Journal | Axon
Journal issue | 2 | 1 | 2018
Research Article | Phocians’ Dedication to Delphi
Phocians’ Dedication to Delphi
Abstract
In the storage of the Archaeological Museum of Delphi two limestone fragments most probably belonging to the same inscription are preserved (inv. no. 1091 and inv. no. 37). The text consists of two lines, both heavily fragmentary; the letters are in the stoichedon pattern. 1091 reads τῶι at the beginning of the second line, whereas 37 reads αν, which is restored as [δεκάτ]αν in the first line, and λῶν in the second line, which is restored as [Θεσσαλ]ῶν (cf. Plut. De Pyth.or., 15: Φωκεῖς ἀπὸ Θεσσαλῶν). Both fragments feature traces of previous inscriptions engraved later in a Phocian context. As a consequence, it is highly probable that the authors of our inscription are Phocian. Modern scholarship maintains that the dedication referred to a tithe to Apollo by the Phocians after a victory over the Thessalians. However, as in the case of Syll.3 202B, there are at least four possible explanations: an archaic victory told by Herodotus, Pausanias and Plutarch; the battle of Argolas (modern Mendenitisa?), fought in 355 BC and referred to by Diodorus; a victory over the Galatians of Brennus (279 BC, cf. Paus. 10.8.3 and 10.23.3); an otherwise unknown victory by the Phocians.
Submitted: Jan. 11, 2018 | Accepted: April 26, 2018 | Published June 29, 2018 | Language: it
Keywords Dedica • Argolas • Delfi • Decima • Brenno • Tessali • Focidesi
Copyright © 2018 Elena Franchi. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/Axon/2532-6848/2018/01/014
