Greek Inscription from Ephesus

Greek Learning Greek
1

Just wanting to get some thoughts/assistance on translating/transcribing the following.

A colleague of mine has just returned from a trip to Turkey, where he visited the Library of Celsus. Behind it were several monuments with Greek transcriptions, and he brought a picture of the following one back:

My transcription is as follows:

τω δεσποτη ιμων
Κωσταντι
Μεγιστω νεικητη
και τροπεουχω
δ̣ι̣η̣νεκει Σεβαστω
καιλ μοντιοσ
ο λαμ· ανθυπατος
δικαστης θειων
διαγνωσεων
αναν εωθενος
του μερους του
νυμφειου
ανεστησεν και
καθιερωσεν
ευτυχως

Which when corrected for spelling mistakes and shortened words, I’ve come to:

τῷ δεσπότη ἡμῶν
Κω(ν)σταντὴ
Μεγίστῳ νικήτῃ
καὶ τροπαίουχω
διηνεκεῖ Σέβαστῷ
Καίλ(ιος) Μόντιος
ὁ λαμ(πρότατος) ἀνθύπατος
δικαστής θείων
διαγνώσεων
ἄναν εωθίνος
τοῦ μεροῦς τοῦ
νυμφαίου
ἀνέστησεν καὶ
καθίερωσεν
εὐτυχως

This is my following translation. Everything on the first 7 lines, and the last one is fine (as far as I can tell), but the remaining lines are certainly a bit iffy:

To our ruler,
Constantine,
Greatest Conqueror
and Trophy-winner,
Perpetual Emperor;
[from] Caelius Montius
the illustrious, proconsul,
Judge of providence,
Distinguishing
King, Earliest
of the share of the
Nymphs,
to be raised up and
established.
Blessings.

Thoughts/comments on the above are very welcome!

2

ΑΝΑΝΕΩΘΕΝ[Τ]ΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΜΕΡΟΥΣ ΤΟΥ ΝΥΜΦΕΙΟΥ — “when the part of the bridal pavillion was renovated” (genitive absolute)?

I think the stroke above the Ν is a T, abbreviated to fit the space at the end of the line.

ΣΕΒΑΣΤΩ[Ι] - Augusto

ΚΟ[Ν]ΣΤΑΝΤΙ – probably Constans, rather than Constantine.

ΔΙΚΑΣΤΗΣ ΘΕΙΩΝ ΔΙΑΓΝΩΣΕΩΝ — “judge of Imperial(?) trials”

3

ἀνέστησεν καὶ καθίερωσεν seem to take Constans as their object. Raised to (rebuilt?) and dedicated to. Object: “this”? Or was there more on the other side?

4

Yes. The structure is : Caelius Montius set up and dedicated/consecrated [this] to Constans upon the renovation. These inscriptions don’t need an explicit direct object. Cf. the inscriptions on the Pantheon:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheon,_Rome

5

Looks like “L(ucius) Caelius Montius”

And here is Suda on Νυμφεῖος:

Νυμφεῖος οἶκος: ἐν ᾧ αἱ νύμφαι εἰσί. Νύμφιος δὲ κόσμος, κτητικῶς, ὡς Τύριος, Φρύγιος, Λύδιος. ἠματίᾳ ᾧ νύμφιος ἀνήπτετο λαμπάδι παστάς, τούτῳ πυρκαϊῆς οὐ ναλάμων ἔτυχες.

Here is Pausanius about a Νυμφών

ἐνταῦθα ἐφ’ αὑτῶν οἱ ἄνδρες ἑορτὴν ἄγουσι, τὸν δὲ Νυμφῶνα καλούμενον ταῖς γυναιξὶν ἑορτάζειν παρείκασι· καὶ ἀγάλματα Διονύσου καὶ Δήμητρος καὶ Κόρης τὰ πρόσωπα φαίνοντα ἐν τῷ Νυμφῶνί ἐστιν.

I don’t know how Christian they were here though. A public temple of some sort or other strikes me as more likely than a bridal chamber, which I’d understand as private.

Could νυμφεῖον = παστάς = porticus?

6

Could νυμφεῖον = παστάς = porticus?



I don’t know how Christian they were here though.

This would appear to be Constans II Pogonatus, since Constans I reigned in the West. At that point, the Eastern Empire would have been thoroughly Christian. (And since Constans I was Constantine’s son, even in that era the Ephesus would have been officially Christian.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constans

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constans_II

I suspect a nympheion is the same thing as a nymphaeum.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphaeum

As the article notes, these monumental structures were sometimes built to protect water sources. Such a structure would be a benefit to the community which the official responsible for building it would take credit for. Think of the Acqua Paola in Rome with its inscription assigning credit to Pope Paul V:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fontana_dell'Acqua_Paola

7

Neither Constantine nor Constans, I think, but Constantius—that will be Constantius II, son of Constantine the Great, succeeded by Julian.
The nymphaeum was a water fountain. Connected to the city’s water supply by way of an impressive aqueduct system.

