IThera035

According to Hiller’s readings in IG XII 3 and in Suppl., the graffito consists of six lines; the writing direction is retrograde in ll. 1, 2, 4, 5, while it is orthograde in l. 3. In the first reading, the editor of the Suppl. had placed below l. 2 a note on the letters for which he provided a doubtful transcription: ‑λις. Line 5, completed by the same editor as [ὁ δεῖνα Πh]ανο[κλ]έος ἔραται, would be arranged descending along the left side of the rock. The state of preservation of the graffito does not allow for a certain reading. Interpretation is only possible through comparison between direct autopsy and what the rubbing reveals. The rubbing seems to show eight lines. In l. 6, 50 cm below a natural oblique groove, aligned to the right, 50 cm from the upper edge of the rock surface, with orthograde direction, only the letters u, k, p, i are visible from autopsy, while the rubbing showed two additional initial letters, alpha and san, although faint. The incision consists of a narrow V‑shaped groove, about 2 mm wide, produced with a pointed tool. This technique is known in the area but is less frequent than the broader, shallow groove made with a wide‑tipped tool, which was widely used from the late 7th to early 6th century BCE (see Inglese 2008, pp. 61-65 and IThera015). It is not possible to integrate the final part with certainty, as both Ἀστυκρατίδας (cf. no. 564) and Ἀστυκράτης (cf. no. 563) are attested in Thera (see Inglese 2008, ch. 5). In l. 7, 6 cm from the previous line, only autopsy makes legible, in retrograde direction, Ἀστυδικίδας. The incision technique is of the second type. The name Ἀστυδικάς is attested only in Thera and solely in this case, though other occurrences of names starting with Ἀστυ- are known (e.g. nos. 563, 564, 566, and the others occurring in this inscription). In l. 8, the name Σαμαγόρας, retrograde, is written in a rectangular frame (17 × 4 cm), as in other cases in the area (e.g. nos. 567, 597), with letters of constant height (3 cm). Only the rubbing allows recognition of the rectangular frame, but not the individual letters. Hiller read on the left side of the rock (l. 5) was illegible by autopsy alone in 2003. The rubbing, however, shows the orthograde letters [‑‑-]αντιος[‑‑-]. Based on the incision type, letter forms, and layout, it can be concluded that the graffiti were engraved by different hands and at different times: an earlier, more archaic phase (probably 7th century BCE) includes ll. 1–5; a later phase (6th century BCE) includes ll. 6–8.