Reference / Paper · 2016
The Inscriptions of the Antikythera Mechanism, 6: The Front Cover Inscription
Almagest 7(1). The planetary text, including the 462 (Venus) and 442 (Saturn) year periods.
- antikythera
- inscriptions
- planets
Reference / Paper · 2016
Almagest 7(1). The planetary text, including the 462 (Venus) and 442 (Saturn) year periods.
M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. 6 The Front Cover Inscription 250 DOI 10.1484/J.ALMAGEST.5.110737 Department of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece E-mail: [email protected] Y. Bitsakis Department of Primary Education, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens/ Institute of Historical Research/National Hellenic Research Foundation, Greece E-mail: [email protected] A. Jones i Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York, USA E-mail: [email protected] X. Moussas Department of Astrophysics, Astronomy and Mechanics, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece E-mail: [email protected] A.Tselikas Centre for History and Palaeography, National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation, Greece E-mail: [email protected] 251 M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. M. Anastasiou M. Zafeiropoulou National Archaeological Museum of Athens, Greece E-mail: [email protected] Abstract The bronze plate known as the “Front Cover” of the Antikythera Mechanism had inscriptions on its outside face. This paper describes the reconstruction of the surviving parts of this text from the Mechanism’s fragments, giving transcriptions and translations. The texts give data on synodic cycles for the five planets, and it may be conjectured that lost lines described the behaviour of the Sun and Moon. The data strongly support the idea that planetary motions were displayed on the front face of the Mechanism using simple epicyclic or eccentric models. Previously unattested long and accurate period relations are given for Venus and Saturn, which are favourable for geared representation and probably of Greek, rather than Babylonian, origin. This is an open access chapter distributed under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International License. 6.1 Introduction M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. Whereas during much or all of the time that it was immersed in the sea the Mechanism’s back face was partly covered by an inscribed plate (the Back Cover Plate),1 the front face was covered by two layers of inscribed plate. Fragment C, in its “original” 1902 state, comprised these two layers fused to parts of the front face (the dial plate and the casing of the Moon’s phase display). Immediately superimposed on the front face were the two Parapegma plates, displaced from their proper locations above and below the dial plate and oriented in what seems to be a random manner.2 The Parapegma plates were themselves overlaid by the plate that we conventionally call the Front Cover Plate, though we cannot be certain that it really was meant to serve as a cover or that the position in which it was found reflects where it was meant to be when the Mechanism was intact. On its outside face, the Front Cover Plate bore an inscription, oriented upright with respect to the Mechanism’s top and bottom. Like the Back Cover Plate, the Front Cover Plate accumulated a hard layer of accretion over its inscribed face that retained mirror-reversed offsets of the inscription. Patches of the accretion layer subsequently became detached from the corresponding surfaces of the plate and became fused again in somewhat shifted positions. 252 As part of the c. 1905 conservation work, the accretion layer and the Front Cover Plate were painstakingly removed from Fragment C in many small pieces, and most of the pieces of the Front Cover were later reassembled as the present Fragment G. Besides G, two smaller pieces of the plate exist as separate fragments; and additionally we have many small fragments of the accretion layer bearing offsets, most but not all of which overlap with extant parts of the Front Cover. (Also some bits of the accretion layer remain on the surface of G.) In all we have a vertical extent of a little over 110 mm preserving parts of 43 consecutive lines of the inscription, and there were certainly more lines at the beginning and likely also more at the end. Supposing that the plate was truly a cover, it could have held about sixty lines of text if its height matched that of the front dial plate, and double that if it protected the entire front face. The aggregate width of the surviving plate is about 115 mm. If, as seems probable, the plate was originally about the same width as the Mechanism’s faces (i.e. just over 170 mm), the average line would have contained about 70 letters. We can thus estimate that the complete inscription contained well over three hundred words, and likely on the order of five hundred to a thousand words. The surviving portion