A corpus of ephebic inscriptions from Roman Athens : 31 B.C. - 267 A.D.

The following corpus is a collection of inscriptions from Athens, dated between 31 B.C. and 267 A.D. The texts were inscribed to commemorate activities of youths and their instructors in the Athenian Ephebia The Introduction outlines the editorial conventions observed, the method of presentation, which is somewhat unusual, and the difficulties encountered in completing such a massive task. The remainder of the work comprises the corpus of inscriptions. Each inscription is preceded by an introduction which should contain the descriptions, dimensions and editorial history of each fragment. For lost inscriptions or those outside Greece, some or all of these details may be missing (see p.3). The introduction is followed by the Greek text. A graphic follows, which usually depicts readings that I made from the stone: sometimes they are from a squeeze, once or twice from a photograph, and sometimes from an earlier copy of a lost inscription. Below the graphic are the notes which discuss where applicable the more significant new readings and any problems in the text. The entry concludes with a note on the date. The various types of ephebic inscriptions are grouped together; and within the groups are arranged in chronological order. The agonistic inscriptions, which commemorate the athletic activities of the ephebes, are presented in the first chapter. The second contains the small number of dedications and commemorative inscriptions preserved. In the third chapter are the numerous honorary inscriptions. These are personal monuments, set up in honour of a small number of the ephebes or their teachers and often honouring a single individual. The chapters which follow contain the ephebic catalogues. These do not differ essentially in purpose from the honorary inscriptions: thcy were inscribed to honour ephebes and their teachers. Yet they may list any number from a dozen to several hundred ephebes at one time. In the larger catalogues, the honours are rather thinly spread, but the names of the more important ephebic office holders and teachers may be inscribed prominently. Sometimes the figures of the most notable individuals may be carved in relief on the stele. The corpus is essentially source material collected for the use of other epigraphers and historians. It is hoped it will prove useful in studying the prosopography and history of Athens during this much-neglected period of its history.