This Roman-period monumental architectural pier preserves t…

By Anonymous · published 29 Oct 2026

AI interpretation, unverified

SUMMARY

This Roman-period monumental architectural pier preserves two carved Greek civic inscriptions commemorating local officials (magistrates) who honorably served the city and funded public building works, including covering/roofing part of the main colonnaded street (plateia).

WRITING SYSTEM

Greek alphabet (Imperial monumental lapidary capitals with lunate and standard forms)

LANGUAGE

Ancient Greek (Koine Greek of the Roman Imperial period)

TEXT

ΑΓΑΘΗ · ΤΥΧ[Η] ΑΥΡ · ΜΗΤΡΟΔΩ[ΡΟΣ] ΦΙΛΟΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΣ [..]ΝΟΜΗΣΕΝ ΑΓΝ[ΩΣ] ΕΥΣΤΑΘΩΣ Κ[ΑΙ] ΑΡΧΗ ΦΙΛΟΤ[ΕΙΜΩΣ] ΕΚ ΜΕΡΟΥΣ ΣΤΕ[ΓΗΝ] ΠΛΑΤΙΑΣ ΕΝ ΤΩ[...] [...] ΕΥΤΥΧΩ[Σ] [Α]ΓΑΘΗ ΤΥ[ΧΗ] Μ · ΙΟΥΝΙΟΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔ[ΡΟΣ] [...] ΚΑΛΟ[...] ΦΙΛΟΣΕΒΑΣΤ[ΟΣ] [...]Ο[Σ ΑΓ]ΟΡΑΝΟ[Μ...] [ΑΓΝ]ΩΣ ΚΑΙ ΕΥΣΤ[ΑΘΩΣ]

TRANSLITERATION

[Ἀ]γαθῇ Τύχ[ῃ]. Αὐρ(ήλιος) Μητρόδω[ρος] φιλοσέβαστος [ἠγορα]νόμησεν ἁγν[ῶς], εὐσταθῶς κ[αὶ] ἀρχῇ φιλοτ[είμως], ἐκ μέρους στέ[γην] πλατίας ἐν τῷ [...] [...] εὐτυχῶ[ς]. [Ἀ]γαθῇ Τύ[χῃ]. Μ(ᾶρκος) Ἰούνιος Ἀλέξανδ[ρος] [...] καλο[...] φιλοσέβαστ[ος] [... ἀγ]ορανό[μησεν] [ἁγν]ῶς καὶ εὐστ[αθῶς ...]

TRANSLATION

To Good Fortune. Aurelius Metrodoros, devoted to the Emperor (philosébastos), served as market inspector (agoranomos) uprightly, steadfastly, and in office generously; [he constructed / roofed] in part the covering of the broad street (plateia) in the [...] auspiciously! To Good Fortune. Marcus Junius Alexandros [...], devoted to the Emperor, served as market inspector uprightly and steadfastly [...].

CONTEXT

Pier/doorjamb from a public monumental complex (likely a monumental gate, tetrapylon, or colonnaded market street) in Roman Asia Minor (modern south-western Turkey, e.g., Caria/Lydia/Pamphylia/Pisidia). Such honorary and euergetic texts were routinely cut directly into column shafts or pilasters lining the public colonnaded avenue (plateia). Dating: ca. 2nd to early 3rd century CE (Antonine to Severan period, indicated by Aurelius nomenclature and the title 'philosebastos').

CONFIDENCE

High

CAVEATS

• The GPS coordinates point to Espoo, Finland, which is clearly where the photo was viewed or uploaded from rather than the site of discovery. • Formulaic language is typical of Imperial Asia Minor civic epigraphy: the invocation 'Ἀγαθῇ Τύχῃ' (To Good Fortune), imperial loyalty epithet 'φιλοσέβαστος' (Emperor-loving), and virtue adverbs 'ἁγνῶς καὶ εὐσταθῶς' (piously/purely and steadfastly). • Line 8 of the upper text mentions the 'πλατίας' (plateias), referring to the city's main broad colonnaded street, and line 7 refers to roofing/covering ('στέγην') part of it ('ἐκ μέρους'). • The lower block repeats the same civic honor formula for an earlier or contemporary Roman citizen, Marcus Junius Alexandros.