of the inscription consists of descriptions of the cycles of apparent motion (synodic cycles) of the five planets through the zodiac. Each planet is discussed individually in a passage of eight to twelve lines, in the order Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. (The planets’ pointers were described in the same order in the Back Cover 1 2 IAM 5.1. IAM 3.1-2. Texts providing such information about planetary synodic cycles are attested in both Greek and Babylonian astronomy. For a close parallel, comprising five sections giving breakdowns of each planet’s synodic cycle into stages of specific durations, we have to wait until late antiquity. The text in question is transmitted in various Byzantine astrological manuscripts, some of which ascribe it to Heliodoros, the brother of the sixth century AD Neoplatonist philosopher Ammonios; it is based in a rather haphazard way on Ptolemy’s astronomical models and tables, but debases Ptolemy by treating each planet’s synodic cycle as a constant period subdivided into constant stages.4 In the planetary theories of both Babylonian and Roman-period Greek astronomy the synodic cycles were modelled as variable and dependent on the planet’s position in the zodiac. It is probably significant that the only instances currently known of texts on cuneiform tablets or Greco-Egyptian papyri that prescribe a nonvarying subdivision of a planet’s synodic cycles pertain to Venus, the planet with the least pronounced zodiacal anomaly.5 The Front Cover Inscription is not simply an astronomical text, but an astronomical text accompanying an astronomical mechanism. The reader of such a text in such a setting would receive it not only as a description of astronomical reality but at the same time as a description of the behavior of the device: the theoretical assumptions built into it as well as the phenomena that it simulated. The Front Cover Inscription and the Back Cover Inscription thus have complementary roles as “captions” for the Mechanism, with the Back Cover Inscription giving the viewer a guide to the meaning of the many exterior features, and the Front Cover Inscription directing the viewer’s attention to the astronomical “facts” that these features displayed when the Mechanism was in operation. Since there is no reason why the text should have been limited to describing the behavior of the planets (or, if we prefer, the behavior of the planetary pointers on the front dial), we may conjecture that lost lines were devoted to the phenomena of the Sun and Moon as represented by the gearwork. 3 IAM 5.5, note to I 18. 4 Neugebauer 1958. 5 Babylonian cuneiform tablet BM 33552, in Britton & Walker 1991; Greek papyrus POxy astron. 4135 in Jones 1999, 1.81-84 and 2.10-13. 253 M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. Inscription, with the Sun inserted between Venus and Mars.) 3 The first part of each planet’s section states a long time interval that is supposed to contain exact whole numbers of synodic cycles, periods of the planet’s revolution around the zodiac, and solar years, followed by the approximate length of a single synodic cycle in days. The remainder of the section breaks down the synodic cycle into intervals of specified durations in days, characterized by whether the planet is moving eastward or westward in the zodiac and towards or away from the Sun. M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. Just as the Back Cover Inscription supplies the modern investigator with information about aspects of the Mechanism’s exterior that cannot be reconstructed from the physical remains, the Front Cover Inscription provides us with clues to the lost planetary gearwork as well as some measure of the understanding of planetary motion that the designers of the Mechanism possessed. In this last respect it is especially valuable, despite its many lacunae, because we have extremely few documents from the Hellenistic period that present any aspect of planetary theory beyond an elementary level. 254 Three fragments are parts of the original inscribed plate of the Front Cover Inscription. In addition, we have many identified fragments of the accretion layer bearing offsets of the inscription. With the exception of Fragments 42 and 51, the original relative locations of all the fragments are known (Figs 6.1-6.2).6 Figure 6.1: CT composite image of the plate fragments of the Front Cover Inscription (Image: Antikythera Mechanism Research Project) 6 The locations on G of offset fragments 23, 37-41, 43-44, and the fragments with numbers above 45 were found by A. Jones; T. Freeth found the location of 27, while Jones and Freeth independently located 21. Freeth conjectured the locations of 26 and 29 in relation to G before they were established by study of the text and the photographic evidence for 29 mentioned in the next note. Most of these juxtapositions of fragments were shown visually in a video animation prepared by Images First Ltd. which was displayed as part of the National Archaeological Museum’s temporary exhibition, “The Antikythera Shipwreck: The Ship, The Treasures, the Mechanism” (April 5, 2012-June 29, 2014). 