Ephesus, Bouleuterion, Letter from Antoninus Pius

Αὐτοκράτωρ Κα[ῖσαρ θεοῦ Ἁδ]ριανοῦ
υἱός, θεοῦ Τραιαν[οῦ Παρθικοῦ υἱων]ός,
θεοῦ Νέρουα ἔκγον[ος Τίτος Αἴλιος Ἁδρι]ανὸς
Ἀντωνεῖνος Σεβασ[τός, ἀρχιερεὺς μέ]γιστος,
δημαρχικῆς ἐξουσία[ς τὸ —ʹ, αὐτοκράτωρ τὸ βʹ,] ὕπατος
τὸ γʹ, πατὴρ πατρίδος Ἐφε[σίων τ]οῖς [ἄρχουσι καὶ τῆι] βουλῆι
καὶ τ[ῶι δ]ή̣μωι χαίρ[ειν]
Περγαμηνο[ὺς ἀ]πε[δε]ξάμην ἐν τοῖς πρ̣[ὸς ὑμᾶς γ]ράμμασιν
χρησαμένο[υς το]ῖς ὀνόμ[α]σιν οἷς ἐγὼ χρῆσθαι τὴν πόλιν
τὴν ὑμετέραν̣ [ἀπ]εφ[η]νάμην· οἶμαι δὲ καὶ Σμυρναίους κατὰ
τύχην παραλ[ελ]οιπέναι ταῦτα ἐν τῷ περὶ τῆς συνθυσίας
ψηφίσματι, τοῦ λοιποῦ δὲ ἑκόντας εὐγνωμονήσειν, ἐὰν
καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν τοῖς πρὸς αὐτοὺς γράμμασιν ὅν προσήκει
τρόπον καὶ κέκριται τῆς πόλεως αὐτῶν φαίνη[σθ]ε μεμνη-
[μ]ένοι.  τὸ ψήφισμα ἔπεμψεν Σουλπίκιος Ἰουλιανὸς ὁ ἐπ[ίτ]ροπός μου.
εὐτυχεῖτε.
[τὸ] δὲ ψήφισμα ἐποίησεν γραμματεύων Πό(πλιος) Οὐήδιος Ἀντω[νε]ῖνος

The emperor Caesar Titus Aelius Hadrian Antoninus Augustus, son of the divine Hadrian, grandson of the divine Trajan Parthicus, great-grandson of the divine Nerva, pontifex maximus, for the ... time tribune of the people, imperator for the second time, Father of the Fatherland of the Ephesians, to the rulers and the Council and the People's Representation: greetings!

I have urged the inhabitants of Pergamum to use, in their letters to you, the titles that I have ordered to use for your city. I think it is an accident that the inhabitants of Smyrna have also skipped that title in their decision about the common sacrifice, and that from now on they will happily observe that politeness, at least when your letters to them are addressed appropriately and according to the decisions of the city.

This announcement was sent by Sulpicius Julianus, my procurator. Goodbye. Publius Vedius Antoninus, secretary, made this announcement.

138 CE–161 CE

IEph 1489 (Greek)

Jona Lendering

London, British Museum

CC0 1.0 Universal

Ephesus, Bouleuterion

Roman Empire

Inscription