Macedonian Inscriptions

[TheNikoWhiteIch]

Purpose: The purpose of this thread will be to explore the epigraphs found in the region of Macedonia. These will include inscriptions written in any and all of the languages used in the region of Macedonia from various time periods. For the purpose of this thread, we define Macedonia as the region outlined by black dashes in this map (click).

I will commence an with inscription that mentions the Macedonian god Δάῤῥων (click):

The inscription was found in Pella, Macedonia and is dated back to 200-150 BC. It reads:

"(Ἀ)μφίπολις Δάρρωνι εὐξαμένη ἐπηκόωι."

The proposed interpretation is:

"(A)mphipolis, who prayed to benevolent Darrhon."

Note: Google translate didn't recognize the terms "εὐξαμένη (euxameni)" and "ἐπηκόωι (epikooi)." Is it possible that these are distinct Macedonian variations of Greek words, or are they altogether exclusive to Macedonian?

[Dejan]

euxameni = замоли?
epikooi = кој?

Interesting inscription

[TheNikoWhiteIch]

euxameni = замоли?
epikooi = кој?

Interesting inscription

Interesting. Thanks for pointing that out. Do any of our Greek members recognize those words?

[Amphipolis]

Interesting. Thanks for pointing that out. Do any of our Greek members recognize those words?

Yes, try this way (in masculine gender & nominative case).

Ευξάμενος (euxamenos = the one who has whised, prayed)

https://www.google.gr/search?q=%CE%B5%CF%85%CE%BE%CE%AC%CE%BC%CE%B5%CE%BD%CE%BF%CF%82&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=0N3WVaTCL4mPU7f-s_AJ

Επήκοος (epikoos = the one who listens)

https://www.google.gr/search?q=%CE%B5%CF%85%CE%BE%CE%AC%CE%BC%CE%B5%CE%BD%CE%BF%CF%82&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=0N3WVaTCL4mPU7f-s_AJ#q=%CE%B5%CF%80%CE%AE%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%BF%CF%82

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[TheNikoWhiteIch]

Yes, try this way (in masculine gender & nominative case).

Ευξάμενος (euxamenos = the one who has whised, prayed)

https://www.google.gr/search?q=%CE%B5%CF%85%CE%BE%CE%AC%CE%BC%CE%B5%CE%BD%CE%BF%CF%82&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=0N3WVaTCL4mPU7f-s_AJ

Επήκοος (epikoos = the one who listens)

https://www.google.gr/search?q=%CE%B5%CF%85%CE%BE%CE%AC%CE%BC%CE%B5%CE%BD%CE%BF%CF%82&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=0N3WVaTCL4mPU7f-s_AJ#q=%CE%B5%CF%80%CE%AE%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%BF%CF%82

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Thanks for clarifying that.

Here's another inscription. These are the details:

"Makedonia (Pelagonia) — Bogomila — 55/56 AD — Spomenik 98 (1941-1948) 164, 340 (click)." <--for some reason, the URL doesn't take you to the inscription directly. Follow this path:

Regions: Northern Greece (IG X): Macedonia > Pelagonia > Bogomila > IG X,2 2 > 279

The inscription says:

"Δουλης Κοτυος πᾶσιν φίλος· τοῦ γσʹ."

Running it through Google Translate I got:

"Servant Kotys, friend to all(?); the "γσʹ"

I haven't been successful in finding a translation/meaning of "γσʹ." What do you make of it?

[Amphipolis]

It could be a number, but it's not correct, or a fragment or a mistake. I don't have any ideas.

This was found in Bogomila and was published during late 1940s in this Spomenik journal you see above that is a Serbian archaeological journal. Normally, the publication should have pictures and a full (as possible) translation and analysis.

[TheNikoWhiteIch]

It could be a number, but it's not correct, or a fragment or a mistake. I don't have any ideas.

This was found in Bogomila and was published during late 1940s in this Spomenik journal you see above that is a Serbian archaeological journal. Normally, the publication should have pictures and a full (as possible) translation and analysis.

Assuming that it is a number, do you have an interpretation of it?

