IEleus 502 Statue base for the hierophantis (Isidote)

Statue base for the hierophantis (Isidote)

I Eleusis 502 Date: 176-192 AD

For good fortune. Wheat-bearing (purophorou) Demeter’s eminent hierophantis,^[1] who acquired much glory (kudos) for her piety (eusebiēi), (5) the first of her family in spacious Hellas and the Orient (Antoliēs), granddaughter of Isaios,^[2] supreme in wisdom, who of the noble king (basilēos)^[3] Hadrian conducted (eiche) the good teaching of the Muses,^[4] (10) and daughter of Isaios,^[2] himself illustrious too; excellent in virtue (aretais) and modesty (saophrosunais), whom Deo in turn led to the Islands of the Blest, free from any kind of pain; (15) and she gave her a death sweeter than sweet sleep,^[5] far better even than that of the Argive youths.^[6] She crowned Antoninus^[7] together with Commodus,^[8] kings,^[3] (20) as initiates (mustipolous), while she led the ceremonies (teletōn). Her statue was set up by decree of the Council dear to Ares;^[9] this image, most holy and new, was realised by her dear daughter Eunike^[2] and her daughter’s sons,^[2] (25) Kallaischros^[10] and Glaukos,^[11] sons of Zoilos (Zōilidai),^[12] honouring with this image their mother’s godlike mother, whom Demeter granted to be with (ōpasen) the immortals (athanatois).^[13]

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References:

I Eleusis 502 (Translated text) (PHI)

IG II² 3632 (PHI)

Women and the Polis, 227-29 no. 70

Translation by: Feyo Schuddeboom

Images: Cornell - (1)

Monument type: Base

Inscription type: Statue base (Areopagos permits)

Findspot: Eleusis (Telesterion) (Eleusis Museum E 975)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] For the identity of the hierophantis [= Isidote, Clinton, Sacred Officials 88 no. 10], who is not mentioned by name here, see I Eleusis 659; she was the granddaughter of the Syrian Greek sophist Isaios. Evidently, Isaios or his son had become a member of the genos Eumolpidai, which enabled Isidote to become a hierophantis, the first of her family. [2] The poem gives a neat synopsis of five generations of this family, centred around Isidote: Isaios I (sophist), Isaios II (son of Isaios), Isidote (hierophantis), Eunike (daughter of Isidote), Kallaischros and Glaukos. For a fuller stemma, see Oliver, Hesperia Suppl. 8 (1949), Fig. 1 (after p. 248). [3] Used here for the Roman Emperors. [4] As a young man, Hadrian had attended lectures of the sophist Isaios. [5] Cf. Plato, Apology 40c-e. [6] Kleobis and Biton, who died the sweetest possible death while resting in the temple of Hera in Argos. They had drawn their mother's ox cart there over a distance of 45 stadia (ca. 8.3 km), so that she could fulfill her duties as a priestess at the festival of Hera. For this they were praised by the Argive men and women, and from the goddess they received the best possible reward: a good death. Hdt. 1.31. [7] Marcus Aurelius. [8] Here the name fortunately escaped the damnatio memoriae of Commodus (cf. e.g. I Eleusis 513, 2). [9] Council of the Areopagus (Areios Pagos = Hill of Ares); after the reforms of Ephialtes in 462 BC primarily a law court, but in the Roman era became an important political institution, see Geagan, Hesperia Suppl. 12 (1967). [10] = Byrne, Roman Citizens, Flavius 21. [11] T. Flavius Glaukos of Marathon [= Byrne, Roman Citizens, Flavius 20], poet, orator, philosopher, and advocatus fisci, see IG II² 3704. As he was one of the dedicants, it is very likely that he composed this epigram for his grandmother. [12] Zoilos = Byrne, Roman Citizens, Flavius 15. [13] Those in the Underworld are immortal (Plato, Apol. 41c); cf. also I Eleusis 646, 4, and 649, 12. The unmistakable influence of Plato in this epigram of Glaukos may have been inspired by his uncle Kallaischros, who was a Platonist philosopher, see I Eleusis 659, 11.

Added: 12 Sep 2015
Updated: 6 Sep 2024
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