The Babylon Theater Inscription

The Theater Inscription from Babylon records the repair of the theater, which had been built by Alexander the Great. The most remarkable aspect is the shape of the letters, which date to the second century CE. It shows that the Greek community was still alive.

Greek text

1. ΔΙΟΣΚΟΥΡΙ[δης...]
2. Ο ΦΙΛΟΔΟΞ[ως διακειμενος προς την πολιν (τον δημον)]
3. ΤΟ ΘΕΑΤΡΟ[ν ...]
4. ΚΑΙ ΣΚΗΝ[ην ...]

Translation

1. Dioskouri[des ...]
2. showing a zeal for glory [in his disposition towards the city (or: the people)],
3. the theatre [he repaired ...],
4. and the stage-building

Literature

• Schmidt, E. 1941, "Die Griechen in Babylon und das Weiterleben ihrer Kultur", Archäologische Anzeiger 56, pp. 815, Abb.14 and 820, No. 8;
• Van der Spek, R.J. 2001, "The theatre of Babylon in cuneiform", in: W.H. van Soldt ed., Veenhof Anniversary Volume. Studies presented to Klaas R. Veenhof on the occasion of his sixty-fifth birthday (Leiden) p.446
• Van der Spek, R.J. 2005, "Ethnic segregation in Hellenistic Babylon." in: W.H. van Soldt, R Kalvelagen, D. Katz eds., Ethnicity in Ancient Mesopotamia. Papers read at the 48th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Leiden, 1-4 July 2002. (Leiden), nr. 9 (page 407).
• Wetzel, F., Schmidt, E., Mallwitz, A. 1957, Das Babylon der Spätzeit (Berlin) pp.49-50