[Amphipolis]

Assuming that it is a number, do you have an interpretation of it?

Actually, it IS a number. Searching randomly in this website I found several inscriptions where numbers are written with letters in reverse order. This is another example:

Regions : Northern Greece (IG X) : Macedonia : Odomantike : Agio Pneuma

SEG 46:708
Makedonia (Odomantike) — Ag. Pneuma — 26/27 AD — AD 46 B (1991) 318-319

ἔτους δορʹ, Ὑπερβ-
ταίου γʹ· Κετριζις Μεσ-
τικένθου, εὐδαί-
μων, χαῖρε· χαῖρε καὶ σὺ παροδῖτα· Μάντα γυνή.


Thus γσ' (properly written σγ') is 203rd. (number of year, numbering starts from 148 BC)


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[George S.]

So what has macedonian numbering got to do with greek i thought the ancient macedonian was incomprehensible to the greeks.???Thats one reason why macedonians are referred to as barbarians for their non greekness.Amphipolis you are happy to present your alternative crap the mods should have you banned.You shoild know that we macedonians won't tolerate your bs here.Also don't try to bs to us here as we are on to you.

[Amphipolis]

So what has macedonian numbering got to do with greek i thought the ancient macedonian was incomprehensible to the greeks.???Thats one reason why macedonians are referred to as barbarians for their non greekness.Amphipolis you are happy to present your alternative crap the mods should have you banned.You shoild know that we macedonians won't tolerate your bs here.Also don't try to bs to us here as we are on to you.

These are not MY views and they're certainly not alternative. These are the common Greek numerals.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_numerals

From the above link:
This alphabetic system operates on the additive principle in which the numeric values of the letters are added together to obtain the total. For example, 241 was represented as ΣΜΑ' (200 + 40 + 1). (It was not always the case that the numbers ran from highest to lowest: a 4th-century BC inscription at Athens placed the units to the left of the tens. This practice continued in Asia Minor well into the Roman period.[2])

Regarding the year, there were two different numberings in Macedonia at the period. The one was known as Macedonian Year starting at 148 BC, the other known as Sebaston Year starting at 31 BC.

The two inscriptions of the above posts #5 and #8 have the number of year ON them (lucky archaelogists).


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[TheNikoWhiteIch]

Whatever the spoken Macedonian language was is another matter entirely. From my understanding of it (correct me if I'm wrong), much of the Greek epigraphy that has been discovered in the region of Macedonia (as I defined it in the 1st post) is in Doric, Attic, and Koine. There probably were some peculiarities that would cause standard Greek grammar rules to be broken (numbers written backwards, misspellings of the most basic words), but from the looks of it these inscriptions are understandable to those who know Greek...or can use Google Translate lol. Now, I did find a list of attested Macedonian words that were found in epigraphy. These are:

ἄγημα ágēma = 'vanguard, guards' ( 4 times only in Macedon ~ 200 BC ).
ἀρχικερδέμπορος archikerdemporos = president of guild of merchants (hapax).
Βλουρεῖτις Bloureitis = epithet of Artemis. (Skydra 106 AD, hapax).
Δάῤῥων Darrhôn = god of healing.
ἐδέατρος edeatros also archedeatros = 'taster'; (3 inscriptions, all related to late Ptolemies).
ἑταῖροι hetairoi = companion cavalry after 350 BC.
κότθυβος kotthubos = non-metallic armour. (Amphipolis - ca.200 BC, hapax).
Κυναγίδας Kynagidas = epithet of Herakles. (Attic kynegos Doric kynagos Hunter) attested in 14 inscriptions of various places in Macedonia from 4th century BC to 2nd century AD. Κυναγὼ Kynago epithet of Artemis, attested twice. (Protectors of Hunters). Oldest inscription in Beroea — ca. 350-300 BC (spelled in one inscription, Kounagidas).
κνῖμα or κνίμα knima (line 17 see trakylion below).
All of the Macedonian months, of which Dystros and Gorpiaios have no apparent etymology in Greek.
νεύω neuo = pray (Thessalian nebeuo) (Attic euchomai) (Attic neuo nod,wink). Attested as feminine past participles in Berenika's archineusasai women and Alexandra Argaiou, Kala Thea neusasa.
πελιγᾶνες peligânes = Macedonian senators
πυρόκαυσις pyrokausis ( 9 times in 2 inscriptions ~200 BC ) ( = additional draft,military recruitment per family. Each family provided one soldier.)
σάρισσα sárissa (σάρισα sarisa; attested hapax with one s in the military decree of Amphipolis.) = a long pike used by the Macedonian phalanx.
σκοῖδος skoidos = administrator, secretary, quaestor (Elimeia-late 4th-mid. 3rd c. BC).
συνοπλᾶνες synoplânes = co-fighters (2nd/3rd c.AD) (singular: συνοπλὰν synoplan or σύνοπλας synoplas) (Attic synoploi,synoplos) syn- + hoplon hoplites.
τρακύλιον trakylion = ((..the pathway between the two trakylia...rivers..mountains..)).
ὑπασπισταὶ hypaspistai ( = the ones under shield , hypo- + aspis) (wiki Hypaspists) (6 times in Macedon).
Ψευδάνωρ Pseudanôr epithet of Dionysus.