255 M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. 6.2 Fragments preserving parts of the Front Cover Inscription M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. 256 Figure 6.2: Locations of offset fragments of the Front Cover Inscription. For notations with appended letters see the introduction to the apparatus in section 6.4 (Image: Antikythera Mechanism Research Project) Fragments of the Front Cover Plate Fragment G (supplementary Fig. S5), 115 mm (width) by 94 mm (height), containing parts of thirty-six text lines (1-36, though the remains of 36 are just illegible traces). This fragment, our principal witness for the Front Cover Inscription, was assembled by museum technicians from about twenty pieces of plate, the largest of which, constituting its lower right portion, is approximately 48 mm by 51 mm. Most of the pieces bear visible writing, though some patches are concealed behind a thin layer of accretion. The engraving is everywhere shallow and blurred owing to corrosion and perhaps also early chemical cleaning, and even in CT images the legibility varies from mediocre to poor. The surface towards the lower right edge tapers to complete smoothness. The continuity of text as established in the present transcription confirms that the pieces have been fitted together correctly. The average baseline-to-baseline spacing in G is approximately 2.6 mm as measured between the baselines of lines 2 and 36. Typical letter height is about 2.0 mm. The average letter width, from left edge to left edge of consecutive letters, is approximately 2.2 mm, though from line to line the average can deviate by as much as roughly 10% from this value. Thus while the letter heights and horizontal spacing of the Front Cover Inscription are about the same as those of the Back Cover Inscription, the line spacing is considerably tighter than Fragment 26 (Fig. 6.3, left), 26 mm by 20 mm, containing parts of seven text lines (10-16). Figure 6.3: Fragments 26 (left) and 29 (right) (Images: National Archaeological Museum, Athens, photographer: Kostas Xenikakis, copyright: Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports/Archaeological Receipts Fund) Fragment 29 (Fig. 6.3, right), 23 mm by 23 mm, containing parts of ten text lines (lines 34-43, the last of which is just illegible traces). In some of Price’s photographs taken during his visit to the National Archeological Museum in 1958, Fragment 29 is visible as an attached part of G, joining the present bottom edge at its left end. 8 The correctness of this join is confirmed by Fragment 23’s offsets, which overlap parts of both 29 and G. Continuity of text establishes that Fragment 26 belongs in the large inlet of the right side of G. The configuration of the three plate fragments is shown in Fig. 6.1. Fragments of the accretion layer containing offsets of the inscription We list below the offset fragments with their approximate dimensions and the line numbers of the text lines that they partially preserve. Figs. 6.4-6.7 show photographs and PTM 7 IAM 5.2. 8 Adler Planetarium collection, color negative in Envelope 2, showing all fragments in the cardboard boxes; black-and-white photograph in Price family collection showing Price measuring Fragment A with G and other fragments visible on his work table. A blackand-white photograph of G in Adler Folder 1, reproduced as Price 1974, 50, fig. 40, shows the fragment missing not only Fragment 29 but also two small bits that are at present attached immediately to the left and right of where 29 was. Black-and-white negatives in Adler Negative Roll 2 show G in its present state together with several small fragments. Unfortunately we do not know the relative chronology of the various photographs. 257 M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. the Back Cover Inscription’s 3.5 mm baseline-to-baseline.7 images of these fragments, and Fig. 6.2 shows their original locations in relation to the plate fragments where these are known. M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. 21: 45 mm by 26 mm, 9 lines (25-33). 23: 28 mm by 35 mm, 13 lines (27-39). 27: 18 mm by 25 mm, 9 lines (13-21). 37: 23 mm by 38 mm, 7 lines (20-26). 38: 36 mm by 18 mm, 3 lines (6-8). 39: 27 mm by 20 mm, 4 lines (10-13). 40: 28 mm by 16 mm, 4 lines (6-9). 41: 23 mm by 23 mm, 5 lines (25-29). 42: 20 mm by 14 mm, 3 lines (not placed). 43: 22 mm by 21 mm, 5 lines (4-8). 44: 26 mm by 17 mm, 4 lines (26-29). 49: 09 mm by 08 mm, 3 lines (25-27). 51: 13 mm by 14 mm, 5 lines (not placed). 54: 10 mm by 12 mm, 4 lines (8-11). 55: 10 mm by 14 mm, 5 lines (6-10). 56: 07 mm by 09 mm, 3 lines (10-12). 60: 10 mm by 11 mm, 3 lines (25-27). 