Transcription Βασιλεὺς Σέλευκος Ἡλιοδώρῳ τῷ ἀδελφῷ χαίρειν· πλείστην πρόνοιαν ποιούμενοι
περὶ τῆς τῶν ὑποτεταγμένων ἀσφαλείας καὶ μέγιστον
ἀγαθὸν
εἶναι νομίζοντες τοῖς πράγμασιν, ὅταν οἱ κατὰ τὴν βασιλείαν ἀδεῶς τοὺς
ἑαυτῶν βίους διοικῶσιν, καὶ συνθεωροῦντες, ὡς οὐθὲν δύναται
μεταλαμβάνειν τῆς καθηκούσης εὐδαιμονίας ἄνευ τῆς τῶν
θεῶν εὐμενείας, ἵνα μέν τὰ καθιδρυμένα κατὰ τὰς ἄλλας σατραπείας ἱερὰ τὰς πατρίους
κομίζηται τιμὰς μετὰ τῆς ἁρμοζούσης θεραπείας, ἐξ
ἀρχῆς τυγχάνομεν τεταγμένοι, τῶν δέ κατὰ
Κοίλην Συρίαν καὶ Φοινίκην πραγμάτων οὑκ ἑχόντων
τὸν
τασσόμενεν πρὸς τῆι τούτων ἐπιμελείαι,
κατενοὴσαμεν ὅτι
σωφρόνως
προστήσεται τῆς εὐκοσμίας
ταγμάτων
Ὀλυμπιόδωρος, ὃς
τὴν πίστιν ἡμῖν τῆς ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ
διαλήψεως ἐκ τῶν
προγεγονότων χρόνων παρεισχημένος,
τραφεὶς γὰρ μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν καὶ τὴν ἀρίστην ἐν ἅπασιν
ἀπενηνεγμένος διάθεσιν, κατὰ λόγον
μὲν ἐπὶ τοῦ κοιτῶνος κατεστάθη τῆς
τηλικαύτης πίστεως φανεὶς ἄξιος, δικαίως δὲ τῶν πρώτων
πρώτων φίλων
ἀπεδείχθη, τῆς τῆς πρὸς ἡμᾶς
φιλοστοργίας, τὰς ἐκτενεστάτας ἀποδείξεις ποιησάμενος ἐν δὲ τῆι
τοιαύτηι γενόμενος τάξει, καὶ
παρηκολουθηκὼς ὡς διακείμεθα πρὸς τὸ
συναύξειν
τὰς τῶν
θεῶυν τιμὰς
ἀκολούθως
τῆι τῶν προγόνων αἱρέσει
καί
τὴν φροντίδα
τῶν
ἱερῶν, ἦι
διαπεισθέντες ἐκ
τῶν
προγεγονότων
χρόνων,
αὐτοῦ
πρὸς τῆς |
Translation King Seleucus to Heliodoros his brother, greetings. We, taking the greatest care
concerning the security of our subjects, and thinking it to be of the greatest
good for our affiars when those who live throughout the kingdom lead their own
lives without fear, and observing at the same time that nothing can partake of
due good fortune without the favor of the gods, have prescribed from the start
that the established sanctuaries throughout the other strapies be provided with
the ancestral honours with the proper service. However, as the affairs in Koile
Syria and Phoinike lack someone in charge for the care of these things, we
thought that Olympiodoros will preside prudently over the orderly conduct of
associations (?), [he, who] has demonstrated his loyalty to us because of his
attitude, from times gone by, as he had been raised with us and had gained
for himself the best disposition in all things, he was, on the one hand,
appointed chamberlain with reason, because he has proved himself worthy due to
his long-standing loyalty, while on the other, he was justifiably introduced
into the (ranks of the) First Friends because of his love for us, having made
the most assiduous demonstrations (of loyalty) while in such a [rank], and
following the way that we are inclined to [increase] the honour of the gods in
accordance with the [attitude] of our ancestors and the care of the temples in
which we believed from [times gone by …] … . |
Diplomatic [no diplomatic] |
Greek
H: 33.1 cm; W: 57.5 cm; D: 12.9 cm
178 BCE to 178 BCE
Israel Museum
painted red tosette center of the tympaneum
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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-ST89This inscription can be cited as:
"Inscriptions of Israel/Palestine," MARE0227, 9 October 2026. https:doi.org/10.26300/pz1d-st89