Source: here

[TheNikoWhiteIch]

These are not MY views and they're certainly not alternative. These are the common Greek numerals.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_numerals

From the above link:
This alphabetic system operates on the additive principle in which the numeric values of the letters are added together to obtain the total. For example, 241 was represented as ΣΜΑ' (200 + 40 + 1). (It was not always the case that the numbers ran from highest to lowest: a 4th-century BC inscription at Athens placed the units to the left of the tens. This practice continued in Asia Minor well into the Roman period.[2])

Regarding the year, there were two different numberings in Macedonia at the period. The one was known as Macedonian Year starting at 148 BC, the other known as Sebaston Year starting at 31 BC.

The two inscriptions of the above posts #5 and #8 have the number of year ON them (lucky archaelogists).


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Very interesting information about the year numberings. Where can I read more about it?

[TheNikoWhiteIch]

Actually, it IS a number. Searching randomly in this website I found several inscriptions where numbers are written with letters in reverse order. This is another example:

Regions : Northern Greece (IG X) : Macedonia : Odomantike : Agio Pneuma

SEG 46:708
Makedonia (Odomantike) — Ag. Pneuma — 26/27 AD — AD 46 B (1991) 318-319

ἔτους δορʹ, Ὑπερβ-
ταίου γʹ· Κετριζις Μεσ-
τικένθου, εὐδαί-
μων, χαῖρε· χαῖρε καὶ σὺ παροδῖτα· Μάντα γυνή.


Thus γσ' (properly written σγ') is 203rd. (number of year, numbering starts from 148 BC)


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If you include an inscription, I ask that you add the translation too for the sake of not making this thread too long. I see what looks like the month of Ὑπερβερεταῖος (Hyperberetaios) but cut off. And maybe the word for "praise, salute (χαῖρε)?".

[Amphipolis]

Very interesting information about the year numberings. Where can I read more about it?

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10556790601029591?journalCode=gaat20

Abstract
As a result of the conquests of Alexander the Great, the lunisolar Macedonian calendar became the most widely circulated among all the lunisolar Greek calendars. However, despite its spread, two Roman calendars, generally unknown in the scientific community, were developed and used inside Macedonia itself during the Roman occupation of Greece. The older calendar used the so-called ‘Macedonian year’. This system started in 148 BC to emphasize the importance of the victory of the Roman general Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus against Pseudo-Philippus Andriscus, King of Macedonia. The newer calendrical system, which absorbed the older system, used the ‘Augustian or respectable year’ bearing its name from Octavius Augustus; its starting point was the date of the catalytic victory of Octavius over Marcus Antonius and Cleopatra at Actium (31 BC). The solar Octavian calendar survived until the sixth or seventh century in the Macedonian Territory.

By the way, before that it was the Seleucid Era with numbering starting at 312/311 BC

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seleucid_era

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[George S.]

There are subltle dufferences of which you are oblivious and I disagree with you that its just greek.Macedonian is different to your greek.