Greek inscription on the architrave of the Dodekatheon of Hierapolis commemorating a restoration supervised by the praet. prefect Claudius Strategius Musonianus
source date: 354/355 AD
edition published: 2020-03-27
availability: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)

(a) Ἀγαθῆι Τύχηι τοῦ θεοφιλοῦς καὶ καλλινείκου καὶ φιλανθρωποτάτου δεσπότου ἡμῶν καὶ γῆς καὶ θαλάσσης τὸ κράτος ἔχοντος Φλαουίου Κωνσταντίου τοῦ μεγάλου βασιλέως, εὐδαιμονέστεραν τοῖς ὅλοις καὶ [...] ἀληθῶς εὐτυχέστεραν τὴν λαμπροτάτην μητρόπολιν ἀποφήναντος, ὁ περίβολος ὅλων τῶν πτερυγωμάτων κατασκευασμένος μετὰ [...] πάσης ἀσφαλείας ἀνενεώθη, Κλαυδίου Μουσωνιανοῦ, τοῦ θαυμασιωτάτου καὶ πάσης εὐφημίας ἀξίου, τὴν μεγάλην ἐξουσίαν τῶν λαμπροτάτων ἐπάρχων τοῦ ἱεροῦ πραιτωρίου κατακοσμοῦντος, καὶ πρὸς τὴν συμπλήρωσιν τοῦ παντὸς ἔργου συναραμένου δεξιῶς, (b) καὶ τοῦ κηδαιμόνος καὶ σωτῆρος ἀληθῶς τῆς ἐπαρχείας καὶ τοῖς πᾶσιν ἀρίστου καὶ καθαρωτάτου ἡγεμόνος Αἰλίου Ἑλλαδίου Ζευξιδήμου τοῦ λαμπροτάτου, συνεργήσαντος [...] προθυμῶς καὶ ὑγιῶς πρὸς πᾶσαν τὴν κατασκευὴν [...]γήσαντος γενομένον [...] τοῦ βουλευτηρίου τῆς δὲ μῃτροπόλεως [...] ἐργεπιστατούντος· praenomen and nomen Γεροντίου, τοῦ καὶ Ἀκυεινίου, τοῦ Δαμιανοῦ πολιτ(ευομένου), ἀόκνως [...] τὴν κατασκευὴν ἐπιστάντος τοῦ ἔργου. Εὐτυχῶς.

Edition based on Ritti 2017, pp. 629-630, with different readings at the line (a) of the blocks 16 and 18 by Feissel (BE 2018, 435).

“To the good fortune of our master, dear to God, glorious victor and supreme benefactor of humanity, who holds power over land and sea, Flavius Constantius, great sovereign, who made the splendid [metro]polis flourish and [very lucky?]; the perimeter wall of the [whole?] wings was renewed, made [in complete] safety; Claudius Musonianus, very admirable and worthy of all praise, who makes the great authority [of the prefects of clarissimus rank] of the sacred praetorium beautiful, decisively contributed to the completation of the whole building; the protector and true saviour of the province, the bravest of all and the most fair, the governor of clarissimus rank Aelius Helladius [Zeuxi?]demus, collaborated [with zeal?] and righteously [lent his work?] to the whole [building?]; the council of the [metropolis?] supervised the work; [praenomen and nomen] Gerontios, called Akouinios, son of Damianos, curial, diligently [---] attended the construction of the building. With good fortune.”

(from AE 2017, 1498)

“À la Bonne Fortune de notre très bienveillant maître, cher à Dieu, glorieux vainqueur et qui a le pouvoir sur terre et sur mer, Fl. Constance, le grand empereur, qui a rendu la très splendide [métro]pole plus opulente en tout [et vraiment plus prospère ?]; l’enceinte de [toutes ?] les ailes équipée [--- avec la plus grande?] sûreté a été rénovée, sous Cl. Musonianus, très admirable et digne de tous les éloges, ornement de la grande préfecture du prétoire sacré, ayant contribué de manière appropriée à l’achèvement de toute l’œuvre; et le gouverneur, protecteur et vrai sauveur de la province, le meilleur devant tous et le plus intègre, Ael. Helladius [Zeuxid]emos, le clarissime, collabora [--- avec zèle ?] et [---] de manière sensée à toute la [construction ? ---] le sénat (bouleuterion) de la métropole [---] a supervisé les travaux (?); [nomen] Gerontios, qui et Aquinius, fils de Damianos, curiale, de manière diligente [---] ayant supervisé la construction de l’œuvre. Heureux succès !”

