Unknown, Honors for an Athlete, IAph2007 12.920
created: This entry is taken from Honors for an Athlete, IAph2007 12.920 written by Unkno
edition published: 2023-06-30-05:00
language: grc; grc
availability: Except for materials quoted from other sources, this entry is copyright 2023 by the contributors (Joseph L. Rife, et al.) and the Caesarea City and Port Exploration Project. It is licensed under the Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. Some texts quoted in this entry may be in the public domain in the United States. No copyright is asserted for these quotations. Some texts quoted in this entry may have copyright restrictions and are reused under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)

https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/462

Καισαρείαν τῆς Στράτωνος

, and

Straton's Caesarea

are directly attested at Unknown, Honors for an Athlete, IAph2007 12.920. This passage was written ca. 138-169 C.E. possibly in Aphrodisias. 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.

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 Μένανδρος παράδοξος καὶ διὰ βίου ξυστάρχης (10) τῶν ἐν κολωνείᾳ Ἀντιοχείᾳ ἀγώνων ἀθλήσας ἐνδόξως καὶ ἐπιμελῶς ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον 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 προν̣οίᾳ καὶ ἐπιμελείᾳ μετὰ σπουδῆς ἁπάσης κήδεται τῶν ἡμεῖν διαφερόντων τὰ κάλλιστα καὶ ἄριστα πολειτευόμενος ἐν ἡμεῖν καὶ διὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἄλλο- (25) τε μέν πολλάκις καὶ τὰ νῦν ἐπαινοῦν- [τ]ες τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ μαρτυροῦντες αὐτῷ ψηφίσματα 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 περιεγένετο καὶ διεπράξατο ἀχθῆναι τὸν ἔναγχ̣ος ἀγῶνα παρὰ τοῖς Ἀντιοχεῦσιν ὡς νομίζειν ἡμᾶς οἰκόθεν παρ' αὐτοῦ ἀνῃρῆσθαι (35) τὰ θέματα διὰ ταῦτα δεδόχθαι τύχῃ ἀγαθῇ εὐχαριστῆσαι τῷ Μενάνδρῳ ἐπί τε τῆς ἱερωτάτης βουλῆς καὶ τοῦ λαμπροτάτου δήμου Ἀφροδεισιέων περὶ τῶν προηγορευμένων τειμῆσαί τε αὐτὸν ἀνδριάντων ἀναστάσει καὶ (40) εἰκόνων ἀναθέσει ἐν τῷ ἐπισημοτάτῳ τῆς πατρίδος τόπῳ ἐπιγραφησομένων τῶν τειμῶν τῇ προγραφῇ τοῦδε τοῦ ψηφίσματος πρὸς τὸ ἀιδίους ὑπάρξαι αὐτῷ τὰς παρ' ἡμῶν τειμάς leaf (45) vacat ἔστιν δὲ καὶ πολείτης πόλεων τῶν ὑπογεγραμμένων stop Περγαμηνῶν Ἀντιοχέων Καισαρέων Κολωνῶν καὶ βουλευτὴς Θηβαίων καὶ βουλευτὴς stop Ἀπολλωνιατῶν Λυκίων Θρακῶν καὶ βουλευτὴς stop Μειλη- (50) σίων stop Πεσσινουντίων stop Κλαυδιοπολειτῶν ἐπιμεληθέντος τῶν τειμῶν Ζήνωνος (55) τοῦ Ἀπολλωνίου τοῦ Μενάνδρου τοῦ scroll 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 Κλαυδιανῶν πανκράτιν stop Νέμεια παίδων πανκράτιν stop Ἴσθμια ἀγενείων πανκρά- (15) τιν stop Ἔφεσον Βαλβιλληα ἀγενείων πανκράτιν stop ἱερὰν Πέργαμον κοινὸν Ἀσίας ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop Ἔφεσον Βαλβιλληα ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop Σμυρναν κοινὸν Ἀσίας ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop (20) ἑβδόμῃ Παναθηναίδι Παναθήναια ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν πρῶτον stop Ἀφροδεισιέων stop Νέμεια ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν καὶ τὰ stop ἑξῆς Νέμεια ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop ἱερὰν Ὀλύμπεια ἐν Ἀθήναις ἀν- (25) δρῶν πανκράτιν πρῶτον Ἀφροδεισιέων stop Πύθια ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν Ῥώμην Καπετώλεια Ὀλύμπια stop ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν πρῶτον Ἀφροδεισιscroll 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 πανκράτιν stop Πεσσινοῦντα ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop Δαμασκὸν stop β´ stop ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop Βηρυτὸν ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop Τύρον ἀν- (50) δρῶν πανκράτιν stop Καισαρείαν τῆς Στράτωνος ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop Νέανπόλιν τῆς Σαμαρίας ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop Σκυθόπολιν stop ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν (55) Γάζαν ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop Καισάρειαν Πανιάδα stop β´ stop ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop Ἱερόπολιν ἀνδρῶν stop παν κράτιν stop Ἀναζαρβὸν ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop Μοψουεστίαν ἀνδρῶν (60) πανκράτιν stop Τρίπολιν τῆς Συρίας ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop Φιλαδέλφει αν τῆς Ἀραβίας stop ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop Ζεῦγμα πρὸς τῷ Εὐφράτῃ ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν stop Κιβύραν (65) vac. ἀνδρῶν πανκράτιν vac.

[Ed. Roueché 1993 and Reynolds, Roueché, and Bodard 2007]

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. [Rev. Reynolds, Roueché, and Bodard 2007]

Works Cited

[...] 12.920

Additional Bibliography

[...] 231-235 91

[* IAph2007 1.182

IAph2007 1.182

IAph2007 12.290]

[Adrymettium

Anazarbus

Antioch on the Orontes

Aphrodisias

Asia

Athens

Beirut

Caesarea Panias

Cibyra

Claudiopolis

Damascus

Ephesus

Gaza

Hieropolis

Isthmus

Lycia

Miletus

Mopsuestia

Mytilene

Neapolis of Samaria

Nemea

Nicaea

Nicomedia

Pergamum

Pessinus

Philadelphia of Arabia

Prusias

Rome

Scythopolis

Smyrna

Thebes

Thrace

Tripolis of Syria

Tyre

Zeugma by the Euphrates]

[Antoninus Pius, emperor

Lucius Verus, emperor

Marcus Aurelius, emperor

T. Aelius Aurelius Menander]

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