what it's written on it?

[tommyfromNgc4826]

hello everyone.I found this stone on the top of the mountain while searching for minerals.i wonder what it says on it.the history of the region is very old.(western anatolia)can someone translate this please?
thank you

 

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[Garscale]

Can anyone read the date?

 

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[GoldieLocks]

It is modern relief made with machines.

 

[tommyfromNgc4826]

It is modern relief made with machines.

I don't think it was made with machines. It looks like that, but one source says that it belongs to the 1-3rd century AD.

 

[tommyfromNgc4826]

There are many similar pictures at this official site.for those who wonder.the source says its belongs to the lydian period.

https://kvmgm.ktb.gov.tr/TR-113207/abdden-iadesi-saglanan-lydia-bolgesine-ait-10-adet-meza-.html

 

[Red-Coat]

Can anyone read the date?

The single-line inscription at the top appears to start with the word ΕΤΟΥΣ, which means "year", so there may be a date of sorts. The following characters aren't numerals but I can't be sure what they are. Possibly ΡΚΑΓΚ but with the possibility of Λ rather than Α and/or Ι rather than Γ. None of those combinations make sense to me unless they relate to a name or represent an abbreviated word. There's then a very long word which I think must have one or more breaks in it but, again, difficult to read without knowing where the break(s) are.

If this is ancient then any date won't be numeric, but likely expressed in terms of an event or in relation to a period of rulership.

Tommy: why don't you drop an email to the Museum of Anatolian Culture in Ankara?

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

The Greeks used letters as numerals; but not in the same way the Romans did. 1 to 9 was alpha through theta. At some point they started putting bars over the letters that signified numerals. And then it gets complicated. Currently they use an apostrophe after the letter[number].

 

[DizzyDigger]

My effort at cleaning up the text...

 

[Red-Coat]

The Greeks used letters as numerals; but not in the same way the Romans did. 1 to 9 was alpha through theta. At some point they started putting bars over the letters that signified numerals. And then it gets complicated. Currently they use an apostrophe after the letter[number].

Yes, but the characters after the word "year" (presumed) still don't make sense as numerals (from any time period) and, if this is truly ancient, then any date information isn't likely to be in numeric format anyway.

 

[tommyfromNgc4826]

The single-line inscription at the top appears to start with the word ΕΤΟΥΣ, which means "year", so there may be a date of sorts. The following characters aren't numerals but I can't be sure what they are. Possibly ΡΚΑΓΚ but with the possibility of Λ rather than Α and/or Ι rather than Γ. None of those combinations make sense to me unless they relate to a name or represent an abbreviated word. There's then a very long word which I think must have one or more breaks in it but, again, difficult to read without knowing where the break(s) are.

If this is ancient then any date won't be numeric, but likely expressed in terms of an event or in relation to a period of rulership.

Tommy: why don't you drop an email to the Museum of Anatolian Culture in Ankara?

I am grateful you are trying to help Red and anyone who helps.i wont contact with the museum until the current goverment changes.because i dont trust them.i will message you detailes why i wont.i cant write here clearly for security reasons but I can send as a special message to those who want

 

[tommyfromNgc4826]

My effort at cleaning up the text...

View attachment 1919590

thank you so much for cleaning text

 

[Noah_D]

I am grateful you are trying to help Red and anyone who helps.i wont contact with the museum until the current goverment changes.because i dont trust them.i will message you detailes why i wont.i cant write here clearly for security reasons but I can send as a special message to those who want

If you're sending a message could you please copy me?

 

[tommyfromNgc4826]

If you're sending a message could you please copy me?

sure,im sending a copy now.