“Alla buona sorte del nostro signore, caro a Dio, splendido vincitore, eccelso amante del genere umano, che detiene il potere sulla terra e sul mare, Flavius Constantius, grande sovrano, che ha reso più felice in tutto e [davvero molto fortunata?] la splendida [metro]poli; il muro di cinta delle [intere?] ali fu rinnovato, realizzandolo [nella massima?] sicurezza Claudius Musonianus, assai ammirevole e degno di ogni lode, che adorna la grande autorità [dei chiarissimi prefetti] del sacro pretorio, ha contribuito efficacemente al completamento dell’intero edificio; il custode e vero salvatore della provincia, il più valoroso e il più onesto di tutti, il chiarissimo governatore Aelius Helladius [Zeuxi?]demo, ha collaborato [con zelo?] e rettamente [ha prestato la sua opera?] a tutta [la costruzione?]; il consiglio della [metropoli?] ha supervisionato i lavori; [praenomen et nomen] Gerontios, detto Akouinios, figlio di Damianos, curiale, ha curato diligentemente [---] la costruzione dell’opera. Buona Fortuna !”

This long inscription was carved along the two lower fasciae of the moulded architrave of the Dodekatheon at Hierapolis. It is an altar-building from the Hadrianic period in honour of the Twelve gods. This building had a square-shaped structure open on its front, consisting of a central raised platform, protected by a balustrade on three sides (Masino, Sobrà 2012, p. 280). The eighteen blocks composing the architrave were found inside the enclosing wall of the summa cavea of the Hierapolitan theatre; a few others were located in a nearby church (Ritti 2017, p. 625).

However, archaeological studies together with the texts of the two inscriptions, recently recomposed by T. Ritti, reveal that the blocks once belonged to an earlier independent building.

The original location of the altar is unfortunately unknown (Masino, Sobrà 2012, p. 279), but the remains in the summa cavea suggest two possible hypotheses: 1) the Dodekatheon arose as a separate monumental building not far from that area, suggesting that these blocks were transported to the theatre to be reused after the altar collapsed due to the great earthquake that struck Hierapolis in the 7th Century (Altunel 2000, p. 302) or due to the demolition of the pagan building (as happened to others in Hierapolis, see D’Andria 2007, p. 19); 2) the altar was placed at the maenianum superior of the Hierapolitan theatre as part of a theatre-temple system (Hanson 1959, Tosi 2003).

In the 19th Century Judeich (1878, pp. 71-72, nr. 9), basing his analysis upon the drawing of only three blocks, interpreted the three lines of each block as if it was a single text. More recently Ritti (2017, pp. 625-631) correctly assembled the architrave’s pieces following the little guide letters alphabetically carved on the upper extremities of each block (the letter on the left side of each block is the same on the right side of the following one). She was thus able to recognize the two different inscriptions. On the first listel is a dedication to the emperor Hadrian and Zeus Olympius concerning a religious building for the worship of the Twelve gods (Δωδεκάθεον) offered by Tiberius Iulius Myndios (Ritti 2017, pp. 366-370; Ritti 2007, pp. 393-399). On the second and third listels is the second later inscription, executed in the mid 4th Century concerning the restoration of the περίβολος ὅλων τῶν πτερυγωμάτων. Ritti (2017, pp. 633-634) argued that such a monumental inscription (similar to that of the Hierapolitan theatre, PPRET 30) was unlikely to refer to a pagan altar of modest size as the Temple of the Twelve Gods, even if the inscription had been carved upon it. Ritti suspects that the inscription pertains to the great substructions of the theatral cavea, that must have been very close to the Dodekatheon. Nevertheless, it is hard to think that this text could refer to anything other than the monument upon which it had been placed. Furthermore, the repairing of pagan buildings was not so unusual (Masino, Sobrà 2012, p. 277; Long 1987, pp. 305-306) and the theatre had already gone through many restorations, one of which had just taken place (see PPRET 30). Therefore, the building works recorded were likely related to the pagan altar, perhaps as part of a bigger building complex provided with a colonnade and independent from the theatre (Masino, Sobrà 2012, p. 277). It is possible that the city's magistrates would have attempted to secure ([ἀσφα]λείας) the balustrade of the two lateral parts of the structure (the wings), since it was on the verge of collapse.

