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Mark Antony in Alexandria—A Note

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 September 2012

Extract

The lively interest shown by Professor Last in the study of Roman Egypt is typified not only by his active interest in the Egypt Exploration Society but also by several articles in the field, among them that recently published on the powers of the Prefect of Egypt (JEA, 40, 1954, pp. 68 ff.). I hope that this note concerning Mark Antony will be of interest to him.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright ©P. M. Fraser 1957. Exclusive Licence to Publish: The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

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References

1 Dimensions: H. 0,285, W. 0,75, Th. 0,685, with foot-holes in upper surface (length of foot, 0,32), letters 0,030/040. As is evident from the photograph the letters are very irregular in some respects, but are unmistakably the work of one hand. A good indication of this irregularity is provided by the three omicrons, one below the other, in the centre of the stone (note that the second is ). In line 2 the second alpha has no cross-stroke.

2 Notice des Monuments exposés au Musée gréco-romain, 135, no. 2464.

3 Plan de la Ville d'Alexandrie, 127, no. 25.

4 Catalogue du Musée gréco-romain d'Alexandrie, 254, no. 10.

5 Die Dynastie der Ptolemäer, no. 158.

6 OGIS 195.

7 The inscription was republished from IGR as SB 8777.

8 I omit the numerous incidental quotations of, and references to, the inscription, none of which affect the text.

9 See the references in Reinach, Traité d'Épigr. gr., 232.

10 See the list given by Skeat, Reigns of the Ptolemies, 42 (23). The best discussions are that of Wilcken, PWürz. (Beri. Abh. 1933, (6)), no. 5, Introd., and Seyrig, Syria, 27, 1950, pp. 43 ff., who show convincingly that the double date is to be referred to the occasion of Antony's gift of Chalkis to Cleopatra, as Porphyry says (FGrH 260, F2(17), cf. Eusebius, Chron. 1, p. 170, 5 ff., quoted by Dittenberger, OGIS 195, note 4). It is in any case quite clear, as Wilcken points out, that the double date refers to Cleopatra alone, and that it cannot therefore be a common regnal year of Antony and Cleopatra, as has been asserted (see, most recently, Tarn, CAM X, 81), dating from the occasion of their alleged marriage in 37 B.C. —an event which is itself far from certain. For a further bibliography see Magie, Roman Asia 1287, note 29.

11 See Dio Cassius XLIX, 40–1; cf. Tarn, o.c. 79–80.

12 παράσιτοѕ apparently occurs as a proper name is CIG 8077 and See Dio Cassius XLIX, 40–1; cf. Tarn, o.c. 79–80. 8455. For such pejorative servile names see Lambertz, Die Griech. Sklavennamen I (lvii Jahres-Bericht. k.k. Staatsgymn. im VIII Bezirke Wiens 1906–7), 42 ff. παράσίταѕ which occurs at Cnidos, SGDI 3501, is derived by Bechtel, Hist. Person. 517, from the cultural meaning of παράσιτοѕ. A horse of the name παράσιτοѕ occurs at Carthage, Audollent, Defix Tab. no. 235.

13 The Empire of the Ptolemies 467, note 1.

14 Ch. 28, 2: ἧν γάρ τις αἰτοῖς σύνοδος ἀμιμητοβίων λεγομένη· καὶ καθ᾿ ἡμέραν εἱστίων ἀλλήλους, ἄπιστόν τινα ποιούμενοι τῶν ἀναλισκομένων ἀνετρίαν.

15 The Empire of the Ptolemies 4, 5: ἦν δέ που καὶ τὸ ἐρώτικον οὐκ ἀναφρόδιτον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτῳ πολλοὺς ἐδημαγώγει, συμπάττων τε τοῖς ἐρῶσι καὶ σκωπτόμενος οὐκ ἀηδῶς εἰς τοὑς ἰδίους ἔρωτας.

16 See The Empire of the Ptolemies 29, 4: οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ προσέχαιρον αὐτοῦ τῇ βωμολοχίᾳ καὶ συνέπαιζον οὐκ ἀρρύθμως οὐδὲ ἀμούσως οἱ Ἀλεξανδρεῖς, ἀγαπῶντες καὶ λέγοντες ὡς τῷ τραγικῷ πρὸς τοὺς Ῥωμαίους χρῆται προσώπῳἀγαπῶντες καὶ λέγοντες ὡς τῷ τραγικῷ πρὸς τοὺς Ῥωμαίους χρῆται προσώπῳἀγαπῶντες καὶ λέγοντες ὡς τῷ τραγικῷ πρὸς τοὺς Ῥωμαίους χρῆται προσώπῳἀγαπῶντες καὶ λέγοντες ὡς τῷ τραγικῷ πρὸς τοὺς Ῥωμαίους χρῆται προσώπῳ, τῷ δὲ κωμικῷ πρὸς αὐτούς.