Unknown Geta from Philippopolis - Inscription help needed

[helcaraxe]

Dear all,

I have been very quiet These last two years, but I have been extremely busy recently both in private life and in professional life. Thus I did not find any time to enjoy my coins.

Now, however I am look at some acquisitions I still did during this time. This coin, which I knew would be Special, when I bought it, still puzzles me:

Caracalla in Philippoplis, Thracia:
AE29. 15.76 g.
Av.: AVT K Π CEΠTIMIOC ΓETAC; laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of emperor right, seen from behind.
Rv.: ICE / ΩNATOVC / KVPIOV CEMA / ΓAΘΩTH MH / TPOΠOΛI ΦI / ΛIΠΠOΠO / ΛEI; six lines of inscription in wreath.

This is how I read the legend, but I cannot make anything out of it except of course the last two words: Metropolis Philippopolis. Kyrios in the second line means as I understand it something like "Master" and is used as an Epitheton of different gods in antiquity. However, in total the inscription doesn't make more sense to me. It doesn't seem to be a magistrate's name either (nothing in Münsterberg's "Beamtennamen"). Not in Varbanov or any other reference I consulted.

Can anybody with a deeper understanding in Greek language solve this puzzle for me?

Thank you,
helcaraxe

[curtislclay]

The words have to be divided as follows:

ΙC ΕΩΝΑ ΤΟΥC ΚΥΡΙΟΥC ΕΠ ΑΓΑΘΩ ΤH ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΙ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΠΟΛEΙ

"Everything good (ΕΠ ΑΓΑΘΩ) forever (ΙC ΕΩΝΑ) for our masters (ΤΟΥC ΚΥΡΙΟΥC), the Metropolis Philippopolis"

There is another specimen from the same dies in Berlin, described and illustrated by A. Burnett, ZELA, ACCLAMATIONS, CARACALLA – AND PARTHIA?, Journal of the Institute of Classical Studies, Univ. of London, 2016, pp. 99-100, fig. 43.

I am unclear as to the grammar of the ethnic, ΤH ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΙ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΠΟΛEΙ. By oversight Burnett writes TΩ at the beginning rather than TH, which certainly cannot be right and is refuted by your coin (the Berlin example is more worn) and by Burnett's picture of a similar coin for Septimius Severus (fig. 42).

[curtislclay]

Taking the ethnic to be in the dative case, one could combine it with ΕΠ ΑΓΑΘΩ and translate:

"If our masters rule forever it will be good for the metropolis Philippopolis!"

Or simply two parallel wishes:

"May our masters rule forever and everything go well for the metropolis Philippopolis!"

This last translation is confirmed by Andrew Burnett's version, sent to me in an e-mail:

"Although the Greek is not easy to construe, you can translate as 'Long life to the emperors! Good luck to the Metropolis of Philippopolis!'"

[helcaraxe]

Thank you, Curtis, for this great explanation and translation.

It is incredibly how vast your knowledge of the literature is: I would have never been able to find this reference. Interestingly, the coin referenced in the article and to be in Berlin, is not in the open access catalogue of the museum, which I did check.

I obtained a copy of the Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies article by Burnett and happy to share if anybody has any interest in it. And thanks to Andrew Burnett as well for his email with the translation. Of Course, he is most welcome to use my coin picture if he wants to - I can also try to make better ones if useful to him.

A very pleased
helcaraxe

[curtislclay]

Unfortunately my knowledge of recent literature is very spotty!

It was just chance that I knew of A. Burnett's article: he had asked for my comments on an earlier draft, then sent me a link to the final version.

[helcaraxe]

All the more luckier I call myself, that I thought of presenting the coin here. 

I have just started reading the paper I and must say it is a very interesting read. Please give Andrew Burnett my compliments on this work. A whole new insight of what could be done with ancient coins for me.

semper pax
helcaraxe

[helcaraxe]

Here is the link to the article by A. Burnett:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.2041-5370.2016.12020.x/full

If you can't access the full article, please contact me.

Semper Pax
helcaraxe.