 

[Sangamon]

I know someone who studied Greek many years ago and emailed this to him. Here is his take (with admittedly rusty Greek skills):

First, a transliteration:

Epaphrodeitos kai Teimothea Ko
rinthia teauton threptei
Kleon kai Anaxim krotostei
syntrophoi Artemas ?? gunaiki

xaipe

Next, a poor but reasonably accurate translation, I think:

Epaphrodeitos and Timothea of Corinthia on their own with the feeding [I think this means they paid for the funeral dinner for everyone]
Cleon and Anaxim [I assume shortened from Anaximandros] with the noisemaking [I think this means they paid for the professional mourners to cry and holler]
Close friends Artemas ?? with wife [Syntrophoi means something like 'brought up together, foster children, close childhood companions' - I assume they rate a mention because they paid a significant chunk for something too, but it doesn't say what]

Farewell

 

[tommyfromNgc4826]

I know someone who studied Greek many years ago and emailed this to him. Here is his take (with admittedly rusty Greek skills):

First, a transliteration:

Epaphrodeitos kai Teimothea Ko
rinthia teauton threptei
Kleon kai Anaxim krotostei
syntrophoi Artemas ?? gunaiki

xaipe

Next, a poor but reasonably accurate translation, I think:

Epaphrodeitos and Timothea of Corinthia on their own with the feeding [I think this means they paid for the funeral dinner for everyone]
Cleon and Anaxim [I assume shortened from Anaximandros] with the noisemaking [I think this means they paid for the professional mourners to cry and holler]
Close friends Artemas ?? with wife [Syntrophoi means something like 'brought up together, foster children, close childhood companions' - I assume they rate a mention because they paid a significant chunk for something too, but it doesn't say what]

Farewell

Thank you for taking the time and trying to help.

Although I could not find the completely correct translation, I got an idea of ​​what was written on the stone.

I thank you and everyone who put in all the effort.

 

[tommyfromNgc4826]

my curiosity has been partially resolved, but still I am looking for the correct translation completely.
If I can find the complete correct translation from another source, I will write it here anyway.

 

[yaxthri]

 

[yaxthri]

I'll look into this. It's ancient Greek but some phrygian words or names might be in there, I will ask someone I know.
This should be in a museum man...

 

[yaxthri]

This is an approximate translation (there are some spelling mistakes in there made by the artist):

<<Epafroditos and Timothea from Corinth
to their servant.
Kleon and Anaximkrotos to their tablemate Artemis the wife.
Farewell >>

So my friend who is a Literature and ancient Greek teacher and I discussed about the meaning and we have agreed that this is a grave monument erected by a wealthy couple, Epafroditos and his corinthian wife Timothea, for their slave or servant Artemis (Artemas is the Doric form of the name). Her husband and a friend/tablemate (syntrofos means companion-comrade but in this context it must mean table companion-friend-mate), Kleon and Anaximkrotos are also mentioned in the epitaph, not clear which one is which. I don't know if these two were free men serving the couple, living with them, or just two more slaves but they had to be mentioned, too, which is kind of strange. That's why I'm not sure if she was a free servant or slave, but such a beautiful tombstone was surely made for a beloved person, be it a slave or not... The shackles next to the wreath could mean she was an ''apeleutheran'', a slave freed by her masters. I can't identify the object in the left corner, any help there?
The final word ''XAIPE'' is a greeting often chiseled on tombstones, literally it means ''be happy'' -the ancient Greeks had an afterlife in mind- but it means here ''farewell''.
As far as of the date, dating is done by the artistic style, the lettering and spelling and by the contents of the associated grave... So it would be best to leave this to the archaeologists. But I will send a pic of the first sentence to my friend. This sentence that starts as was correctly read with the word ''ETOYΣ'' that can mean very well ''in the year'' or ''of the year'' has me puzzled, I can't even make sense of the words...

PS: Did I mention my friend's name is Artemis?!!!!

 

[DCMatt]

I can't identify the object in the left corner, any help there?

It's a spindle and distaff.

 

[yaxthri]

DCMatt nice job on that ID!
Well, I have no news about the first sentence, my friend the teacher has not replied yet. Understandable, it's Easter here in Greece and she also has to prep her students for their final exams...
I will post an update if I have any new info.