ISic030048: Fragment of a Greek inscription on bronze

Photo courtesy Zurich Ietas excavations
ID
ISic030048
Language
Ancient Greek
Text type
unknown
Object type
lamina
Status
No data
Links
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Edition

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Apparatus criticus

  • Text from photograph;
  • line.3: Isler: ΡΣΕ

Physical description

Support

Description
Small fragment of bronze plaque, broken on all sides
Object type
lamina
Material
bronze
Condition
fragment
Dimensions
height: 1.9 cm, width: 3.3 cm, depth: 0.15 cm

Inscription

Layout
Remains of three lines of Greek letters
Text condition
incomplete
Lettering

Letter heights
Lines 1-3: mm
Interlinear heights
Interlineation line 1 to 2: mm

Provenance

Place of origin
Ietas
Provenance found
Found in a mediaeval layer in trench 514 during excavation of one of several mediaeval rooms in the north portico of the agora
Map

Current location

Place
San Cipirello, Italy
Repository
depot of the Zurich Ietas excavation , I.15
Autopsy
None
Map

Date

later fourth or third century BCE (350 BC – 200 BC)
Evidence
lettering

Text type

unknown

commentary

The fragment is one of three metal fragments reported by Isler from the Ietas excavations (the other two, unpublished, are Latin fragments: ISic030049 and ISic030050). Isler draws comparison with the Entella tablets, and it is a reasonable assumption that this is the remains of a public text, possibly originally on display in the area of the agora or associated public buildings. The letter forms are compatible with a third-century BCE date, but precision is impossible. Isler reads the first letter of line 3 as Ρ, but omicron seems much more likely, firstly because of the unlikely sequence ΡΣ and secondly by comparison with the rho in line 1 and the theta in line 2, and the absence of any trace of a straight vertical on the left side of the letter.

Bibliography

Digital editions
Printed editions
Discussion

Citation and editorial status

Editor
Jonathan Prag
Principal contributor
Jonathan Prag
Contributors
Last revision
4/30/2021