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Stone
Lines 1-2 (Text A) begin right after the groove, whereas lines 3-5 (Text B) begin ca. 9.5 cm left from it. Large space (ca. 8 cm) between these two parts of the text (see Commentary). Letters with strong
Letters: lines 1-2:
Encoded for EpiDoc schema 8.17 on 14-09-2015 by S.G. Caneva.
Edition here based on Blümel - Merkelbach
Other edition: Hiller von Gaertringen
Cf. also:
Sokolowski
Further bibliography:
Text A
Anaxidemos son of Apollodoros has obtained the priesthood by lot.
Text B
Enter pure into the sanctuary, in a white garment.
Texte A
Anaxidemos fils d'Apollodoros a obtenu la prêtrise par tirage au sort.
Texte B
Entrer dans le sanctuaire en étant pur, dans un vêtement blanc.
The stone bearing this text comes from a Hellenistic sanctuary (“Haus 22”) located in a very dense residential quarter of Priene (see Graf). This explains that the regulation pertaining to the entry of the sanctuary was inscribed on the anta of the entrance of the building. The neighbourhood was substantially destroyed by a fire in the 140s or 130s BC, after which it was no longer occupied (Rumscheid). This entails that our inscription probably dates to the first two thirds of the 2nd century BC.
The sanctuary has long been identified with a "sacred
There are obviously two distinct parts in this inscription (A: lines 1-2 and B: 3-5 respectively): the layout, the height of letters, as well as the content, suggest that we are in fact dealing with two different inscriptions. However, the photo published in the edition is not sufficient to verify if there are two different hands at play; Blümel and Merkelbach do not give any precison on this matter. The first part (A) identifies an Anaxidemos son of Apollodoros, who has obtained the priesthood by lot, and the second text (B) is a purity regulation about entrance to the sanctuary.
Text A
Lines A1-2: Anaxidemos son of Apollodoros is not otherwise known at Priene. The attribution of a priesthood by lot is quite common (cf. here e.g. CGRN 124, Pergamon, line 1, and IG XII.4 103, Kos), but does not seem to be attested in Priene, except in this case; cf. another where selection by democratic vote is known (
Text B
Lines B1-3: Though brief, this regulation pertains to the access to a sanctuary, though it gives few details about the required conditions of purity or the purification ritual which might need to be undertaken before entry. For more detailed prescriptions, cf. e.g. CGRN 203 (Delos). For white garments, cf. here CGRN 126 (Lykosoura), lines 4-7, and e.g.