The inscription is not well preserved and shows several long lacunae due to the loss of four blocks. The structure of the text, formulas and epithets concerning the emperor and the high officials adhere well to what one would expect to see in an inscription of a theatrical scaenae frons (see PPRET 30), but with some differences. The text opens with the only reference to Constantius II, who here acquires, in addition to the traditional “δεσπότου ἠμῶν καὶ γῆς και θαλάσσης τὸ κράτος ἔχοντος”, the titles that in the theatrical inscription belong to Constantius Gallus (τοῦ θεοφιλοῦς; εὐτυχέστεραν τὴν λαμπροτάτην μητρόπολιν ἀποφήναντος; see PPRET 30).

Among the high officials responsible for the provincial administration and involved in the building works, the first one recorded is the praetorian prefect Claudius Strategius Musonianus (for his career, see PPRET 42). He approved the istantia (ἀναφορά) of the provincial praeses Phrygiae Primae – at this time as Ael(ius) Helladius – concerning the use of funds deriving from taxation to pay for the restoration. C.P. Jones (2018, p. 926; cf. BE 2018, 435) assigned to the praetorian prefect the entire sentence from the word Κλ(αυδίου) Μουσωνιανοῦ to the word δεξιῶς, carved on the blocks 12-18. Although the precise role of the praetorian prefect is not specified, Musonianus showed a particular interest in the building works and the city as a whole, which would explain the statue he received in the same area of Hierapolis from the Council and the people (ἡ βουλὴ καὶ ὁ δῆμος τῆς Ἱεραπολιτῶν, see PPRET 43).

The provincial governor of clarissimus rank who was backing the restoration project (τοῦ κηδαιμόνος καὶ σωτήρος ἀληθῶς τῆς ἐπαρχείας), is the previously unknown Ael(ius) Helladius. Ritti (2017, pp. 635-637) identified him as Helladios the governor of Caria, who is recorded in some Aphrodisian inscriptions (ALA 16, ALA 17, ALA 18), although Feissel disagrees (see BE 2018, 435). Since only a few years before (352 AD) the governor Antonius Iulianus (PLRE I, Iulianus 14, p. 471) was recorded in the inscription above the scene of the theatre (PPRET 30) as perfectissimus, the provincial praesides had clearly benefitted from an elevation of rank in a short lapse of time (Filippini 2016, pp. 453-454, nt. 105-106).

The final part of the inscription, almost incomplete, mentioned the involvement of the βουλευτήριον and of an unknown member of the hierapolitan curia, Gerontios, whose precise role cannot be established due to the numerous lacunae. The list of dignitaries responsible for the works is indicated, as always, in hierarchical order. It is probable that the praetorian prefect would authorise the works and the plan for the distribution of the expenses in the official city budget. The provincial governor would then act as the general supervisor of the project, while the city council would manage the expenses and appoint the curial Gerontios as responsible for the execution of the work.