8

Wouldn’t Constantius be ΚΟ[Ν]ΣΤΑΝΤΙΩ[Ι] rather than ΚΟ[Ν]ΣΤΑΝΤΙ? My ancient eyes have difficulty making out the inscription.

Or are Caelius Montius’ name and titles more likely late Roman than early Byzantine?

9

Thanks very much for the corrections there, Bill. Makes 1000x more sense!

I did ask my colleague this when he first sent me the picture, but no, all just on this side. Though think has been answered now anyway. :slight_smile:

Looks like “L(ucius) Caelius Montius”

Indeed that is a Λ at the start. The picture isn’t the greatest, so I was guessing on a few based on words they could be, rather than what they were. The abbreviated portions gave the most trouble until I found this on reddit.

And I have just now, when searching for the above again, found an official transcription and assigned # for this monument:

https://epigraphy.packhum.org/text/250676?hs=187-196

Also proves the suspicion this is indeed, a Nymphaeum. Also thankful my transcription was technically only 1 letter off (blasted slightly hidden τ!).

Even though the previous link now confirms this monument is for Constans, my initial thought to this question was it could quite easily have been an inscription error, as the inscriber has missed of at least 1 important letter, and has a few itacisms as well.

With all the added information now, guess this is a good enough translation:

To our ruler, Constans; Greatest Conqueror and Trophy-winner, Perpetual Augustus. Lucius Caelius Montius the illustrious Proconsul, Judge in the imperial court of appeal, when the section of the Nymphaeum was renovated/renewed, erected and dedicated (this monument). Blessings.

Am to understand δικαστής θείων διαγνώσεων = iudex sacrarum cognitionum. See this Latin inscription and this Spanish-Greek lexicon (entry II.3)

10

Caelius Montius was quite a prominent official in the middle of the fourth century, represented by a number of inscriptions. He has a substantial internet presence, as Google will reveal. He was apparently proconsul of Asia under Constantius II, but this inscription seems to be dedicated to Constans, the Western Augustus, who was at odds with his brother Constantius (and who was overthrown and killed in 350), which is puzzling. Maybe mwh is right, and ΚΩCΤΑΝΤΙ is an abbreviation, but there’s more than enough empty space on the line for an Ω.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantius_II

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constans

The missing nu and iotas would reflect contemporary pronunciation and spelling.

There’s an error in the linked transcription: δισγνώσεων for διαγνώσεων.

11

Good catch. Completely missed that.

I have also found this King’s College London Open Access Publication which discusses this very monument, including a second one that was apparently dedicated at the same time, and was the one dedicated to Constantius II.

From the looks of some of the Latin transcriptions, Constanti = Constans; Constantio = Constantine I, or Constantius II.

12

I don’t think I expressed myself clearly earlier: “…erected/rebuilt and dedicated [this] to Constans (Constantine)”. [Dative applying to both the verbs in Greek.] The inscription isn’t like a letter, “Dear Constans, …” (I don’t think).

I’m trying to remember my Gibbon, but I thought there was some sort of triple emperor arrangement with the two Constantines and Constans until Constantine’s death.

And Googling from mwh’s post, I can see why it’s called the Nymphaeum with all the goddesses hanging about, similar to the Pausanius description of the temple of the same name. This reconstruction is from the VirtualReconstruction.com site, which looks like it will be fun to explore:

13

The Kings College London article now linked by S.Walch reports there are actually two inscriptions with apparently identical texts except that one (the one we’ve been looking at) is taken to be dedicated to Constans and the other to Constantius. This seems highly implausible to me, on multiple grounds (cf. Hylander’s “puzzling”), and then I see that their texts are given as (line 2) Κώσταντι vac. in the one and (line 2) Κωνσταντί[ῳ] in the other. I don’t know much about this sort of thing but I have little doubt that Constantius is to be recognized in each case (whether written with or without the final omega).

14

Double-dedications to Constans and Constantine (co-rulers for a time, after their brother’s death), seem to have been a thing. Maybe someone thought it was a good idea to cover all their bases with the two here?

15

Seems the dedications to both are quite common.

This Latin inscription has d(omino) n(ostro) Constanti, which is the same spelling as the Greek inscription for Constans.

This Latin inscription is dedicated to all four (Constantine the Great and his 3 sons). Similarly also this one.

This is a fascinating website for all the inscriptions: https://epigraphy.packhum.org/

16

Dedications to two or more joint rulers together (like those Smyrna ones) are unremarkable. But individual identical dedications to each one of two joint rulers??
And are Κωσταντι and Κωνσταντι really to be differentiated?
I think not.

17

Lots of right side damage I personally can’t even see the final iota in the image of Κωνσταντί̣[ῳ]:

The discussion mentions two bases as well as two nearby emperor torsos that they associate with the Constans and Constantius. (I’ve been misspelling Constantius in English above.)

A difficulty mentioned in the discussion is that the torsos are Antonine. The identification assumes later reuse.