258 Figure 6.4: Fragments 21, 23, and 27, mirror-reflected (Images: National Archaeological Museum of Athens (K. Xenikakis), copyright: Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports/Archaeological Receipts Fund) Figure 6.5: Mirror-reflected PTM images of Fragments 21, 23, and 27 with specular enhancement (Image: Antikythera Mechanism Research Project) Figure 6.6: Fragment 23, CT composite images of offsets on surface (left) and flakes in interior (right) (Image: Antikythera Mechanism Research Project) M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. 259 M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. Figure 6.7: Mirror-reversed PTM images of small offset fragments with specular enhancement (Image: Antikythera Mechanism Research Project) 260 Most of the offset fragments are thin plates, but 23 and 27 are comparatively thick, and their interiors contain jumbled flakes of accretion including some that bear offsets legible in CT. The interior offsets in 23 are particularly helpful for reconstituting the inscription (Fig. 6.6). All the offset fragments are presumed to have been separated from Fragment C during the conservation work of c. 1905. The 1903 published photograph of C-1 (supplementary Fig. S9) shows only the Front Cover plate and the layer of accretion, featureless and indistinguishable from each other. Rediadis reported that C-1 bore “traces of an illegible (forwards-running) inscription”, and it is possible that a region indicated by the letter “b” in the photograph was where these letters could be seen.9 9 This is according to the German language edition, Svoronos 1903b, 46. In the Greek edition, Svoronos 1903a, 46, Rediadis mistakenly asserted that C-1 bore the part of the Back Plate Inscription that Svoronos had in fact transcribed from A-2. The letters on Plate 10 were intended to mark features discussed in Rediadis’s text, but there is no reference to “b”. The region marked by “b” corresponds to the upper right corner of the present Fragment G, where the lettering is comparatively clearly preserved. 10 Rehm 1905, 17-18. 11 Rehm 1906a. 12 Rehm must therefore have previously made a collection of eight inscription fragments labelled α through θ, which is not known to survive. These likely included the inscriptions on Fragments A-2 (Back Plate Inscription), B-1 (Back Cover Inscription offsets), and 19 (Back Cover Inscription) previously published by Svoronos and Stais, the Egyptian calendar month and the Parapegma Inscription that Rehm had found on C-1 in 1905, and perhaps also the Back Cover Inscription offsets on A-2 and the isolated inscribed letters on A-2 and C-2. 13 Price collection at the Adler Planetarium. This sheet must have duplicated a set of Rehm’s notes different from the 1906 notebook. 14 Rehm’s π is 25 (offsets of the Back Plate Inscription); we have not been able to identify ρ. 15 Theofanidis’s transcription of text read on “certain oxidized fragments of inscribed plates” (Theofanidis [1927-1930], “99” [correct pagination 91]) is from the part of G that Rehm copied as his fragment omicron, but it is not possible to tell whether it was still a separate fragment in the 1920s. It seems improbable that a conservator would have known how to fit the pieces of G together at a date so remote from when they were separated from C. 261 M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. By the time that Rehm saw C-1 in September, 1905, the Front Cover plate and accretion layer had been entirely removed (supplementary Fig. S10).10 The first record of the Front Cover Inscription fragments as separate entities is Rehm’s notebook of 1906.11 On the pages numbered 86 and 87 of this notebook (Fig. 6.8), Rehm drew the outlines and what he could make out of the text of ten small fragments, labelled with the Greek letters ι through σ.12 A transcript of Rehm’s copies, without the Greek letter identifiers, also exists among Price’s manuscript notes on the inscriptions (Fig. 6.9), and this includes three more fragments which, for continuity, we designate τ through φ.13 Rehm’s copies are interesting as showing that Fragment G had not yet been assembled from the pieces that had been separated from C. His ι, ο, and ξ are easily recognized as three of the larger pieces now in G. Among the offset fragments that Rehm copied, κ is the present 41 joined to the bottom half (only!) of 37; λ is 40, but some letters copied by Rehm have since broken off; μ is 43, but again some letters have since broken off; ν is a piece of 21; σ is 44; τ is probably 23; υ is another piece of 21; and φ is 27.14 It thus appears that some joining of small offset fragments, as well as minor breakage, took place between 1906 and 1958, when Price saw the fragments in essentially the form that they have now (except for the detachment of 29 from G).15 M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. 262 Figure 6.8: Pages from Rehm’s 1906 notebook with copies of small inscription fragments (Bayerische Staatsbibliothek) M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. 