Heraklion Archaeological Museum - CollectiveAccess System : Inscriptions : Inscribed stone plaque referring to a miracle of Asklepios [Ε47]

Writing in Ancient Crete ➔ Inscribed stone plaque referring to a miracle of Asklepios

Ε47

Stone (Poros stone)

Almost intact. Later chiselling on upper left corner due to reuse of plaque, large chip on upper side with loss of letters. Preserves distinct traces of red paint.

Width: 68 cm. Height: 28.5-29 cm. Thickness: 13 cm. Height of letters: 1.2-1.3 cm.

Lebena

Sanctuary of Asklepios

Hellenistic period:

Late 2nd c. BC (179 BC according to Savelkoul ):

Gallery:

XXII

Exhibition thematic unit:

Classical - Hellenistic - Roman period (5th c. BC-4th c. AD). The Cemeteries

Inscriptions of the Classical and Roman periods

Description

Rectangular plaque with 12-line dedicatory inscription in elegiac couplets. It describes the miraculous appearances of Asklepios to the Gortynian attendants of his temple, first Sosos (?) son of Aristonymos and later his son Soarchos, showing them where to find the source of the temple spring and, 47 years later, how to restore its flow. Πράτωι μὲν [Σώσωι ;] γενέται Ἀσκληπί’ ἔδειξας ὕδατος εὐσήμ[ω]ς εἰς ναὸν ἀτραπιτόν, [φ]ανθεὶς μὲν καθ’ ὕπνον, πένψας δ’ ὕπαρ αὐτὸς ὁδαγὸ[ν] θεῖον ὄφιν, πᾶσιν θαῦμα βροτοῖσι μέγα, 5 τῶι Ἀριστωνύμω {ι} υἱῶι, ἐπεὶ κατὰ πάντα θεουδὴς νακόρος εἰς ναὸν σαῖς μόλ’ ἐφημοσύναις. νῦν δὲ Σοάρχωι αὖθι φανεὶς κατὰ πᾶν κλυτῶι υἱῶι ὡσαύτως ὅσιον νακόρον ἀγάγαο, τεσσαρακοστῶι ἔτει τε καὶ ἑβδομάτωι ἵνα κράνας 10 λειπούσας πλήσηι νάματι τὰς πατέρος. Παιάν, σοὶ δ’ εἴη κεχαρισμένα, καὶ δόμον αὔξοις τοῦδε καὶ ὑψίσταν πατρίδα Γόρτυν ἀεί. Free translation: First to [Sosos?] Asklepios clearly showed a source of water flowing towards the temple, appearing in his sleep, but also sending a living sign, the divine serpent as a guide, a great miracle to all men, to the son of Aristonymos, then, the deeply god-fearing attendant of the temple, he sent his behests. And now again he has appeared to Soarchos his glorious son, similarly chosen as a temple attendant, forty-seven years later, so that the spring of his father which was running dry should be filled with abundant water. You deserve a paean and a prosperous house ever in the proud homeland of Gortyn.

Bibliography:

Inscriptiones Creticae I,xvii,21. A. Savelkoul, "Sur une épigramme de Lébéné (Inscr. Creticae, I, 17, 21)", Bulletin de l'Institut historique belge de Rome 55-56 (1985-6), 47-56. Ch. Kritzas, "Nouvelle inscription provenant de l' Asclépiéion de Lebena (Crète)", Annuario della Scuola Archeologica di Atene LXX–LXXI (1992-3), 286-7. Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum 38:916, Lebena. P. Sineux, "Le sanctuaire d'Asklépios à Lébèna: l'ombre de Gortyne", Revue historique, 639(3) (2006), 589-608.

Author:

K. S.

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