Unknown, Honors for an Athlete, IAph2007 12.920
https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/462
Context
This text in two parts (i, ii) was inscribed on three faces (a, b, c)
of a marble statue-base with molded panels found near the western city-wall at
Aphrodisias in Caria, western Asia Minor. The 123 total lines written in the mid-2nd
century recognize the public honors for T. Aelius Aurelius Menander. He was a victorious
athlete who specialized in the pankration, a combat sport that
combined the skills of boxing and wrestling. The impressive list of his competitions
spans the eastern Mediterranean but particularly Asia Minor to Syria and Palestine,
including Caesaea Maritima (ii.52-53). This is the full version of the same victor’s
list found in abbreviated form at IAph2007 12.914.
Text
Part i side a[ἔδοξ]ε̣ τῇ ἱερᾷ ξυστικ[ῇ ?περιπολιστικῇ συνόδῳ τῶν περὶ
τὸν][Ἡρα]κλέα καὶ τὸν ἀγώ[νιον καὶ αὐτοκράτορας Μ(ᾶρκον) Αὐρ(ήλιον) Ἀντ-][ω]ν̣εῖνον stop καὶ stop Λ(ούκιον) stop Αὐ[ρ(ήλιον) Οὐῆρον][ἀ]πὸ τῆς οἰκουμέ[νης
ἱερονεικῶν στεφανειτῶν ἐν ?Ἀντιοχείᾳ]Καισαρείᾳ stop Κο[λωνείᾳ (e.g)ἐπὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα] (5)ταλαντια̣ῖ̣[ον ·· ? ··][·· ? ··Α ?εἰσηγ]η̣σαμένου Τ(ίτου) Αἰ̣λ̣[ί]ου Μ[·][·· ?
··]ΚΑ[·· c. 7 ·· π]αλαιστοῦ παραδόξο[υ][ἐπεὶ] Αἴλιος Αὐρήλιος Μένανδροςπαράδοξος
καὶ διὰ βίου ξυστάρχης (10)τῶν ἐν κολωνείᾳ Ἀντιοχείᾳ ἀγώνωνἀθλήσας ἐνδόξως καὶ
ἐπιμελῶς ἐπὶ το-σοῦτον δόξης προέβη ὡς πρῶτον μὲν[ἀ]νελέσθαι εὐτυχῶς τοσούτους
ἀγῶ-[ν]ας καὶ δοξάσαι καθ' ἕκαστον ἀγῶνα τὴν (15)[λ]αμπροτάτην πατρίδα αὐτοῦ
κηρυγμα-[σ]ιν καὶ στεφάνοις μάλιστα δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ[θ]εοῦ Ἀντωνείνου ὡς οὐ μόνον
στε[φαν]-[ω]θῆναι ταῖς ἐκείνου χειρσὶν ἀλλὰ καὶ[τει]μ̣αῖς ἐξαιρέτοις τειμηθῆναι
μεταξὺ (20)[δὲ γ]ενόμενος ξυστάρχης τοσαύτῃ προ-ν̣οίᾳ καὶ ἐπιμελείᾳ μετὰ σπουδῆς
ἁπά-σης κήδεται τῶν ἡμεῖν διαφερόν-των τὰ κάλλιστα καὶ ἄριστα πολειτευ-όμενος
ἐν ἡμεῖν καὶ διὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἄλλο- (25)τε μέν πολλάκις καὶ τὰ νῦν ἐπαινοῦν-[τ]ες τὸν
ἄνδρα καὶ μαρτυροῦντες αὐτῷψηφίσματα τοῖς κυρίοις Αὐτοκράτορ-[σ]ιν πεπόμφαμεν
ἡγούμενοι μεγίσ-[τ]ας καὶ ἀνταξίας ἀμοιβὰς αὐτῷ γενεσ- (30)[θ]αι ἀντὶ τῆς περὶ
