Ephesus, Bouleuterion, Letter from Hadrian

Αὐ[το]κράτωρ Καῖσαρ θεοῦ Τ[ραιανοῦ]
Παρθ[ι]κοῦ ὑιός, θεοῦ Νέρ[ο]υ̣α̣ υ̣[ἱ]ων[ός,]
Τραια[ν]ὸς Ἁδριαν[ὸ]ς Σεβασ[τός, ἀρ]χιερεὺ[ς]
μέγισ[το]ς, δημαρχ[ικῆ]ς ἐξουσί[ας το ι]γʹ, ὕπατος τὸ γʹ,
πατὴ[ρ πατ]ρίδος Ἐφ[εσί]ων τοῖς ἄ[ρ]χουσ[ι καὶ τῆι β]ουλῆι χαίρειν.
Λ(ούκιος) Ἔ[ρ]αστος καὶ πολε̣[ί]της ὑ[μ]ῶν ε̣ῖναί φ[ησιν, κ]αὶ πολλ[ὰ ἔτη]
πλῖ καὶ τ[ὴ]ν θάλασ[σαν, καὶ ὅσα ἀπὸ τούτ̣[ου δυν]ατὸς [ἦν]
χρήσιμ[ο]ς γενέσ[θαι τῇ πατρ]ίδι, καὶ τοῦ ἔθν[ους] τ̣ο̣[ὺς] ἡγε-
μόνας ἀεὶ δι[α]κ̣ομ[ίζειν·] ἐ̣[μ]οὶ δὲ δ[ὶς] ἤδη συ̣[νέπλευ]σεν,
τὸ μὲν πρῶτον εἰς Ῥόδον ἀπὸ τῆς Ἐ[φέ]σου κο[μιζ]ομέ[νῳ,]
νῦν δὲ ἀπ’ Ἐλευσεῖνος πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀφικ[ν]ουμέν[ῳ· εὔ]χετα[ι]
δὲ βουλευτὴς γενέσθαι· κἀγὼ τὴν̣ μὲν [δοκι]μασία[ν ἐ]φ’ ὑμεῖν
ποιοῦμαι· εἰ δὲ μηδὲν ἐνποδὼν [εἴη αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ δόξαι τῆς τει]μῆς ἄξ[ι]ος,
τὸ ἀργύριον ὅσον διδόασιν οἱ βουλεύοντες [δώσω τῆς ἀρχαι]ρεσίας [ἕ]νεκα.
εὐτυχεῖτε.

The emperor Caesar Trajanus Hadrianus Augustus, son of the divine Trajan Parthicus, grandson of the divine Nerva, pontifex maximus, for the thirteenth time tribune of the people, thrice consul, Father of the Fatherland of the Ephesians, salutes the administrators and the Council: greetings!

Lucius Erastus says that he is your fellow citizen, has often sailed the sea, has been useful to his homeland as often as he could, and has always transported the leaders of his people. He sailed with me twice, the first time when he brought me from Ephesus to Rhodes, and now, as I come to you from Eleusis.

He is requesting to become a member of the Council, and I forward his qualifications to you. If nothing stands in his way and if he proves worthy of that honor, then I will pay the amount of money that members of the Council pay upon their election.

Goodbye.

129 CE

IEph 1487 (Greek)

Jona Lendering

London, British Museum

CC0 1.0 Universal

Ephesus, Bouleuterion

Roman Empire

Inscription