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Translations of Hellenistic Inscriptions: 221


NAVAL MONUMENTS IN LINDOS AND RHODES


Greek text:   Lindos_2.88 , Lindos_2.169 , ClaraRhodos_8.227
Provenance:     (A,B) Lindos ,   (C) City of Rhodes
Date:   (A) c. 265-260 ,   (B) c. 180 ,   (C) c. 88-66 B.C.
Tags:     navies
Format:   see key to translations

The island of Rhodes was proud of its navy; and as these three inscriptions show, it commemorated not only the commanders but also the crews of its ships.

Statue A (perhaps a statue of Nikē) stood on marble blocks forming the prow of a warship; see V. Gabrielsen, "The Navies of Classical Athens and Hellenistic Rhodes", pp.69-71 & figs.3-5 ( academia.edu ). It can be dated approximately because Agathostratos, one of the commanders mentioned at the start of the inscription, is known from other sources; see Syll_455. Note that the start of the inscription has been extensively restored, and this part of the text is far from certain. It is followed by a list of the crews; although many names have been lost, it has been estimated that there were originally 288 names in the list. It is assumed, although this is not stated explicitly, that these men formed the crews of three ships.

Statue B stood on an impressive relief of a Rhodian trihemiolia, which can still be admired by modern visitors to Lindos; see J. Hua, "Space and Memory on Lindos' Acropolis", Stage 2 ( Medium ). Hagesandros, the subject of the statue, is otherwise unknown; but it is known from other statues that Pythokritos, the sculptor, was active around 180 B.C.   It was once suggested that Pythokritos was the sculptor who made the famous Nike of Samothrace, but there is no genuine evidence to support this theory; see, for instance, A. Stewart, "The Nike of Samothrace: Another View", p. 400 ( academia.edu ).

Inscription C was found in the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes. Because it had been reused, its original setting has been lost, but clearly it too formed part of the base of a statue. Unlike A it provides some information about the various categories of officers and men on board the ship; for an analysis of this, see V. Gabrielsen, "The naval aristocracy of Hellenistic Rhodes", pp.94-97.


[A]   [The commanders of the undecked warships, when . . .] son of Nikasylos [was admiral] and the trierarchs were Agathostratos son of Polyaratos and Gorgon son of Archelas, and those [who fought] with [them against the (?) Tyrrhenians, whom the] people crowned after they sailed in the trihemioliai, dedicated this as first-fruits from the booty to Athena Lindia.


[B]   The Lindians honoured Hagesandros son of Mikion with a golden crown, a statue and privileged seating at the games, on account of his virtue and the goodwill that he continually has towards the populace of Lindos.

Pythokritos of Rhodes, the son of Timocharis, made the statue.

[C]   When Theu[prop]os son of Eukleidas and Pythokritos son Pythokritos . . . and Chrysostratos son of Thersandros was epiplous ;   Alexidamos son of Alexion, who went to war in the trihemioliai and in the decked ships, and led them in their tasks   and acted as bow-officer {prōratas} of the trihemioliai and the quadrireme in the war,   was honoured by the men who served with him.

i.9 Navigator {kybernatas} :   Aineson son of Charmon

Carpenter {naupagos} :   Polykles son of Timapolis

Helmsman {padaliouchos} :   Onasandros son of Samis

Workers :

  In the prow :

  In the stern :

30 Catapulters :

Archers :

ii.9 Oil supplier:   Hagesianax son of Hagesianax

Doctor :   Theudoros of Tripolis, a foreign resident

Oar-binder {kōpodetas} :   Kleisimbrotidas son of Kleisimbrotidas

Marines :

40 Andragoras of Rhodes, the son of Aristomenes, made this   for the gods.

inscription 222


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