ἡμᾶς εὐνοίας καὶ ὅτι δα-[π]ανήμασιν ἱκανοῖς καὶ κόπῳ πολλῷ περι-εγένετο καὶ
διεπράξατο ἀχθῆναι τὸν ἔναγ-χ̣ος ἀγῶνα παρὰ τοῖς Ἀντιοχεῦσιν ὡς νομί-ζειν ἡμᾶς
οἰκόθεν παρ' αὐτοῦ ἀνῃρῆσθαι (35)τὰ θέματα διὰ ταῦτα δεδόχθαι τύχῃ ἀγαθῇεὐχαριστῆσαι τῷ Μενάνδρῳ ἐπί τε τῆς ἱερω-τάτης βουλῆς καὶ τοῦ λαμπροτάτου δήμουἈφροδεισιέων περὶ τῶν προηγορευμένωντειμῆσαί τε αὐτὸν ἀνδριάντων ἀναστάσει καὶ (40)εἰκόνων ἀναθέσει ἐν τῷ ἐπισημοτάτῳτῆς πατρίδος τόπῳ ἐπιγραφησομένωντῶν τειμῶν τῇ
προγραφῇ τοῦδε τοῦ ψη-φίσματος πρὸς τὸ ἀιδίους ὑπάρξαι αὐ-τῷ τὰς παρ' ἡμῶν τειμάς
leaf (45)vacatἔστιν δὲ καὶ πολείτης πόλεων τῶν ὑπο-γεγραμμένων stop Περγαμηνῶν
Ἀντιοχέ-ων Καισαρέων Κολωνῶν καὶ βουλευτὴςΘηβαίων καὶ βουλευτὴς stop ἈπολλωνιατῶνΛυκίων Θρακῶν καὶ βουλευτὴς stop Μειλη- (50)σίων stop Πεσσινουντίων stop
Κλαυδιοπολειτῶνἐπιμεληθέντος τῶν τειμῶν Ζήνωνος (55)τοῦ Ἀπολλωνίου τοῦ Μενάνδρου
τοῦscroll ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ scroll
Part ii side b[?(e.g) ἡ βουλὴ καὶ ὁ δῆμος]ἐτείμησαν τα[ῖς καλλίσταις]καὶ μεγίσταις τ[ειμαῖς ·· c. 5 ··]Αἴλιον stop Αὐρήλιον
[ stop Μένανδρον]ἀθλήσαντα ἐνδόξως [καὶ ἐπιμελῶς πλει]-στονείκην stop
πανκρατια̣[στὴν παρά]- (5)δοξον ξυστάρχην stop γ[ένους πρώ]-του καὶ ἐνδόξου stop
πρῶ[τον καὶ μό]-νον τῶν stop ἀπ' αἰώνος stop ἀγ[ωνισάμε]-νον stop τριετίᾳ τὰς
τρεῖς κρίσ[εις παῖδα]ἀγένειον stop ἄνδρα stop καὶ νεική[σαντα] (10)ἱεροὺς stop καὶ
ταλαντιαίους stop κ[αὶ πλείσ]-τους ἄλλους ἀγῶνας vac.Νέαν πόλιν Σεβαστὰ παίδων
Κλαυ-διανῶν πανκράτιν stop Νέμεια παίδωνπανκράτιν stop Ἴσθμια ἀγενείων πανκρά-
(15)τιν stop Ἔφεσον Βαλβιλληα ἀγενείωνπανκράτιν stop ἱερὰν Πέργαμον κοινὸνἈσίας
ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop ἜφεσονΒαλβιλληα ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop Σμυρ-ναν κοινὸν Ἀσίας
ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop (20)ἑβδόμῃ Παναθηναίδι Παναθήναιαἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν πρῶτον
stop Ἀφροδει-σιέων stop Νέμεια ἀνδρῶν πανκράτινκαὶ τὰ stop ἑξῆς Νέμεια ἀνδρῶν
πανκρά-τιν stop ἱερὰν Ὀλύμπεια ἐν Ἀθήναις ἀν- (25)δρῶν πανκράτιν πρῶτον Ἀφροδεισι-έων stop Πύθια ἀνδρῶν πανκράτινῬώμην Καπετώλεια Ὀλύμπια stop ἀν-δρῶν πανκράτιν
πρῶτον Ἀφροδεισι-scroll έων leaf (30)
Part ii side c[·· c. 22 ··] ΕΝ[·· c.
