Inscribed Cylindrical Altar: Honorific Inscription for Gaius Caesar Germanicus, by Hermogenes

Date
37–41 AD., Roman
Museum
Manisa, Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum
Museum Inventory No.
Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
Manisa (M14 No. 331)
Material
Marble, Stone
Object Type
Altar, Inscription
Inscription Type
Honorific Inscription
Inscription language
Greek
Inscription Text
		Γαΐῳ Καίσαρι Γερμανικοῦ
		υἱῷ Γερμανικῷ Σεβαστῷ,
		αὐτοκράτορι, νέῳ θεῶι
	4	⟦Ἑρμ̣ογένη[ς] Χ̣αρι̣ξ̣έ⟧-
		⟦νου ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀ[χ]θεί⟧-
		⟦σης Α̣ὐ̣γου̣σ[τείο]υ̣ (?) ὑ̣πὲρ⟧
		τοῦ Σεβαστοῦ ὑπὸ τῆς
	8	Ταγηνῶν κατοικίας
		ἐκ τοῦ ἰδίου βίου τὸν
		βωμὸν κατεσκεύα-
			σεν.
Inscription Translation
“Hermogenes, son of Charixenos, has erected the altar at his personal expense for Gaius Caesar Germanicus Augustus, imperator, the new (or: “young”) god, son of Germanicus, on behalf of the Augusteios(?) (birth)day?, (festivity?), that had been celebrated by the village of (the) Tagenoi on behalf of the Augustus.”
Inscription Comment
Site
Ahmetli
Findspot
From Ahmetli.
Description

Cylindrical altar of marble with moldings at bottom; the upper part is damaged without affecting the inscription. Under the inscription, a garland of two olive branches is depicted in relief.

Dimensions
H. 1.10, Diam. 0.55, H. of letters 0.025.
Comments

The Greek text as given by Herrmann and Malay, New Documents.

3 νέῳ θεῶι (iota adscript only in the latter word): A. Balland, Fouilles des Xanthos VII (1981), pp. 48–49 discusses the title νέος θεός bestowed on Gaius Caesar who died in 4 AD (cf. his no. 25 and IGRR IV 1094 = IG XII 4, 2, 637 [Halasarna, Cos]). In the present inscription the emperor Gaius (Caligula) bears this title; he is elsewhere known as θεός (see no. 332) and as νέος Ἥλιος (Syll.3 798 = IGRR IV 145 [Cyzicus]). Caligula’s father Germanicus was called θεὸς νέος (IG XII 2, 212 [IGRR IV 74] and 213 [IGRR IV 75], Mytilene).

4–6 These lines have intentionally been deleted.

4 ⟦ - - Ἑρμ̣ογένη[ς]: SEG; Herrmann and Malay’s reading seems to be correct.

5–6 “On the occasion of the celebration of (the panegyris?) Augusteios for Augustus…” (Herrmann and Malay).

6 Α̣ὐ̣γου̣σ[τείο]υ̣: judging by the photograph, the reading and supplement are not beyond doubt. ἡ Αὐγούστειος, sc. (γενέθλιος) ἡμέρα? / ἑορτή? / πανήγυρις? (Herrmann and Malay). Cf. Sardis VII 1, no. 15 (“about the middle of the 2nd century A.D.”), mentioning “a subsidy toward their [i.e., of “certain persons”] loyalty to the Augusti.”

7–8 The Ταγηνῶν κατοικία is attested here for the first time.

9 For the expression ἐκ τοῦ ἰδίου βίου in Sardis, cf. no. 305, 6ff. and Sardis VII 1, no. 27, 12.

See Also
Bibliography
Herrmann and Malay, New Documents, pp. 67–68, no. 43, pl. 24, fig. 43 (AE 2007, 1352; SEG 57, 1216).
Author
GP