DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4391#0027
THE MINOR ANTIQUITIES.
examined every likely position for some miles, we
did not succeed : and we were forced to conclude
that this tax referred to a comparatively small
Roman cemetery on the edge of the desert by the
road. The cemetery of Koptos is referred to in the
tale of Setna in such a way as to imply that it
adjoined the town ; and it seems possible that it may
have been upon a part of the clay island which has
since been entirely covered over by the rising deposits
of the Nile.
After this there is one inscription known of
Antoninus, dated under the Eparch Lucius Munatius
Felix (Rec. XVI, 44) ; a brief dedication on a column
is dated in the reign of Severus (XXVIII, 5): and
a most interesting altar belongs to the reign of
Caracalla (XXVIII, 6). The god Ierablos, from
whom the city was named, is an obvious new point;
but it was not till Prof. Sayce was looking over it
that the Baal Akabos or Yakub was cleared up by
him. It is seldom that two such contributions to
mythology are given by one short inscription. I
found the stone built in as the threshold of the door
of a peasant's house, and at once bought it. Of
Caracalla also the unusual monument was found of a
colossal head of the emperor in red granite. It lay
on the steps of the Isis temple, and shews therefore
that a statue had been erected by the entrance to the
temple, and that therefore the building was still in
repair and in use at that date. The likeness of the
portrait is unmistakable, and the work is probably
due to a Greek artist of the time, as there is nothing
Egyptian in the style of it. (Now at Philadelphia.)
The next fixed point is in the inscription of
Quietus (XXVIII, 7) about 260 A.D. ; and it should
be noted how in this and others of the Greek
inscriptions (as 6 and 12) the influence of the tall Latin
script, with cross bars at the ends of the strokes, is
obvious. It shews that Latin was more familiar than
Greek writing to those who set the style, and reflects
the importance of the Roman garrison at Koptos.
The latest inscription known from Koptos is one
at the Ghizeh Museum (Rec. XVI, 44.). It is dated
in the 627th year of an era, which can hardly be
other than the Seleucid era. It appears strange to
find this era used in Egypt, but as the dedication is
in honour of certain messengers from Emesa in Syria,
it is not an unlikely compliment to them. The date
would then be 315 A.D. ; and this agrees well with
another point. The Praepositus of the Gallic legion
here is named Victorinus ; he would be almost
certainly so called after Victorinus the usurper in
Gaul, 265-267 A.D. His age in an important office
would probably be between 40 and 60, and this would
bring us to between 305 and 325 A.D., which just agrees
with the dating by the Seleucid era. The inscription
is not very correctly published, but after some
emendations (such as Arabarch in 1. 3, Africae in
1. S, &c.) it appears to read thus :—" Dedicated on
behalf of the Emesian messengers. With the
consent of the High Priest of Dionysos, on the good
day . . . the Arabarch dedicated this for the good
fortune of the messengers from Emesa. And for the
welfare of the Vexillation of the Gallic legion and the
Ala Africae under the Praepositus Victorinus, year
627, month Lous 15."
This Ala Secunda Ulpia Afrorum was at the
north-eastern frontier of Egypt in the following
century, according to the Notitia. This dedication
closes the series of the inscriptions of Koptos.
CHAPTER V.
THE MINOR ANTIQUITIES.
39. For convenience of reference we will first notice
those objects which are figured in the plates, in their
numbered order. The foundation deposits have all
been noticed in describing their respective temples.
XXI, 1. A piece of black steatite cup, with scroll
border on the flat edge : found in the town. From
the style of the scroll probably of the Xllth, or
XVIIIth dynasty at the latest.
2. A piece of black steatite cup incised with a group
of two goats browsing on a bush. A similar subject
occurs incised on black pottery at Kahun (Kahun,
XXVII. 200), and indicates that this steatite cup is
probably of the Xllth dynasty. From the town.
3. A piece of a large alabaster vase with a narrow
neck ; inscribed with the name of Khufu, and the
determinative of the seated king like that in the
graffito of Seneferu (Medum, XXXII, 1). This was
found low down in the town south of the temple ; it
was doubtless part of the furniture of the temple of
Khufu. (F. P. coll.)
