IEleus 516 Statue base for the hierophant who saved the sacred objects of the Mysteries

Statue base for the hierophant who saved the sacred objects of the Mysteries

I Eleusis 516 Date: 191/2 AD or shortly after

Fragment a

You are looking at the displayer (phantora) of solemn nights, also renowned for his wisdom, the holy attendant (propolon) of Deo and Kore,^[1] who, evading once the unlawful work of the Sarmatians,^[2] saved rites (orgia) and life (psuchēn) for the fatherland (5) and displayed the ceremonies (teletas) and elevated their glory (kudos) like wise Eumolpos^[3] and very holy Keleos^[4] and initiated the son of Ausonia (Ausonidēn),^[5] the very glorious (agakluton) Antoninus.^[6] [ . . . ] For this . . . (10) . . . . . .

Fragment b

. . . . . . . . . for Demeter . . . (nothing more inscribed)

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References:

I Eleusis 516 (Translated text) (PHI)

IG II² 3411 (PHI)

Translation by: Feyo Schuddeboom

Images: Cornell - (1, 2)

Monument type: Base

Inscription type: Statue base

Findspot: Eleusis (Between Cave and Telesterion) (Eleusis Museum E 1035)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] This commemorative statue was set up in the sanctuary after the death of the hierophant, for whose identity and grave monument see I Eleusis 515. [2] Cf. I Eleusis 494 and 515. The unlawful work of the Sarmatians must refer to the destruction caused by the Costobocs, who occupied Eleusis in 170 AD; the Costobocs were regarded as a Sarmatian tribe (cf. Plin. NH 6.7). [3] Mythical first celebrant of the rite. [4] Mythical king of Eleusis who received the goddess Demeter as his guest. [5] Ausonia = Italy. The original text would have read Ausonidas, "sons of Italy". The rest of the line, after Ausonid-, was written over an erasure; the accompanying pentameter in line 8 was erased but not replaced. The original text must have contained a reference to Commodus, which had to be erased because of his damnatio memoriae (see IG II² 2119 with notes). [6] Marcus Aurelius.

Added: 12 Sep 2015
Updated: 25 Oct 2023
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ID: AIO_928