21 ··] ΟΝ ἀ-[νδρῶν πανκράτιν πρῶτον Ἀφ]ροδει -[σιέων ·· c. 15 ·· κοι]νὸν Ἀσί-[ας ἀνδρῶν πανκράτι]ν̣ Μιτυλή- (35)[νην ἀνδρῶν παν]κράτιν stop Ἀδρα[μύττιον
ἀνδρῶ]ν πανκράτιν stop[·· c. 8 ·· ἀνδ]ρῶν πανκράτιν[·· c. 8 ··] ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν[·· c. 7 ··]Α ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν (40)[?Νεικομήδ]ειαν ἀνδρῶν παν-[κράτιν ? stop ]
Νεικέαν ἀνδρῶν παν[κράτ]ιν stop Προυσιάδα ἀνδρῶν[πα]νκράτιν stop Κλαυδιόπολιν stop
β´[ἀ]ν̣δρῶν πανκράτιν Ἄνκυραν (45)τ̣ῆς Γαλατίας ἀνδρῶν πανκρά-τιν stop
Πεσσινοῦντα ἀνδρῶνπανκράτιν stop Δαμασκὸν stop β´ stop ἀν-δρῶν πανκράτιν stop
Βηρυτὸν ἀν-δρῶν πανκράτιν stop Τύρον ἀν- (50)δρῶν πανκράτιν stop
Καισαρείαντῆς Στράτωνος ἀνδρῶν παν-κράτιν stop Νέανπόλιν
τῆς Σαμαρί-ας ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop Σκυ-θόπολιν stop ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν (55)Γάζαν
ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop Και-σάρειαν Πανιάδα stop β´ stop ἀνδρῶν παν-κράτιν stop
Ἱερόπολιν ἀνδρῶν stop πανκράτιν stop Ἀναζαρβὸν ἀνδρῶν παν-κράτιν stop Μοψουεστίαν
ἀνδρῶν (60)πανκράτιν stop Τρίπολιν τῆς Συρίαςἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop Φιλαδέλφειαν
τῆς Ἀραβίας stop ἀνδρῶν πανκρά-τιν stop Ζεῦγμα πρὸς τῷ Εὐφράτῃἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν
stop Κιβύραν (65)vac. ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν vac. 1
Textual Note
Ed. Roueché 1993 and Reynolds, Roueché, and Bodard 2007Translation
Part i side a[It was resolved] by the sacred xystic [?travelling
synod under] Herakles and the agonistic one (i.e. Hermes) [and the emperors M(arcus)
Aur(elius) Anto]ninus and L(ucius) Au[r(elius) Verus, of sacred and crowned victors]
from the whole world [?at Antioch] Caesaria Co[lonia ?on the occasion of the contest
worth ?one] talent: [Proposer ....] seconded by T(itus) Aelius M[...], wrestler,
extraordinary: since Aelius Aurelius Menandros, (10) extraordinary, and xystarch for
life of the contests in Colonia Antiochia, who practised as an athlete with honor and
with concern, has reached such honor that, firstly, he has won with good fortune so many
contests and has brought honor at each contest to his splendid homeland by proclamations
and crowns and especially also in the time of the divine Antoninus, so that he was not
only crowned at his hands, but also honored with (20) particular honors; meanwhile,
having become xystarch, he cared with such forethought and concern, and with all zeal,
for our interests, exercising his office excellently well; for these reasons both on
many other occasions and now praising the man and bearing witness to him we have sent
resolutions to the lords emperors, considering that (these would be) the greatest and
(30) appropriate returns to him for his goodwill towards us, and because with sufficient
expenditure and much effort he succeeded in arranging that the recent contest was
conducted among the people of Antioch, so that we think that the prizes were obtained
from his own resources. Therefore it has been decreed, with good fortune to thank
Menandros before the most sacred Council and the most splendid People of the
Aphrodisians concerning what has been described, (40) and to honor him with the erection
of statues and the dedication of images in the most distinguished location of his
homeland; the honors are to be inscribed with the publication of this decree, in order
that his honors from us should be perpetual.He is also citizen of the following
cities: of the Pergamenes, of the Antiochenes, Caesarean colonists, and councillor of
the Thebans, and councillor of the Apolloniatai, (50) Lycian and Thracian, and
councillor of the Milesians, the Pessinuntii, the Claudiopolitai.Zenon son of
Apollonios son of Menandros, his brother, was responsible for the honors.
