The rock surface is quite large, measuring 1 meter in height and divided into two parts by a deep vertical fracture. The right section, where the inscription is located, is 2.85 meters long, while the left section measures 1.75 meters. In this left section, there are numerous scattered traces of letters and marks, though they are completely undecipherable. The right section also features several other fractures that affect the inscription.
Letters of the archaic alphabet of Thera: Alpha (l. 2): left stroke widely spaced, oblique bar. Beta (l. 2): open form. Epsilon: vertical stroke extending downward, oblique bars. Aspiration: represented as a closed rectangular with orizontal crossbar. Iota: three-bar form with rounded angles. Lambda (l. 1): sharp angle at the top. Mu: fourth bar shorter. Ny: short and widely spaced third bar. Omicron: smaller than the other letters. Pi: hooked-shaped. Rho: rigid bowl. San: used for a sibilant sound.
Encoded following the latest EpiDoc guidelines
Taxonomies for ThERA controlled values
ThERA anthroponyms authority list
ThERA theonyms authority list
Julian Calendar
«[...] for the Delphinion; the famous Krimon had sexual relations here with the boy, brother of Bathykles» (Hiller's interpretation)
The communicative context would refer to the erotic sphere, given the presence of the verb οἴφω. This inscription, together with the other eortic graffiti, illustrates one of the practices carried out on the periphery of the Agora of the Gods, which characterises a society that represents itself, its rituals, forms or rules of behaviour to which the dominant social groups conform. However, this is not done through institutions, as in later communities where the same paideia is already standardised. What seems important is that such behaviours were not only self-referential, but had to be communicated to others and thus shared through writing. This graffito in particular provides some important clues as to the age of the participants in this type of erotic practice and helps to contextualise the erotic graffiti of the Agora of the Gods within an initiatory dimension. Evidence of this can be seen in the use of paîs to refer to the boy with whom Krimon had sexual relations, and in the initial formula of the inscription, which clearly mentions Delphinios. Moreover, the use of pais gives us an idea of the age range of the lovers: based on information from Spartan sources, it seems to refer to adolescents between the ages of 12 and 20. It should be noted, however, that in this polis there are several difficulties in defining precisely the stages of life to which the many terms found in ancient sources refer.