DOI Artikel:
Mommsen, Theodor: A Greek fragment of the Edict of Diocletian, from Plataia
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.8678#0320
A GREEK FRAGMENT OF THE EDICT OF
DIOCLETIAN FROM PLATAIA.
[Plate XVIIL]
Note.—The inscription here published by Professor Mommsen was
discovered at Plataia during the excavations of the American School of
Classical Studies at Athens, in the month of March, 1890 (see Report,
above, p. 255). While the Latin Preamble found in the previous year
and published by Messrs. Tarbell and Rolfe (see above, pp. 233-244),
came from the site of the Byzantine Church marked i in Messrs. Wash-
ington and Hale's map of Plataia (see above), this Greek fragment of
the Edict of Diocletian was found in Church v at a considerable distance
to the southwest of Church i. This slab together with another contain-
ing an inscription with female names and dedicated to some goddess
(Artemis or Demeter), served as covering-stones to a Byzantine grave
immured in the west wall of the church. The hypothesis expressed by
me (I. c.) that the Latin Preamble may have preceded the Greek text of
the edict containing the prices of which this inscription forms a ]iart may
lack sufficient foundation. There would, if this were not the case, have
been a Greek as well as a Latin version of the edict at Plataia.
Charles Wale-stein.
The slab of white marble, of which we offer a facsimile [pl. xviii]
after the drawing of Mr. Lolling, is 1.10 m. high, where it is best pre-
served; 3.73 broad; and between 0.09 and 0.10 in thickness, as it is
not worked smoothly on the back. The form of the crowning orna-
ment is shown in the plate; the letters engraved there are of no im-
portance, having been added afterward by some idler. The two sides
are wrought so that other slabs could be joined to this and form with
it a whole. The slab, in its present state, has lost the left corner and
the lower part, so that of the three columns it contained when com-
plete, the first 44 lines of the first column are reduced to a few letters
and all three are defaced at the bottom. In its present state the first
column numbers 7G lines, mostly incomplete, the second and third 68
302
DIOCLETIAN FROM PLATAIA.
[Plate XVIIL]
Note.—The inscription here published by Professor Mommsen was
discovered at Plataia during the excavations of the American School of
Classical Studies at Athens, in the month of March, 1890 (see Report,
above, p. 255). While the Latin Preamble found in the previous year
and published by Messrs. Tarbell and Rolfe (see above, pp. 233-244),
came from the site of the Byzantine Church marked i in Messrs. Wash-
ington and Hale's map of Plataia (see above), this Greek fragment of
the Edict of Diocletian was found in Church v at a considerable distance
to the southwest of Church i. This slab together with another contain-
ing an inscription with female names and dedicated to some goddess
(Artemis or Demeter), served as covering-stones to a Byzantine grave
immured in the west wall of the church. The hypothesis expressed by
me (I. c.) that the Latin Preamble may have preceded the Greek text of
the edict containing the prices of which this inscription forms a ]iart may
lack sufficient foundation. There would, if this were not the case, have
been a Greek as well as a Latin version of the edict at Plataia.
Charles Wale-stein.
The slab of white marble, of which we offer a facsimile [pl. xviii]
after the drawing of Mr. Lolling, is 1.10 m. high, where it is best pre-
served; 3.73 broad; and between 0.09 and 0.10 in thickness, as it is
not worked smoothly on the back. The form of the crowning orna-
ment is shown in the plate; the letters engraved there are of no im-
portance, having been added afterward by some idler. The two sides
are wrought so that other slabs could be joined to this and form with
it a whole. The slab, in its present state, has lost the left corner and
the lower part, so that of the three columns it contained when com-
plete, the first 44 lines of the first column are reduced to a few letters
and all three are defaced at the bottom. In its present state the first
column numbers 7G lines, mostly incomplete, the second and third 68
302