Contrary to the previous inscription on the architrave of the Hierapolitan theatre (PPRET 30), this dedication does not include any information about when the building works were supposed to start or when they were supposed to finish. It is likely that they lasted no more than one year. In any case, a terminus post quem can be established after the death of Constantius Gallus in the second half of 354 AD, as his name ought to appear in the inscription. The absence of the name of Iulianus Caesar gives us a terminus ante quem from November 6th 355 AD. The inscription, which only celebrates Constantius II Augustus, was thus made between the end of 354 and the end of 355 AD (Ritti 2017, p. 632; AE 2017, 1498; BE 2018, 435). This span of time covers the praetorian prefecture of Musonianus, which began in 354 AD and ended in 358 AD (before August 24th, Lib., Ep. 0021; Amm. 19, 12, 06).

Judeich 1898, pp. 71-72, nr. 9 Ritti 2007, p. 417 Ritti 2011, p. 188 = AE 2011, 1341 Ritti 2017, pp. 629-630 = AE 2017, 1498 = BE 2018, 435 Jones 2018, p. 926

Ritti 2017, pp. 626-631 (fac-simile and photos fig. 19-21)

Altunel E., L'attività sismica a Hierapolis e nelle zone limitrofe, in D’Andria F., Silvestrelli F. (a cura di), Ricerche archeologiche turche nella valle del Lykos, Lecce 2000, 299-314 D’Andria F., Le attività della MAIER - Missione Archeologica Italiana a Hierapolis, 2000-2003, in D'Andria F., Caggia M.P. (a cura di), Hierapolis di Frigia. I. Le attività delle campagne di scavo e restauro 2000-2003, Istanbul 2007, 1-46 Filippini A., Fossili e contraddizioni dell’ "èra costantiniana": i dignitari del culto imperiale nella tarda Antichità e il loro ruolo nelle "riforme religiose" di Massimino Daia e Giuliano, in Kolb A., Vitale P. (hrsg.), Kaiserkult in den Provinzen des Römischen Reiches. Organisation, Kommunikation und Repräsentation, Akten der internationalen Tagung (Zürich 25.-27. September 2014), Berlin-Boston 2016, 409-476 Hanson J.A., Roman Theater-Temples, Princeton 1959 Jones C.P., The Institutional History of Hierapolis, JRA, 31, 2018, 921-927 Judeich W., IV. Inschriften, in Humann C., Cichorius C., Judeich W., Winter F. (hrsg.), Altertümer von Hierapolis, Berlin 1898, 67-179 Long C.R., The Twelve Gods of Greece and Rome, Leiden 1987 Masino F., Sobrà G., L’Altare del Dodekatheon di Hierapolis, in D'Andria F., Caggia M.P., Ismaelli T. (a cura di), Hierapolis di Frigia. V. Le attività delle campagne di scavo e restauro 2004-2006, Istanbul 2012, 259-291 Ritti T., Iscrizioni pertinenti all’edificio teatrale di Hierapolis, in De Bernardi Ferrero D., Ciotta G., Pensabene P. (a cura di), Il teatro di Hierapolis di Frigia. Restauro, architettura, epigrafia, Genova 2007, 389-427 Ritti T., Andriantes kai eikones ... met’epigraphes oikeias. Contributi dell’epigrafia ieropolitana di età imperiale alla conoscenza delle opere figurative, in D’Andria F., Romeo I. (eds.), Roman Sculpture in Asia Minor: Proceedings of the International Conference to Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Italian Excavations at Hierapolis in Phrygia, Held on May 24-26, 2007, in Cavallino (Lecce), Portsmouth 2011, 173-192 Ritti T., Hierapolis di Frigia. IX. Storia e istituzioni di Hierapolis, Istanbul 2017 Tosi G., Gli edifici per spettacoli nell'Italia romana, Roma 2003

το[ῦ θαυ]μασιωτάτου καὶ πάσης εὐφημ[ί]ας ἀξίου, τὴν μεγάλην ἐξου[σίαν τῶν λαμ(προτάτων) ἐπάρχω]ν τοῦ ἱεροῦ πραιτωρίου κατακοσμοῦντος

τὴν μεγάλην ἐξου[σίαν τῶν λαμ(προτάτων) ἐπάρκω]ν τοῦ ἱεριοῦ πραιτωρίου