Inscriptions from Israel and Palestine
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MARE0050

Maresha, 300-101 BCE. Ostrakon. Letter.
Transcription

τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις δεῖνα τοῦ Διωνουσίου υτων αἰτῶν ὑπὸ ἀυτοῦ πα´

Translation

...To the Elders?/ so and so son of Dionisios/ .../ ... demanding/ ...from/ him 81 (drachmae?).

Diplomatic

ΕΡΟΙΣ ΔΙΩΝΟΥ ΥΤΩΝ ΑΙΤΩΝ ΥΠΟΑΥ ΟΥΠΑ

Terminus post quem:
Terminus ante quem:
Notes
The reading is very speculative, but if we regard the letters of line 4 as a nominative masculine present indicative active participle of the verb "to demand, to ask" (αἰτέω), the noun ending in the masculine plural dative case in line 1 might be the individuals to whom the petitioner is appealing. The section detailing the reasons for the request is lost, but the demand is preserved in the last two lines. An Aramaic letter and an Aramaic marriage contract, all written on ostraca, were also found in Maresha: one cannot exclude the possibility that these were drafts, even though the fine handwriting may indicate that they were indeed final documents.

Languages

Greek

Dimensions

H: 5.5 cm; W: 3.5 cm; D: 0.3 cm

Date

300 BCE to 101 BCE

Current location

No provenance provided.

Figures

No figures described.

Bibliography

Source of diplomatic

  • Ecker, Avner, and Hava Korzakova. “Greek Inscribed Pottery.” In The Excavations of Maresha Subterranean Complex 57: The “Heliodorus” Cave, 95–101. BAR International Series 2652. Oxford: Archaeopress, 2014. insc 1.
    Zotero

Source of transcription

  • Ecker, Avner, and Hava Korzakova. “Greek Inscribed Pottery.” In The Excavations of Maresha Subterranean Complex 57: The “Heliodorus” Cave, 95–101. BAR International Series 2652. Oxford: Archaeopress, 2014. insc 1.
    Zotero

Source of translation

  • Ecker, Avner, and Hava Korzakova. “Greek Inscribed Pottery.” In The Excavations of Maresha Subterranean Complex 57: The “Heliodorus” Cave, 95–101. BAR International Series 2652. Oxford: Archaeopress, 2014. insc 1.
    Zotero
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The project can be cited as:

Satlow, Michael L., ed. 2002 - . “Inscriptions of Israel/Palestine.” Brown University. https://doi.org/10.26300/PZ1D-ST89

This inscription can be cited as:

"Inscriptions of Israel/Palestine," MARE0050, 4 April 2025. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89