4. 5, 6. Three bronze standards in the form of a
decorated lance. On 4 is a royal sphinx, and a figure
of Horus binding the crocodile. On 5 is a hawk. On
6 is a hawk-head end to the lance, and Horus binding
the crocodile. From the lance-head form and the
hawk-head it might be at first supposed that these
\ *
examined every likely position for some miles, we
did not succeed : and we were forced to conclude
that this tax referred to a comparatively small
Roman cemetery on the edge of the desert by the
road. The cemetery of Koptos is referred to in the
tale of Setna in such a way as to imply that it
adjoined the town ; and it seems possible that it may
have been upon a part of the clay island which has
since been entirely covered over by the rising deposits
of the Nile.
After this there is one inscription known of
Antoninus, dated under the Eparch Lucius Munatius
Felix (Rec. XVI, 44) ; a brief dedication on a column
is dated in the reign of Severus (XXVIII, 5): and
a most interesting altar belongs to the reign of
Caracalla (XXVIII, 6). The god Ierablos, from
whom the city was named, is an obvious new point;
but it was not till Prof. Sayce was looking over it
that the Baal Akabos or Yakub was cleared up by
him. It is seldom that two such contributions to
mythology are given by one short inscription. I
found the stone built in as the threshold of the door
of a peasant's house, and at once bought it. Of
Caracalla also the unusual monument was found of a
colossal head of the emperor in red granite. It lay
on the steps of the Isis temple, and shews therefore
that a statue had been erected by the entrance to the
temple, and that therefore the building was still in
repair and in use at that date. The likeness of the
portrait is unmistakable, and the work is probably
due to a Greek artist of the time, as there is nothing
Egyptian in the style of it. (Now at Philadelphia.)
The next fixed point is in the inscription of
Quietus (XXVIII, 7) about 260 A.D. ; and it should
be noted how in this and others of the Greek
inscriptions (as 6 and 12) the influence of the tall Latin
script, with cross bars at the ends of the strokes, is
obvious. It shews that Latin was more familiar than
Greek writing to those who set the style, and reflects
the importance of the Roman garrison at Koptos.
The latest inscription known from Koptos is one
at the Ghizeh Museum (Rec. XVI, 44.). It is dated
in the 627th year of an era, which can hardly be
other than the Seleucid era. It appears strange to
find this era used in Egypt, but as the dedication is
in honour of certain messengers from Emesa in Syria,
it is not an unlikely compliment to them. The date
would then be 315 A.D. ; and this agrees well with
another point. The Praepositus of the Gallic legion
here is named Victorinus ; he would be almost
certainly so called after Victorinus the usurper in
Gaul, 265-267 A.D. His age in an important office
would probably be between 40 and 60, and this would
bring us to between 305 and 325 A.D., which just agrees
with the dating by the Seleucid era. The inscription
is not very correctly published, but after some
emendations (such as Arabarch in 1. 3, Africae in
1. S, &c.) it appears to read thus :—" Dedicated on
behalf of the Emesian messengers. With the
consent of the High Priest of Dionysos, on the good
day . . . the Arabarch dedicated this for the good
fortune of the messengers from Emesa. And for the
welfare of the Vexillation of the Gallic legion and the
Ala Africae under the Praepositus Victorinus, year
627, month Lous 15."
This Ala Secunda Ulpia Afrorum was at the
north-eastern frontier of Egypt in the following
century, according to the Notitia. This dedication
closes the series of the inscriptions of Koptos.
CHAPTER V.
THE MINOR ANTIQUITIES.
39. For convenience of reference we will first notice
those objects which are figured in the plates, in their
numbered order. The foundation deposits have all
been noticed in describing their respective temples.
XXI, 1. A piece of black steatite cup, with scroll
border on the flat edge : found in the town. From
the style of the scroll probably of the Xllth, or
XVIIIth dynasty at the latest.
2. A piece of black steatite cup incised with a group
of two goats browsing on a bush. A similar subject
occurs incised on black pottery at Kahun (Kahun,
XXVII. 200), and indicates that this steatite cup is
probably of the Xllth dynasty. From the town.
3. A piece of a large alabaster vase with a narrow
neck ; inscribed with the name of Khufu, and the
determinative of the seated king like that in the
graffito of Seneferu (Medum, XXXII, 1). This was
found low down in the town south of the temple ; it
was doubtless part of the furniture of the temple of
Khufu. (F. P. coll.)
4. 5, 6. Three bronze standards in the form of a
decorated lance. On 4 is a royal sphinx, and a figure
of Horus binding the crocodile. On 5 is a hawk. On
6 is a hawk-head end to the lance, and Horus binding
the crocodile. From the lance-head form and the
hawk-head it might be at first supposed that these
\ *