263 Figure 6.9: Price’s transcription of Rehm’s small inscription copies (Adler Planetarium) 6.3 Previous transcriptions and study of the Front Cover Inscription Rehm’s copies of fragments of the Front Cover Inscription plate and offsets, preserved in his 1906 notebook and in a transcription among Price’s papers, have been referred to above in section 2. The first published transcription of any part of the inscription appeared in Theofanidis’s encyclopedia article on the voyages of St. Paul; it comprises a few letters and traces from lines 21-31.16 Price gave disjointed readings (fewer than two hundred letters, few complete words) from the more legible parts of thirty lines of G in Gears from the Greeks, as well as six lines from Fragment 21.17 M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. The 2006 AMRP paper presented a far more extensive provisional text of Fragment G, comprising nearly a thousand letters read from CT.18 A revised and extended text by A. Tselikas was reported by M. Zafeiropoulou in 2012.19 264 16 Theofanidis [1927-1930], “99” [correct pagination 91]. The first five lines are reprinted in Theofanidis 1934, 146. 17 Price 1974, 49, Fig. 38 and 48, Fig. 37. The caption of the latter figure seems to imply that Price thought that Fragment 21 belonged to the Back Plate Inscription. 18 Freeth et al. 2006, Supplementary Information, 8. 19 Zapheiropoulou 2012, 245. The text presented here combines readings from fragments G, 26, and 29 of the Front Cover Plate, read from CT, readings from the offset fragments 21, 23, 27, 37-44, 49, 51, 54-56, and 60, read from both CT and PTMs, and occasional readings from Rehm’s 1906 copies of lost portions of offset fragments. The apparatus reports details of the contributions of the individual fragments. 265 M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. 6.4 Transcription and translation Text ὑπολει]π̣όμενος [ 1 μεγίσ]τ ̣ο̣υ̣ ἀποστήμ[ατος 2 ] ̣ο̣ν ἐξ ἀρχῆς Π̣[ 3 ]Σ̣[ ̣ ̣] ̣ ̣ ε̣ἰ ̣ς̣ δὲ [τ]ὰ̣ ἑπόμενα. v ὁ δὲ Φώ̣[σφορος 4 ] ζ̣ω̣ ι ̣δ̣[ί]ου, ἐν δὲ ἴσοις v υξβ̣L v ἀποκατασ̣τάσ[εις 5 ]ΥΣ υ̅ξ ̅β̅, ἑ̣κάστην δ᾿ ἀποκατάστασιν ἐν ἡμέρ̣αις φ̅[π̅δ̅ 6 ] ̣ΝΑΣ. κ̣α̣ὶ ̣ ἀ̣πὸ̣ μὲν [τ]ῆ̣ς πρὸς τὸν Ἥλιον συνό̣δου̣ ὑ̣πολε[ίπεται 7 ]Ν̣ ἀπόστημα ἐν ἡμέραις σ̅κ̅δ̣̅. προσάγει δὲ πρὸς τὸν Ἥλ[ιον 8 παρ]α̣γίνεται ἐπὶ τὸν [ἑ]σπεριν ̣ὸν στηριγμὸν, ἀπέ̣χω̣ν ἀπὸ τ ̣ο[ῦ Ἡλίου 9 πρ]οσάγει πρὸς τὸν Ἥ̣λιον ἐκ̣ προηγήσεων καὶ σύνοδον Α ̣Ω ̣[ 10 ] ἐπὶ τὸ μέγιστο̣ν ἀπόστη̣μ̣α ἐν ἄλλαις ἡμέραις v ξ̅η̅ v ̣ ̣[ 11 στηριγ]μὸν ̣Σ̣ προηγο̣ύμενος, ἀ̣ποστὰς δ᾿ ἀπ[ὸ τ]ο̣ῦ̣ Ἡλίου ̣Μ̣ [ 12 ] ἡ̣μ̣έ̣ρ̣α̣ις μ̅ ̣θ̅ ̣ ὑπολ̣ειπό̣μ̣ενος ἐπὶ τὸ μέγισ̣τ̣[ον ἑ]ῶιον ἀπόστη[μα 13 ἀπο]στήματος̣ προσά[γ]ε̣[ι] πρὸς τ ̣ὸ̣[ν Ἥλιον ὑπ]ολειπόμεν[ος 14 ]Χ ̣ Η ΣΤ ̣ Σ ̣ Ο ̣ ̣ Α̣ Ε ΠΙΤΕ ̣ [ - 7 -] ̣ Α̣ ̣ Σ ̣ Π [ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ] Π̣ Ο̣ Σ Τ ̣ ̣ ̣ Σ ΙΝ ̣ [ 15 ]Σ ̣ Τ ̣ Α̣ Τ ΑΙΣ ̣ ̣ Β ̣ Ι ΩΝΤ ̣ Α̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ [ -12- ]ΤΑΣ ̣ [ 16 ἑ]κ̣ά̣στην̣ δ᾿̣ ἀποκατάστασιν ἐν ἡμέραις μικ[ρῶι ἐλάσσοσι 17 ] ̣Σ ̣ ̣ ἄρχεται δ̣έ τὴν ὑ̣πόλειψιν ̣ ̣Ν ̣Μ̣ ̣ ̣Σ ἀπέχω̣[ν ἀπὸ τοῦ 18 19 ] ἑσπ[ερινοῦ] στηριγμοῦ, καὶ ὑπολείπεται μέχρι τῆς ἑῶιας στά[σεως 20 ] ̣ ̣[ ̣ ̣] ̣ ̣αι ̣ς τ̅μ̅θ̅ v ἡμέραις σύ̣νοδο̣ν ποι̣ε̣ῖται τῶι Ἡλ̣ί ̣ω̣ ι ̣ ΜΑΣΗ̣[ M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. 21 266 ]αις τ̅μ̅θ̣̅ ἐπὶ τ̣ὸν ἑ̣ῶ̣ ι ̣ο̣ν στ̣ηριγμὸν̣ ἀ̣πέχων ἀ̣πὸ τοῦ Ἡλίου ὡς ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣[ ] π̅β̣̅ v καὶ ̣ ἐπὶ τὴ̣ν̣ ἑ̣σπερι ̣νὴν παραγί ̣νεται στάσιν ἀπέχω̣ν ἀπὸ [τοῦ 22 23 24 ] δ̣ὲ ἡ̣μ̣έ̣ρ̣α̣ς η̣̅ πάλιν ̣ ̣ ̣Ε̣ ̣ ὑ̣πολεί ̣π̣εσθ̣αι ̣. ἐν δὲ ΤΩ ̣ ̣ ̣Α̣[ ]ΝΕ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ στάσι ̣ν. ὁ δὲ Φ̣α̣έθω̣ ν ἐν v ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ἀποκαταστ̣ά̣σ̣[εις ] ἑκάστη̣ν ̣ δ᾿ ἀπο̣κατάστασιν ἐν ̣ ἡμέραις μικρῶι ̣ ἐλάσσ[οσι 25 ] ̣ ̣ ̣ καὶ δω̣δεκατη̣μόριον Ω̣[ ̣] ἄ̣ρχεται δὲ τὴν ὑπόλε̣ι ̣ψ̣ιν̣ [ 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 ] ̣Δ̣ΙΟΝ[ ̣] ̣Ζ v ἀπὸ τοῦ ἑσπερινοῦ̣ στηριγμοῦ καὶ ὑπολείπ̣[εται ] ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ΕΤΩΝ̣ ἕ̣ω̣ς ἐν χρό̣ν̣ωι ̣ τ̣αῖς v ρ̅λ̅θ̅ ἡμέραις σύνοδ̣[ον ] τα̣ῖς ἄλλαις ρ̅λ̅θ̣̅ v ἐπὶ τὸν ἑ̣ῶιον στηριγμόν̣, ἀπέχ̣[ων ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἡλίου ] ̣ μείνας ἡμέρας v η̅ v προηγεῖται ἡμέρας [ ] ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ καὶ πάλι μείνας τὰς η̅ ἡμέρας, πάλι ̣ν̣ Α̣Ρ[ ] ̣ τῶν v ρ̅δ̅ v ἡμέραν, γίνεται κατὰ διάμετρο̣ν [ ἀποκα]ταστάσεις ἐν μ̣[ ̣ ̣ ̣ ] ̣ ̣[ ̣] υ̣̅μ̅β̅ v διαπο̣ρευθεὶ ̣ς τ̣ὸ̣ν̣ [ ἀποκ]ατάστασιν ἐν [ -9- ] ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ [ -5- ] ̣ ̣ ̣ [ ̣ ] ̣ ̣ ̣ τὴ]ν ὑπόλει ̣ψ[̣ ι]ν Π[ -17- ]ΤΟΝ ̣[ ὑπολε]ίπεται μέχρ[ι -19- ] ̣ ̣[ ] σ̣[ύ]ν̣[ο]δον πο̣ιεῖτ[αι στ]η̣ριγ̣μ̣ὸν ἀπ̣[έχ]ω[ν 39 ] ἡμέρας [ 40 με]ίνας v η̅ [ 41 42 43 ] κ̣ατὰ διάμ̣[ετρον ] ̣ποστ[ ] ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣[ 3 ]ΞΔ v Κ[ Unplaced fragment (Fragment 51) 1 ]Ν̣ ̣ [ 2 ]ΝΤ̣Κ Δ ̣ [ 3 ] μεί ̣ν ̣α[ς 4 στηρ]ιγ̣ μο ̣ ̣ [ 5 ἡμ]έρ ̣αις ̣ [ Apparatus To indicate which letters are preserved on the various fragments of the inscribed plate (G, 26, and 27) and the accretion layer (all other fragments), the readings of each line from each fragment are reported separately below, with the fragment identified in the second column. “Gs” refers to displaced flakes of inscription adhering to G; “40R” and “43R” are letters of Fragments 40 and 43 read by Rehm in 1906 but no longer extant, and “23i” and “27i” are letters embedded inside Fragments 23 and 27. 