4. Dedication to Asclepius by P. Virdius Bassus

Description

• Monument: votive plaque, two joining fragments of the lower part; relief: lower parts of three standing figures (Asclepius, Hygia, Telesphorus) and a snake-entwined altar; marble; traces of red paint on relief and inscription
• Dimensions: 0.19 × 0.33 × 0.05
• Text: below the relief
• Letters: 0.035
• Date: 215-235 AD
• Found: Sanctuary of Asclepius Zymydrenos near Batkun (territory of Philippopolis)
• Now: Plovdiv, Archaeological museum, inv. no. 2195 and 2412.
• Text Category: private, dedicatory

Publication

• Bibliography: G. Mihailov, Inscriptiones Graecae in Bulgaria repertae, vol. III, 1, Serdicae, 1961, no. 1144 and no. 1170 = vol. V, no. 5483 (the fragments are published as two separate inscriptions); N. Sharankov, Statue-bases with honorific inscriptions from Philippopolis – Archaeologia Bulgarica, IX, 2, 2005, p. 68-69, no. 3d.
• Editorial: The text was encoded following the edition of Sharankov.
• Publisher: Text by N. Sharankov.

Text

Πό(πλιος) Οὐίρδιος Βάσσος ἀπὸ στρατείαν καὶ θρ̣ᾳκάρχης εὐχήν.

Translation

Publius Virdius Bassus, former military officer and thracarch, [dedicated this] votive offering.

Публий Вирдий Бас, служил във войската и тракарх, [посвети този] оброчен дар.

Apparatus

Ligatures: l. 1: ΠΟ in Πό(πλιος), omicron inscribed in pi; l. 2: ΗΣ, ΗΝ. The vacat after ΒΑΣΣ and ΘΡΑΚΑΡΧ was caused by the tail of the snake, which extended on the frame.

Photographs

Commentary

Publius Virdius Bassus belonged to the equestrian family of Virdii and is attested in a dedication to Zeus and Hera from Tatarevo (IGBulg III, 1, no. 1454) as νεωκόρος. The expression ἀπὸ στρατείαν (with the accusative instead of a genitive ἀπὸ στρατείας) corresponds to the Latin ‘a militia’ and reflects the military career of P. Virdius Bassus. He appears to have been son of Publius Virdius Iulianus, “former military officer and father of two military tribunes” (ἀπὸ στρατείας καὶ πατέρα δύο χειλιάρχων), who was agonothete in Philippopolis in 214 AD (N. Sharankov, Statue-bases…, p. 62-65).

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