Inscriptions from Karadeniz Ereğli Museum IV (Herakleia Pontike and Tieion/Tios)

Abstract

As a result of the epigraphic studies carried out since 2007 in the “Karadeniz Ereğli Museum” with the permission of The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s General Directorate of Culture Heritage and Museums and the holdings of the Karadeniz Ereğli Museum, numerous Greek and Latin inscriptions from the Roman and Byzantine periods have been recorded and added to the literature. The inscriptions are all from Zonguldak (Eastern Bithynia) region where the ancient cities of Herakleia Pontike and Tieion/Tios were located. In the present paper, five new inscriptions are presented; four of them were found in different parts of central Ereğli, which is within the borders of Herakleia Pontike, while one was found on the banks of the Filyos (ancient Billaios) River in the village of Kayıkçılar in Çaycuma district, which is within the southern borders of Tieion/Tios. The importance of these inscriptions lies in the new information they provide on the socio-cultural history and prosopography of the cities mentioned as well as the ethnicity and status of individuals in the eastern part of Roman Bithynia. These five new inscriptions, with their titles and translations are presented below.

1. Dedication to a god: With good fortune! I, the Hieropoios (sacrifice maker) Aur(elius) Zeuxios, son of Theodosios, inscribed (this) for god. 2. Ostotheke of Alexandros and his wife Marciane: Alexandros, son of Alexandros, died at the age of 61. Farewell! Marciane, daughter of Marcus, the wife of Alexandros, died at the age of 45. Farewell! 3. Gravestone of Quintus Vetina Pallatinus Rufinianus Onesimos, his wife Antylla, and their children: Quintus Vetina Palatinus Rufinianus (or the son of Rufinus) Onesimos (died) at the age of 75 made this heroon (= tomb) both for himself and his wife Antylla and for (his) children who lived blameless for ... years. Farewell O passer-by! 4. Grave stele of Asklapis, daughter of Kalas: [Ask]lapis, daughter of Kalas?, [(died) at the age of ?)…]. 5. Building inscription on an arch of a ciborium: … (made) this construction/work...