1 G ὑπολει]π ̣όμενος [ π ̣: right vertical with serif, right end of horizontal along edge G μεγίσ]τ ̣ο ̣υ ̣ ἀποστήμ[ατος 2 τ̣: bottom of vertical along edge | ο ̣: lower half of loop | υ ̣: vertical, possibly a bit of the vee along edge 3 G ] ̣ο ̣ν ἐξ ἀρχῆς Π̣ [ ̣: serifed bottom of vertical? | ο ̣: complete but malformed, with straight right side | Π̣ : left vertical, bending left at bottom, and left part of horizontal 4 G ]Σ ̣ [ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ]Ε ̣Ι ̣Σ ̣ [ -3- ] ̣ ἑπόμενα. v ὁ δὲ Φώ ̣ [ Σ 1̣ : complete but blurry | Ε ̣: traces at baseline, middle, and top height along edge, sigma not excluded | Ι̣: vertical with serif at top; superimposed, an apparent narrow loop, too narrow for phi, seems to be surface damage | Σ ̣2: entire but distorted | ̣: trace near baseline along edge | v half letter | ω̣ : left horizontal with serif, lower left part of loop along edge Gs ] ̣ ̣[ ̣ ̣: bottom of vertical, slightly sloping to right at top, possibly met near bottom by descending diagonal from its left; to the right of this, bottom of a vertical with bend (serif?) to right at baseline 43 ]Σ̣ Δ Ε[ Σ ̣: right end of lower horizontal, sloping downwards to right, with serif 5 G ] ζ̣ω̣ ι ̣δ̣[ί]ου, ε[ν] δ̣ὲ ισο[ -4- ]β̣ L v ἀποκατασ̣τάσ[ M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. 267 Unplaced fragment (Fragment 42) 1 ] ̣ [ ̣ ] Α[ 2 ]Ο̣Γ̣ΙΣΤ[ ζ ̣ω ̣ι ̣δͅ indistinct and distorted, near edge | δ̣ : lower right corner of letter, indistinct | M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. σ̣ : serifed right end of lower horizontal and slight trace of right end of upper horizontal 268 Gs ]ΕΝΔ[ 43 ]Σ̣ΟΙΣ v Υ[ Σ̣ : bottom half, indistinct | v half letter 43R ] ̣Ο< ̣>ΣΥΞ[ ̣ : bottom of steeply sloping ascending diagonal at edge Rehm | < ̣ >: Rehm leaves no space for a letter between Ο and Σ 6 G ]ΥΣ υ ̅ξ ̅β ̅, ἑ ̣κάστην δ᾿ ἀποκατάστασιν ἐν ἡμέρ̣αις φ ̅ [ ε ̣: indistinct, along break | ρ ̣: trace at top level along break 38 ] ἑ ̣κάστ̣ην ̣ δ᾿ [ ε ̣: indistinct | τ ̣: serifed vertical | ν ̣: indistinct 43 ]ΟΚΑΤΑΣ[ 40R ]ΤΑ ̣Σ[ Α ̣: Λ Rehm 40 ]Τ̣ [ Τ̣: serifed bottom of vertical 7 G ] ̣ΝΑ ̣Σ ̣. κ ̣α ̣ὶ ̣ ἀ ̣πὸ ̣ μὲν [τ]ῆ ̣ς πρὸς τὸν Ἥλιον συνό ̣δου ̣ ὑ ̣πολε[ ̣: trace near baseline | Α ̣Σ ̣ κ ̣α ̣ι ̣: indistinct | α̣ : apical letter | ο̣ : trace of upper right of loop along break | η̣ : right vertical | ο̣ : top left part of loop along edge | υ ̣: bottom of vertical | υ ̣: indistinct 55 ]ΝΑΣ[ 38 ἀ]πὸ μὲ ̣ν τ ̣ῆ ̣ς ̣ [ ε ̣: top and bottom horizontals | τ ̣η ̣ς ̣: indistinct 43 ]ΣΤΟΝΗ̣ [ Η ̣: left half of letter 40 ] Ἥ̣ λιον συν ̣ [ η̣ : right half of letter | ν ̣: left vertical 8 G ]Ṇ ἀπόστημα ἐν ἡμέραις σ ̅κ ̅ [ ̣ ]. προσάγει δὲ πρὸς τὸν Ἥλ[ιον Ν̣ : bottom of left vertical and bottoms of diagonal and right vertical meeting 55 ]ΠΟΣΤ[ 54 ]ΑΕΝ̣ [ Ν̣ : serifed bottom of left vertical 38 ἐ]ν ̣ ἡμέρ ̣α ̣ι ̣[ς ν̣: serifed right vertical | ρ ̣α ̣: indistinct | ι ̣: serifed top of vertical 43 ]Δ̣ [ Δ ̣: top of apical letter 43R ]Δ̣ v Π[ Δ ̣: descending diagonal along edge Rehm 40 ]οσαγει δε[ 9 G ] ̣γίνεται ἐπὶ τὸν [ἑ]σπεριν ̣ὸν στηριγμὸν, ἀπέ̣χω ̣ν ἀπὸ τ ̣ο[ 269 M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. ̣: blurry, perhaps α | ν̣ : indistinct | ε̣ : indistinct | ω̣ : left half of letter | τ̣: indistinct, along break 55 ]ΙΝΕΤ[ 54 ] τὸν [ 40 ]ΝΑ̣ Π̣ Ε ̣ [ Α̣ Π̣ Ε̣ : indistinct 10 G πρ]οσάγει πρὸς τὸν [ Ἥ]λιον ἐκ ̣ προηγήσε ̣ν ̣ καὶ σύνοδον Α ̣ [ κ ̣ : blurry | ̣: indistinct traces | ν ̣: complete but distorted | ̣: trace at top level along edge 55 ]Α ̣ΓΕ ̣ [ Α̣ : faint, along edge | ̣: serifed top of vertical along edge 54 ]ΣΤΟΝΗ̣ [ Η̣ : vertical, serifed at top and bottom 56 ]Η̣ Σ[ Η̣ : bottom half of letter 26 ]Ω̣ [ ̣: trace at top level along edge 39 ]ΩΝΚΑ̣ Ι ̣Σ Υ̣ [ 11 G ] ἐπὶ τὸ μέγιστο ̣ν ἀπόστη̣ μ̣α ἐν ἄλλ ̣αις ἡμέραις [ ο ̣: left side of loop along break | η̣ : faint | μ̣ : right half of letter | λ ̣: faint, indistinct 26 ]Σ ̣ v ξ ̅η ̅v ̣ ̣ [ Σ ̣: right part of bottom horizontal | v less than half a letter | v half a letter | ̣ ̣ : apical letter (alpha?) but instead of horizontal stroke, a gently ascending diagonal from bottom left to middle of right descending diagonal; to the right, unclear traces, possibly bottoms of two verticals 54 ]ΙΣ ̣ [ Σ ̣: left half of letter 56 ]ΑΕ[ 39 ]ΛΑΙΣΗ[ 12 G στηριγ]μὸν ̣Σ ̣ προηγο ̣ύμενος, ἀ ̣ποστὰς δ᾿ ἀπ[ὸ ̣: indeterminate traces | Σ ̣: top and bottom horizontals, speck in center, epsilon or xi not excluded | ο̣ : right side