• m14-666-100
    Stemma of family of Melitine (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College)

Inscribed Stele: Funerary Inscription for Metras, hereditary priest of Zeus Drittes, and Demetrios, his son

Date
In the area north of the Gygaean Lake, the Sullan era (year 178 = 93/94 AD) was used as well as the Actian (year 178 = 147/48 AD); see Leschhorn, Ären, pp. 505–6. The Sullan era seems preferable., Roman
Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
Uninv. M14 No.666
Material
Marble, Stone
Object Type
Stele, Inscription
Inscription Type
Funerary Inscription
Inscription language
Greek
Inscription Text
		Ἔτους ροη´, μη(νὸς) Δείου κ´·
		Μελιτίνη Δημητρίου Σαρδι-
		ανὴ καὶ Μητρᾶς Μητροδώ-
	4	ρου ὁ ὑὸς αὐτῆς κατεσκε[ύ]-
		ασαν τὸ μνημεῖον̣, [Με]λ̣ι-
		τίνη μὲν̣ Μ̣η̣τρᾷ τῷ ἑαυτῆς
		ἀνδρί, γεγενημένῳ ἱερεῖ 
	8	τοῦ Διὸς Δριττου διὰ γένους,
		καὶ Δημητρίῳ τῷ υἱῷ, Μητρᾶς
		δὲ τῷ πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἀδελφῷ,
		Μενεκρατίων καὶ Ἀπφιὰς καὶ
	12	Στρατονείκη τῷ πατρὶ καὶ τῷ
		ἀδελφῷ, Ἑρμογένης τῷ μήτρ-
		ως, Ἑόρτιλλα τῷ ὑκερῷ καὶ τῷ δα-
		έρι, Σεκοῦνδα καὶ Δημήτριος καὶ
	16	Ὀνήσιμος τῷ θρέψαντι. Χαῖρε.
Inscription Translation
“In the year 178, on the twentieth day of the month Deios. Melitine, citizen of Sardis, daughter of Demetrios, and her son Metras, son of Metrodoros, built the tomb: Melitine, on the one hand, for Metras, her husband, who served as hereditary priest of Zeus Drittes, and for her son Demetrios; Metras, on the other hand, for his father and for his brother, (likewise) Menekration and Apphias and Stratonike (contributed to the construction) for their father and for their brother; Hermogenes for his maternal uncle, Heortilla for her father-in-law and brother-in-law, Secunda and Demetrios and Onesimos for their foster-father. Farewell!” (mostly after Malay)
Inscription Comment
Findspot
Unknown provenance; the mention of Metras, priest of Zeus Drittes (= Driktes), may point to the area of Sardis, see nos. 318 (with the commentary on A) and 437. The present whereabouts are unknown.
Description

“Marble stele in two joining pieces.…In the field between the first two lines, which is decorated with vegetation, there are two wreaths between three columns” (Malay).

Comments

2–8 It is noteworthy that Melitine’s son (l. 4) is called “Metras, son of Metrodoros,” while his father is called in l. 6 “Metras,” i.e., with the hypocoristic form of the name Metrodoros. Malay considers the possibility that Μητρᾶς Μητροδώρου ἱερεὺς διὰ γένους Διὸς Δρικτου, etc. (see no. 318, 1–5 [soon after 136 AD]) is the present younger Metras; he would have taken over the hereditary priesthood after his father’s death (in 93/94 AD if counted according to the Sullan era) and later been active as described in no. 318; Th. Corsten (SEG) thinks of grandfather and grandson. The count according to the Actian era (147/48 AD) would put the present inscription some ten years after no. 318; in that case the older Metras (also called Metrodoros) would be identical with the priest of no. 318.

4 ὑός, the stone; υἱός, edd.

6 ἑαυτῆς: the Σ is written above ΤΗ.

8 Δριττου = Δρικτου. For interchanges between -κτ- and -ττ-, Malay refers to E. Schwyzer, Griech. Gramm. I, p. 316; see also no. 693, 5–6 comm. - γένους: the Σ is written above ΟΥ.

11 Μενεκρατίων: no. 437 (from the “year 230”: = 145/46 AD or 199/200 AD) is an altar dedicated by a certain Menekration to Zeus Driktes (= Drittes).

13–14 τῷ μήτρως (maternal uncle): indeclinable, see C. Brixhe, BE 2007, 452, pp. 731–32.

14 τῷ ὑκερῷ: instead of τῷ ἑκυρῷ (father-in-law), see EpAnat 15 (1990), pp. 56–57, no. 12 (= SEG 40, 1043), l. 4 comm.; Th. Corsten (SEG) refers also to Malay, Manisa Museum, nos. 325 and 340. - δα/έρι: the Α is written above Δ.

See Also
Bibliography
Offered for sale on the internet; transcription from the photograph published there: H. Malay, EpAnat 39 (2006), pp. 93–94, no. 10 (SEG 56, 1265).
Author
GP