Two New Roman Inscriptions from the Museum of Afyonkarahisar

Abstract

In this article, two new inscribed funerary steles of the Imperial period, which are today exhibited in the garden of the archaeological museum of Afyonkarahisar, are introduced. The steles are of marble and are similar to each other. On stele No. 1 is carved the bust of a child (No. 1) and a relief of a woman is carved on No. 2. The inscriptions are carved beneath these reliefs. Stele No.1 was found at Synnada and is very well preserved. It is the gravestone of Athenion, who died aged eight. His father worked in the office of a commentariis as a slave of the Emperor. The imperial estates were usually managed by imperial slaves or freedmen with the title of procurator. There were marble quarries operated in behalf of the Emperor at Dokimeion near Synnada. The procurator and his office, responsible for financial affairs, resided at Synnada. This financial affairs and controls were fulfilled by imperial slaves and freedmen working in the office of a commentariis . The reason for the slave Athenion’s presence in Synnada was most probably associated with the marble quarrying at the quarries belonging to the emperor. Stele No. 2 is the gravestone of Philemon, Elpis and Athenion. There is a relief of a woman carved in the middle of the stele, but the upper half of the relief is broken. The translations of these two inscriptions are as follow: No. 1: Athenion, slave of the emperor, a commentariis, and Thallousa (erected this stele) for the sweetest Athenion, the departed, in his memory. No. 2. Flavia Primilla (erected this stele) for her husband Philemon, his daughter Flavia Elpis and his cousin Athenion. Farewell!