of loop along break | α̣ : trace at baseline along break 26 ]ο ̣ῦ ̣ Ἡλίου ̣Μ ̣ [ ο̣υ̣ : bottoms of letters, blurry | ̣ ̣ : confused and distorted traces, resembling messy epsilon | Μ̣ : distorted 56 ]Α̣ ΠΟ̣ [ Α̣ : trace at baseline along edge | Ο̣ : left side of loop 39 ] ̣ ̣ ̣Δ̣ [ ̣ ̣ ̣: blurry, indeterminate traces | Δ ̣: apical letter 13 G ] ἡ̣ μ ̣έ̣ ρ ̣α̣ις μ̣ ̅θ̣ ̅ ὑ ̣πο ̣λ ̣ειπό ̣ μ ̣ενος ἐπὶ τὸ μέγισ ̣ [τον η̣ μ̣ ε̣ ρ̣ α̣ : blurry and distorted | μ̣ : leftmost and rightmost strokes, sloping; middle of letter is indistinct, straddling break | θ̣: large, somewhat angular loop | υ̣ : right ascending diagonal (?) along break | ο̣ : top of loop along break | λ ̣: top of apical letter | ο̣ : faint loop along edge | μ ̣: left vertical and left descending diagonal | σ ̣: trace at top level along edge M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. 270 26 ἑ]ῶιον ἀπόστη[μα 27 ]ΥΠΟ[ 39 ] ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣Σ ̣ Τ̣ [ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣: blurry, indeterminate traces | Σ ̣Τ̣: faint 14 G ἀπο]στήματος π[ρ]οσά ̣ [γ]ε[ι] πρὸς τ ̣ὸ ̣ [ν α̣ : left ascending diagonal and top of right descending diagonal of apical letter | τ ̣: horizontal | ο̣ : trace at top level 26 ὑπ]ολειπόμεν[ος 27 ]προσα[ G ]X̣ ΗΣΤ ̣Σ ̣Ο̣ ̣ ̣Ε̣ΠΙΤΕ ̣ [ - 7 -] ̣Α ̣ ̣Σ ̣Π[ 15 Χ̣ : ascending and descending diagonals clear; left half of letter blurry, kappa also possible | ̣: indistinct traces on break | ̣: top of vertical (?), perhaps iota | Ο̣ : top half of small loop | ̣: traces at top level directly above trace at baseline, and, to right, trace of right (?) end of serifed descending (?) diagonal at baseline, and further to right, descending diagonal | ̣: apical letter or vertical meeting descending diagonal at top level | ̣: indistinct | Α̣ : distorted, doubtful | ̣: indistinct | Σ ̣ : distorted 26 ]Π ̣Ο̣Σ Τ̣ ̣ ̣ΣΙΝ ̣ [ Π̣ : right end of horizontal and top of right vertical | Ο̣ : top of loop | Τ̣: horizontal, missing right end, and top of vertical | ̣ ̣: blurry, indeterminate traces | ̣: trace at top level along edge 27 ]ΑΕΠΙΤΕ[ 16 G ]Σ ̣Τ̣Α ̣ΤΑΙΣ ̣ ̣Β ̣ΙΩΝ ̣Τ̣Α ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ [ Σ1̣ : top and bottom horizontals, spreading towards right, but distorted epsilon is possible | Τ̣Α ̣: complete but blurry | Σ̣2: blurry, near break, xi possible | ̣: traces resembling a sloppy eta but apparently lying low relative to baseline | Β̣ : complete, near break, but traces of both loops might not be deliberate, and rho or delta are possible | Ν̣ : diagonal and serifed right vertical | Τ̣: left end of horizontal and vertical, along break | ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣: blurry and indistinct traces 26 ]ΤΑΣ ̣ [ ̣: trace at top height along edge 27 ]ΙΩΝΤ̣Α ̣ [ Τ̣Α ̣: faint and uncertain 17 G ἑ]κ ̣ά ̣στην ̣ δ᾿ ̣ ἀποκατάστασιν ἐν ἡμέραις μικ[ρῶι κ ̣: faint, indistinct traces | α 1̣ : blurred | ν ̣: distorted | δ ̣: top of apical letter and faint trace of bottom right corner | 27 ]ΟΚΑΤΑ[ 18 G ] ̣Σ ̣ ̣ ἄρχεται δ ̣έ τὴν ὑ ̣πόλειψιν ̣ ̣Ν ̣Μ ̣ ̣ ̣Σ ἀπέχω ̣ [ν 1 ̣ : indistinct trace near edge | ̣ 1̣ : indistinct traces near edge | δ ̣: apical letter, straddling break | υ ̣: slight traces of tops of diagonals, straddling break | ̣ ̣ 2: resembling distorted epsilon, with middle horizontal too high, followed by indistinct trace along edge | ̣2: indistinct trace | Μ ̣: presumed right half of letter faint and indistinct | ̣ ̣3: blurry traces | ω ̣: horizontal at baseline, along edge 27 ]ΕΤΑΙΔ[ G ] ἑσπ[ερινοῦ] στηριγμοῦ, καὶ ὑπολείπεται μέχρι τῆς ἑῶιας στά[σεως 27 ]Μ ̣Ο̣Υ̣Κ Α[ Μ ̣: right half of letter | Ο̣ : traces of left and right sides of loop | Υ̣: tops of diagonals and vertical G ̣ ̣ [ ̣ ̣ ] ̣ ̣αι ̣ς τ ̅μ ̅θ ̅ v ἡμέραις σύ ̣νοδο ̣ν ποι ̣ε ̣ῖται τῶι Ἡλ ̣ί ̣ω ̣ι ̣ ΜΑΣΗ ̣ [ 20 1 ̣ ̣ : indeterminate traces along edge | ̣ ̣2: bottoms of two verticals | ι 1̣ : blurry | υ ̣: faint | ο̣ : distorted | ι ̣2: lower part of vertical | λ ̣: left ascending diagonal and serif of right descending diagonal | ι3: blurry | ω̣ : left half of letter, faint | ι 4̣ : fat and blurry | Η̣ : faint but distinct 27 ] ̣ v ΗΜΕ[ ̣: indeterminate trace at edge 27i ]ΜΕ[ ̣ ] ̣ [ ̣: serif at baseline 37 ]Η ̣ Λ ̣ [ Η ̣ Λ ̣: complete but indistinct G ]αις τ̅μ ̅θ ̣ ̅ ἐπὶ τ̣ὸν ἑ ̣ῶ ̣ι ̣ο ̣ν στ̣ηριγμὸν ̣ ἀ ̣πέχων ἀ ̣πὸ τοῦ Ἡλίου ̣ς̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ [ 21 θ ̅ ̣: faint and blurry | τ ̣1: horizontal and top part of vertical, near breaks | εωιο: faint, indistinct traces | τ̣2: horizontal, and small trace of vertical along break | ν ̣: trace of left vertical near break | α 1̣ : indistinct | α ̣2: faint left diagonal along break, and bottom tip of right diagonal | ̣: indistinct | ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣: faint and indistinct traces 27i ]ΗΡ[ 37 ]Λ ̣ΙΟΥΩΣ ̣ [ Λ ̣: faint | Σ ̣: bottom left corner 22 G ] π ̅β̣ ̅ v καὶ ̣ ἐπὶ τὴ ̣ν ̣ ἑ ̣σπερι ̣νὴν παραγέ ̣νεται στάσιν ἀπέχω ̣ν ἀπὸ [ β ̣: small loop with