back

Translations of Hellenistic Inscriptions: 169


ASTRONOMICAL TABLE, FOUND NEAR LINDOS

Greek text:   IG_12.1.913
Provenance:     ? Lartos, near Lindos , Rhodes 
Date:   c. 100 B.C.
Translated by:   Alexander Jones
Format:   see key to translations

This unusual inscription was found at Keskintos, about 8 km. west of Lindos.  Because the beginning has been lost, it has been left to modern scholars to explain the purpose of the inscription.  It appears to enumerate the number of 'periods' of four different types associated with each planet, which occur during exactly 29,140 years (shown in column 4) or during a Great Year of 291,400 years (shown in column 8); for further details, see A.Jones, "The Astronomical Inscription from Keskintos, Rhodes" ( PDF ).   The last line shows that the inscription was intended to accompany a votive offering of some kind.

In this version of the translation, column 6 (which simply repeats the words written in column 2) has been omitted.  The traditional Greek names of the planets have been translated into their familiar modern names. Five planets were known to the Greeks: the numbers for Venus almost certainly appeared in the lost lines at the beginning.

The translation has been updated in a few places, using the improved edition of the text published in G. Bevan, A. Jones & D. Lehoux, "The Miletus Parapegma and the Keskintos Astronomical Inscription: New Evidence from Reflectance Transformation Imaging" ( PDF ).


{1} {2} {3} {4}   {5} {6} {7} {8}
 
*** *** *** *** ***   *** ***
Mercury [In relative position] [passages] : 91854 Mercury ... passages : 918540
 
Mars In length zodiacals : 15492   Mars ... zodiacals : 154920
Mars In breadth tropicals : 15436   Mars ... tropicals : 154360
Mars In depth revolutions : 40964   Mars ... revolutions : 409640
Mars In relative position passages : 13648   Mars ... passages : 136480
 
Jupiter In length zodiacals :   2450   Jupiter ... zodiacals :   24500
Jupiter In breadth tropicals :   2456   Jupiter ... tropicals :   24560
Jupiter In depth revolutions : 24260   Jupiter ... revolutions : 242600
Jupiter In relative position passages : 26690   Jupiter ... passages : 266900
 
Saturn In length zodiacals :     992   Saturn ... zodiacals :     9920
[Saturn] In breadth tropicals :     989 216°   Saturn ... tropicals :     9896
[Saturn] In depth revolutions : 27176   Saturn ... revolutions : 271760
[Saturn] In relative position passages : 28148   Saturn ... passages : 281480
 
 

. . . A circle comprises 360 degrees or 9720 points {stigmai}.  A degree comprises [2]7 points.

Thank-offering to . . . the nymphs.

inscription 170


Attalus' home page   |   30.08.22   |   Any comments?