A New Agonistic Epigram from Synnada: Antigonos the Trumpeter Synnada’dan Yeni Bir Agonistik Epigram: Trompetçi Antigonos
Libri (Turkey), sa.12, ss.27-39, 2026 (Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.5281/zenodo.20266542
- Dergi Adı: Libri (Turkey)
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Scopus
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.27-39
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Actia, Afyon Museum, Agonistic Epigram, Pythia, Salpinktes/Trumpeter, Synnada
- Akdeniz Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
The subject of this article is a fifteen-line inscription (Figs. 1-4) on the front face of a marble block discovered in the Şuhut district of Afyon and currently preserved in the Afyon Museum. The findspot of the stone belonged to the territory of the city of Synnada, located in Phrygia during antiquity. The inscription is an agonistic epigram consisting of three distichs honoring a successful trumpeter. In the epigram, a trumpeter named Antigonos is praised. He is known to have participated in trumpet competitions and achieved success while still a child. In later periods, he also gained victories in the Actian and Pythian games. It is emphasized that Antigonos glorified his homeland - which is not named in the epigram but is likely Synnada based on the findspot - through his achievements. We include this inscription within the group of agonistic inscriptions known from Synnada to date, some of which are also in the form of epigrams. This marks the first time a trumpeter has been documented in Synnada. Based on current epigraphic and numismatic evidence, the only major festival and games identified in Synnada to date is the great festival known as the “Hadrianeia Panathenaia”. This inscription honoring the trumpeter was also likely erected during a celebration of the Hadrianeia Panathenaia agon in the city. Due to its letterforms and content, the epigram can be dated to the same period as similar epigrams from Synnada, such as those of Thallos and Aristainetos (see the appendix) -namely, the first half of the 3rd century CE.