Diplomatic Text

Edition

Apparatus

1: 1. Πυραίο[υ] DOL.

2: 2. πὸ τὸν DVC.

French translationDieu, bonne fortune. Timon de Pyra (demande…) auprès de (?) Zeus Naios…

English translationGod, with good luck. Timon of Pyra (asks…) for (?) Zeus Naios…

Commentary

The opistograph carries seven texts. Side A comprises two : apart from 1075 A, it carries also 1076Α (carved over 1075 A and younger); five further texts carved on B side.

Significance: The text comprises a private question of unclear nature; the most important feature is the reference to the provenance of the individual, on which see below.

Dialect: Irrespective of conjectures in the second line, Doric dialect is documented by form ἀγαθάν of line 1, and there seem to be no further reliably identifiable dialect forms.

Date: Short right leg of Π, wide N, Γ with a slightly slanted top hasta and a deep split of Υ find parallels in other (assumed) 5th c. lamellae. Dotted theta is attested also in later material.

Textual issues: On the formulaic [θεὸς τύχα]ν ἀγαθάν, see table $$$. The second line is garbled; DVC proposed reading πὸ(τ) τὸν is possible (cp. DVC 2107A) and likelier than grammatically and contextually irritating (even if apparently attested) πότος (cf. 1657). From Elis we know of three inscriptions which demonstrate the same (scribal? phonetic?) phenomenon of avoidance of (perceived) geminates: cf. IvO 11.7: πο(τ) τὸν Δία; with IvO 7.4 and IvO 16.11, all of 5th c. BC.

The DVC consideration in apparatus that δεκ]άταν might be read at the beginning of the line is questionable in light of the (apparent) parallels in the material (1751B (fragmentary), 2782A (a group), 4106B (fragmentary)) – no other lamella refers to a decate in relation to an individual’s private query.

Onomastic commentary: The provenance of Timon is associated by DVC with the Illyrian ethnos of Pyraei, mentioned by Plin. 3.23, which is attested both poorly and late. Likelier appears the city of Pyra in southern Thessaly / Doris (cf. Barrington Atlas 55, C 3, and Steph. Byz. s.v. Πυραία, μοῖρα Θεσσαλίας, ὠνομασμένη ἀπὸ Πύρας. ὁ οἰκήτωρ Πυραῖος, and Hansen, Inventory, No. $$$). Furthermore, the personal name Timon is not attested in Illyria; there are several dozen attestations of the name in Central Greece (including Thessaly). Alternatively, since Pyraios is attested as a personal name, perhaps Timon went by name Timon Pyraios, or as Timon son of Pyraios if we adopt the conjecture Πυραίο[υ.