ISic003686: Theodoros offers a dedication to Serapis

Photo J.Prag courtesy Soprintendenza BBCCAA di Messina
ID
ISic003686
Language
Ancient Greek
Text type
dedication
Object type
base
Status
No data
Links
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Edition

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Apparatus criticus

  • Text from autopsy

Physical description

Support

Description
Part of a fine white limestone block, forming the base of a statue (two circular holes, 5.5cm in diameter, are visible in the front part of the upper surface, the left c.5 cm from the front, the right c.7.5 cm from the front; the right hole is incomplete). The block is intact on top, as well as on the front and left; it is broken at the rear and on the right; c.14 cm high. Perhaps half the block is lost on the right. The face is damaged on the left, and below, as well as on the right, with minor damage along the top edge.
Object type
base
Material
limestone
Condition
No data
Dimensions
height: 14 cm, width: cm, depth: cm

Inscription

Layout
Greek text is visible on three lines, as much as half the text lost on the right side.
Text condition
No data
Lettering

Letter heights
Line 1-3: 18-20mm
Interlinear heights
Interlineation: not measured

Provenance

Place of origin
Halaesa
Provenance found
Found in the section of the trench on the west side of the so-called ‘muro a bugnato’, which borders the main street and the area of the so-called ‘lower agora’, to the north-east of the main agora
Map

Current location

Place
Halaesa, Italy
Repository
Antiquarium e sito archeologico di Halaesa , ME 30589
Autopsy
On display in the lapidarium on site
Map

Date

2nd — 1st century BCE (200 BC – 1 BC)
Evidence
lettering

Text type

dedication

commentary

The first line appears to contain a dedication to the god Serapis. Dedications to Serapis are commonly twinned with Isis, and this would fit with the likely extent of the original stone. The second line would then contain the name of the man (Theodoros) making the dedication, together with the name of his father. The third line might then contain a reference to his current position, or his reason for the dedication, but whatever it was, there is little space since the word/words are clearly centered and there is blank space before hand. This is the only evidence from Halaesa for a cult of Serapis, but Hellenistic dedications to Serapis and Isis are known from both Siracusa (IG XIV.14a = ISic003002 – Serapis is a very plausible restoration) and Taormina (IG 14.433 = ISic001258).

The form of the letters suggests a date in the second or first century BC.

Bibliography

Digital editions
  • TM: -
  • EDR: -
  • EDH: -
  • EDCS: -
  • PHI: -
Printed editions
  • J.R.W. Prag e G. Tigano, Alesa Archonidea: il lapidarium, Introduzione all’archeologia di Halaesa 8 (Palermo: Regione Siciliana, Assessorato beni culturali e identità siciliana, Dipartimento beni culturali e identità siciliana, 2017), at no.4 Zotero FAIR

Citation and editorial status

Editor
Jonathan Prag
Principal contributor
Jonathan Prag
Contributors
Last revision
1/19/2021