Pauli Gerrei trilingual inscription

The Pauli Gerrei trilingual inscription is a trilingual Greek-Latin-Phoenician inscription on the base of a bronze column found in San Nicolò Gerrei in Sardinia in 1861.[1] The stele was discovered by a notary named Michele Cappai, on the right side of the Strada statale 387 del Gerrei that descends towards Ballao.[2]

The Pauli Gerrei trilingual inscription
Giovanni Spano's 1862 publication of the inscription

Spano donated the inscription to the Museum of Turin; Turin had been the first capital of the unified Kingdom of Italy from 1861 to 1865. Spano subsequently obtained the nomination as Senator of the Kingdom. It is currently in the Turin Archaeology Museum. On 10 October 2009 the then mayor Silvestro Furcas requested the inscription be returned to Pauli Gerrei.

It is also known as KAI 66 and CIS I 143.[3]

Inscriptions

The inscriptions are a votive gift, a Phoenician votive inscription, to the Sardinian healing deity, equivalent to the Phoenician Eshmun and the Greco-Roman Asclepius in gratitude for a grace received.

The three texts do not correspond perfectly to each other. It is thought that the dedications were addressed to different social groups. The Latin text states that Cleon claims is a "slave (S.) of the contracting partners of the salt pans"; the fact that he does not indicate the name of his father and of the tribe he belongs to is an indication of his social status as a servant. The Punic text does not label Cleon as a slave but instead as an employee of the saltworks concession. The Greek inscription described Cleon's role as "superintendent of the salt pans".

  • Latin: CLEON.SALARI.SOC.S.AESCOLAPIO.MERRE.DONVM.DEDIT.LUBENS.MERITO.MERENTE.
    • Translation: Cleon, a salari(ed) s(lave) of (the) comp(any), dedicated (this altar) as a gift to Asclepius-Merre, to whom thanks is deserving.
  • Greek: ΑΣΚΛΗΠΙῼ ΜΗΡΡΗ ΑΝΑΘΕΜΑ ΒΩΜΟΝ ΕΣΤΗΣΕ ΚΛΕΩΝ Ο ΕΠΙ ΤΩΝ ΑΛΩΝ ΚΑΤΑ ΠΡΟΣΤΑΓΜΑ
    • Translation: For Asclepius-Merre this altar was erected, by salt-man Kleon, as (he was) commanded.
  • Punic (transcribed): L’DN L’ŠMN M’RḤ M-ZBḤ NḤŠT MŠQL LṬRM M’T Y. ’Š NDR ’KLYN Š’SGM ’Š B MMLHT. ŠM[῾] [Q]L’ RPY’. BŠT ŠPṬM ḤMLKT W῾BD’ŠMN BN ḤMLN.
    • Translation: To Lord Eshmun-Merreḥ, a bronze altar with a weight of 100, which was dedicated by Kleon, (employee) of the agents who (work) in the saltworks: He heard his voice, He healed (him). In the year of the suffetes Himilco and 'Abd-Eshmun, son of Himilk.

Bibliography

Notes
  1. Spano 1862.
  2. Martini, 1861, p.57-58: "Se non che queste in un modo affatto singolare verranno richiamale dalla insigne e preziosa iscrizione trilingue in bronzo, che nello scorso mese di febbrajo fu trovata nella villa di Pauli Gerrei e nel salto denominato Santjaci da Michele Cappai, allievo notajo, ed ora è posseduta dal chiarissimo mio amico e collega , che dirige questo Bullettino."
  3. The International Cyclopaedia: A Compendium of Human Knowledge. Dodd, Mead. 1892.
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