α blurry extension above | ι ̣: blurry | η̣ν ̣ε̣ : blurry | ι ̣: trace of vertical along break | ι ̣: badly formed or blurred, appearing like a very narrow epsilon | ω̣ : blurry 37 ]ΝΑΠΕΧ[ 23 G ] δ ̣ὲ ἡ̣ μ̣έ̣ρ̣α̣ ς η̣ ̅ πάλιν̣ ̣ ̣ Ε̣ ̣ ὑ ̣πολεί ̣π̣ εσθ̣αι ̣. ἐν δ ̣ὲ ΤΩ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣Α̣ [ δ ̣ : apical letter | ἡ̣ μ ̣έ ̣ρ ̣α̣ : very faint | ̣ ̣ : faint, indeterminate traces | η̣̅ : faint | ̣ ̣ ̣ : apical letter (?); to the right of this, apparently the left half of nu or mu, and further right, faint indeterminate traces | Ε ̣: vertical and top and middle horizontals | ̣: small trace at top height along break | υ̣: blurry, near break | ι ̣: blurry | π̣ : small traces straddling break | θ ̣: indeterminate traces | ι ̣: top part of vertical | δ ̣: apical letter | Ω̣ : left half of letter and faint right horizontal | ̣ ̣ ̣: traces of three verticals with two faint horizontal or slightly descending diagonal strokes joining them at mid height; to the right of this, seemingly Ζ | Α̣ : sloppy, with apparent superfluous stroke crossing end of right descending diagonal 37 ]ΝΔΕΤΩ[ 24 G ]ΝΕ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ στάσι̣ν. ὁ δὲ Φ̣α ̣έθω ̣ν ἐν v ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ἀποκαταστ̣ά ̣σ ̣ [εις ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ : indeterminate traces | ι ̣ : blurry and faint | φ̣ : loop along break | α ̣ : apical letter staddling break | ω ̣: blurry, straddling break | v: one letter | ̣: faint traces near a break, suggestive of omega | ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣: leftmost, faint traces near a break, suggestive of omega; then a coarsely damaged letter, apparently chi or sigma; then traces resembling a sloppy mu; then a vertical with either three horizontals or two loops to its right, i.e. epsilon or beta; 271 M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. 19 M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. 272 then traces suggestive of mu or chi, faint towards the top | τ̣α ̣σ ̣: faint, indeterminate traces 37 ]ΑΠΟΚΑ[ 25 G ] ἑκάστη ̣ν ̣ δ᾿ ἀπο ̣κατάστασιν ἐν ̣ ἡμέραις μικρῶι ̣ ἐλάσσ[οσι η̣: both vertical strokes, between which blurry traces more suggestive of nu | ν ̣: blurry | ο̣ : blurry | ν ̣: trace of top of left vertical and trace of bottom of right vertical straddling break | ι ̣: blurry 60 ]Κ ̣Α[ Κ ̣: bottom half of vertical with serif, descending diagonal, and trace of left end of ascending diagonal along edge | 49 ]ΣΙΝ[ 21 ]ΗΜΕ ̣ [ Ε ̣: vertical along edge 37 ] ̣ Ι ̣ΚΡΩ[ ̣: trace at baseline along edge | Ι̣: indistinct 41 ]Ω ̣Ι ̣Ε[ Ω ̣: serifed right horizontal along baseline | Ι̣: serifed bottom of vertical 26 G ] ̣ ̣ ̣ καὶ δω ̣δεκατη̣ μόριον Ω̣ [ ̣ ] ἄ̣ ρχεται δὲ τὴν ὑπόλε ̣ι ̣ψ̣ι ν ̣ [ ̣ ̣ ̣: indeterminate traces | ω1̣ : faint and indistinct | Ω̣ 2: faint and angular | α ̣: traces of apex and bottoms of both diagonals straddling break | ε ̣ι ̣: faint | ψ ̣: indistinct | ν ̣: left (?) vertical 60 ]ΤΗΜ[ 49 ]Ν̣Ω̣ [ Ν ̣: right vertical with serif, faint trace of diagonal | Ω̣ : left half, indistinct 21 ]Α̣ ΡΧΕΤ[ Α ̣: trace at baseline along edge 44 ]Ι ̣ ̣ [ Ι ̣: serifed bottom of vertical Ι ̣: trace at baseline along edge 37 ]Ν ̣ ̣ [ Ν ̣: indistinct | ̣: trace of descending diagonal at top level 41 ]ΥΠΟΛ[ 27 G ] ̣Δ̣ ΙΟΝ[ ̣ ] ̣Ζ v ἀπὸ τοῦ ἑσπερινοῦ ̣ σ ̣τηριγμοῦ καὶ ὑπολείπ ̣[εται 1 ̣ : indeterminate traces | Δ̣ : blurry | ̣2: indeterminate traces | v: one letter | υ ̣σ ̣: blurry | π̣ : left vertical 23i ]Ζ v Α[ v: one letter 60 ]ΥΕΣ[ 49 ]Ν[ 21 ] στηριγ̣ [ γ ̣: vertical along edge 44 ]ΓΜΟΥΚΑ[ 41 ]Ι ̣ ὑ ̣πολε ̣ [ Ι̣: vertical along edge, indistinct | ε ̣: indistinct 28 G ] ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ΕΤΩΝ ̣ ἕ ̣ω ̣ς ἐν χρό ̣ν ̣ωι ̣ τ̣αῖς v ρ ̅λ ̅θ ̅ ἡ̣ μέραις σύν[ο]δ ̣ [ον 273 M. Anastasiou, Y. Bitsakis, A. Jones, X. Moussas, A.Tselikas, M. Zafeiropoulou: IAM6. The Front Cover Inscription. ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣: faint and indistinct traces | Ν ̣: blurry, straddling break | ε ̣ω̣ : blurry, straddling breaks | ο̣ : blurred | ν ̣: complete but distorted | τ ̣: vertical, faint horizontal | v: half a letter | η̣ : distorted 21 ]ΑΙΣ v ρ ̅λ ̅θ ̅ [ v: half a letter 44 ]ΗΜΕΡΑ ̣ [ Α̣ : top of ascending diagonal along edge 41 ]ΣΣΥΝΟ[ 29 G ] τα ̣ῖς ἄλλαις ρ̅λ ̅θ̣ ̅ v ἐπὶ τὸν ἑ ̣ῶι ̣ον στηριγμόν ̣, ἀπέχ ̣ [ων α ̣: indistinct | v1: one letter | θ̣ : faint loop | v2: one letter | ε ̣ : upper right corner along break | ι̣: distorted, indistinct | ν ̣ : left vertical; remainder blurry | χ ̣ : faint 23 ]Σ ἄλλαις [ 23i ]ΙΣ ἄλλαις [ 21 ἐ]π̣ ὶ ̣ τὸν ἑ ̣ῶιον στηρ[ π̣ : right vertical, curving rightwards at bottom | ι ̣ : indistinct | ε̣ : horizontal at baseline along edge 44 ]ΙΓΜ ̣ [ Μ ̣: sharp vertex at top level along edge 41 ]ΠΕ ̣ [ ̣: top of descending diagonal at top level along edge 30 G ] ̣ με ̣ί ̣νας ἡμέρας v η̅ ̣ v προη ̣γεῖται ἡμέρας [ ̣: indistinct and faint | ε ̣ι ̣: indistinct traces near break