Part ii
side b[?The Council and People] honored with the [finest] and greatest [?honors]
Aelius Aurelius Menandros, who practised as an athlete with distinction [and with
diligence], multiple victor, pancratiast, extraordinary, xystarch, of an honorable and
[leading family], who was the first and only man of all time to contest over three years
in the three categories, as [boy] and (10) as young man and as adult, and who won sacred
(contests) and (contests) with prizes to the value of a talent and very many other
contests:(He won) at Neapolis, in the Sebasta, the pancration of the Claudian boys;
in the Nemea, the boys' pancration; in the Isthmia, the young men's pancration; at
Ephesus, in the Balbillea, the young men's pancration - - a contest with no outright
victor; at Pergamum, in the provincial festival of Asia, the men's pancration; at
Ephesus, in the Balbillea, the men's pancration; at Smyrna, (20) in the provincial
festival of Asia, the men's pancration; on the occasion of the seventh Panathenais in
the Panathenaia, the men's pancration, first Aphrodisian (to do so); in the Nemeia, the
men's pancration, and in the following Nemeia, the men's pancration -- a contest with no
outright victor; in the Olympia at Athens, the men's pancration, the first Aphrodisian
(to do so); in the Pythia, the men's pancration; at Rome, in the Capitolia Olympia, the
men's pancration, the first Aphrodisian (to do so); (30)[... , the men's pancration, the
first] Aphrodisian (to do so);
Psrt ii side c[ at ? ... , in the provincial]
festival of Asia, [the men's pancration;] at Mitylene, [the men's pan]cration; at
Adra[myttion, the men's] pancration; [at ? ...], the men's pancration; [at ? ...], the
men's pancration; (40) [in the ?], the men's pancration; [at ? Nicomed]ia, the men's
pancration; at Nicea, the men's pancration; at Prusias, the men's pancration; at
Claudiopolis, twice, the men's pancration; at Ancyra of Galatia, the men's pancration;
at Pessinus, the men’s (50) pancration; at Damascus, twice, the men's pancration; at
Beirut, the men's pancration; at Tyre, the men's pancration; at Straton's
Caesarea, the men's pancration; at Neapolis of Samaria, the men's
pancration; at Scythopolis, the men's pancration; at Gaza, the men's pancration; at
Caesarea Panias, the men's pancration; at Hieropolis, the men's pancration; at
Anazarbus, the men's pancration; (60) at Mopsuestia, the men's pancration; at Tripolis
of Syria, the men's pancration; at Philadelphia of Arabia, the men's pancration; at
Zeugma by the Euphrates, the men's pancration; at Kibyra, the men's pancration.
Translation Note
Rev. Reynolds, Roueché, and Bodard 2007Works Cited
- 1 Joyce Reynolds, Charlotte Roueché, and Gabriel Bodard, Inscriptions of Aphrodisias (2007), Inscriptions of Aphrodisias (2007), 2007, entry: 12.920.
Additional Bibliography
- Charlotte Roueché, Performers and Partisans at Aphrodisias in the Roman and Late Roman Period. A Study Based on Inscriptions from the Current Excavations at Aphrodisias in Caria, Journal of Roman Studies Monographs 6 (London: Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1993), p: 231-235, entry: 91.
How to Cite This Entry
Joseph L. Rife, “Unknown, Honors for an Athlete, IAph2007 12.920,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published June 30, 2023, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/462.
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Bibliography:
Joseph L. Rife, “Unknown, Honors for an Athlete, IAph2007 12.920.” In Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, edited by Joseph L. Rife., edited by Joseph L. Rife. Caesarea City and Port Exploration Project, 2023. Entry published June 30, 2023. https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/462.About this Entry
Entry Title: Unknown, Honors for an Athlete, IAph2007 12.920
Authorial and Editorial Responsibility:
- Joseph L. Rife, general editor, Vanderbilt University
- Joseph L. Rife, editor, Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia
- David A. Michelson, Daniel L. Schwartz, and William L. Potter, technical editor, “Unknown, Honors for an Athlete, IAph2007 12.920”
- Joseph L. Rife, entry contributor, “Unknown, Honors for an Athlete, IAph2007 12.920”
Additional Credit:
- TEI encoding by Joseph L. Rife
- URNs and other metadata added by Joseph L. Rife
- Electronic text added by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonia identified by Joseph L. Rife