
Printed editions

Citation and editorial status

Editor
Jonathan Prag
Principal contributor
Jonathan Prag
Contributors
Last revision
11/22/2025