Chersonesos and the Bosporan Royal House — Three Greek Inscriptions

Siriskos, Queen Dynamis, and King Polemon

These three Greek inscriptions come from Chersonesos on the north shore of the Black Sea. They belong to the late Hellenistic and early Roman frontier world where Chersonesite civic memory, the cult of the Maiden, and Bosporan royal power met in stone.

The first decree honors Siriskos son of Herakleidas for writing down the manifestations of the Maiden and reporting benefactions connected with the cities and the kings of the Bosporus. The second and third fragments preserve diplomatic contact with Queen Dynamis and a letter of King Polemon to the council and people of Chersonesos.

The translation below is made from the inspected Ancient Greek inscription texts printed after the colophon. Restored text is translated cautiously, and damaged or uncertain words remain visibly incomplete.

Translation

1. Siriskos and the Manifestations of the Maiden

[Herakl]eidas son of Parmenon proposed:

[Since] Siriskos son of Herakleidas, after laboriously writing down the manifestations of the Maiden, read them aloud, and [recounted] to the kings of the Bosporus the benefactions that had come [toward the cities], and reported them fairly to the people, so that he might receive worthy honors:

It has been resolved [by the council and the people] to praise him for these things, and [to crown] the symmnamones [with a golden crown] on the twentieth day of the Dionysia, and for the proclamation to be made:

"The people crowns Siriskos son of Herakleidas, because he wrote down the manifestations of the Maiden and reported truly and fairly to the city the benefactions that had come [toward the cities and the] kings."

The symmnamones are to inscribe the decree on a stone stele and set it inside the pronaos of the Maiden. The expense that arises is to be given, according to what was resolved, by the treasurer of the sacred funds.

This was resolved by the council and people, in the month [...], on the tenth [...]

2. Queen Dynamis and the Ambassador

The presidents of the Chersonesites in Taurica proposed:

Since to us, with embassies sent by the greatest, pious, and Roman-loving Queen Dynamis, [so-and-so son of so-and-so], entrusted to announce the owed [benefaction and favor], has made his stay worthy of all reception, having accepted [from the father] the duty of becoming responsible for all good things, and has shown himself well-disposed to the city in both speech and action [...]

3. Polemon Writes to Chersonesos

King Polemon, pious, savior of the Chersonesites, to the council and people, greeting:

[The ambassadors] coming together [from the Bosporus into your] city [announce the goodwill toward us ...]

Colophon

This Good Works Translation was prepared for the Scythian shelf by the New Tianmu Anglican Church from the Ancient Greek inscription texts printed below. The main source records are PHI Greek Inscriptions PH184539 / IosPE I² 344, PH339373 / SEG 42:698, and PH339372 / SEG 42:697, with PH184549 / IosPE I² 354 and PH184905 / IosPE I² 704 inspected as linked PHI control records.

The inscriptions are Chersonesite and Bosporan royal-context evidence. They preserve religious historiography, civic honors, and royal diplomacy around the north Black Sea. They should not be flattened into a simple ethnic identity claim about Scythians, Sarmatians, Chersonesites, or the Bosporan royal house.

Compiled and translated for the Good Works Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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Source Text: Three Greek Inscriptions from Chersonesos

Ancient Greek source text from PHI Greek Inscriptions, records PH184539, PH339373, and PH339372. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.

1. IosPE I² 344 / PH184539

[Ἡρακλ]ε̣ίδας Παρμένοντος εἶπ[ε]·

[ἐπειδὴ] Συρίσκος Ἡρακλείδα τὰ[ς]

[ἐπιφαν]είας τᾶς Παρ̣θένου φιλ[ο]-

[πόνως] γράψας ἀν̣[έ]γνω καὶ τ[ὰ]

[ποτὶ τ]οὺς Βοσ[π]όρου β̣ασιλεῖ[ς]

[διηγήσα]το, τὰ [θ’ ὑ]πάρξαντα φ[ι]-

[λάνθρωπα ποτὶ τὰ]ς πόλεις ἱστ[ό]-

[ρησεν ἐπιεικ]έως τῶι <δ>άμω[ι],

[ἵνα λάβοι τιμὰ]ς ἀξίας, δεδόχθα̣[ι]

[τᾶι βουλᾶι καὶ τῶι δάμωι] ἐ̣παινέσα[ι]

[τε αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τούτοις καὶ στεφ]αν[ῶ]-

[σαι τοὺς συμμνά]μ̣ονας [χρυσέωι στε]-

[φάνωι τῶν Διονυ]σίων μιᾶι ἐφ’ ἱκ[άδι]

[καὶ τὸ ἀνάγγ]ελμα γενέσθαι· ὁ δ[ᾶ]-

[μος στεφα]νοῖ Συρίσκον Ἡρακλε[ί]-

[δα, ὅτι τὰ]ς ἐπιφανείας τᾶς Πα̣[ρ]-

[θένου ἔγρα]ψε καὶ τὰ ποτὶ τὰς [πό]-

[λεις καὶ τοὺς] βασιλεῖς ὑπάρξ[αν]-

[τα φιλάνθρωπα] ἱστόρησε ἀλαθιν[ῶς]

[καὶ ἐπιεικέως] τᾶι πόλει· ἀναγ̣[ρά]-

[ψαι δὲ τοὺς συμμ]νάμονας εἰστ[άλαν] {²⁶εἰς στάλαν}²⁶

[λιθίναν τὸ ψ]άφισμα καὶ θέμε[ν ἐν]-

[τὸς τοῦ προ]νάου τᾶς Παρθέν[ου· τὸ δὲ]

[γενόμενον ἀνά]λωμα δόμ[εν κατὰ τὰ]

[δόξαντα(?) τὸν τα]μίαν τῶν [ἱερῶν].

[ταῦτ’ ἔδοξε βουλᾶι κ]αὶ δάμ[ωι μηνὸς]

[— — — — — — — —] δ̣εκά[ται — — —]

2. SEG 42:698 / PH339373

οἱ Χερσονα[σιτᾶν τῶν ποτὶ τᾶι Ταυρικᾶι πρόεδροι εἶ]-

παν· ἐπειδὴ ἁμῖν [πρεσβείας ἀποσταλμένας τᾶς μεγί]-

στας καὶ εὐσεβοῦς [καὶ φιλορωμαίου βασιλίσσας Δυ]-

ναμέως τὰν ὀφειλομ[έναν (e.g.) εὐεργεσίαν τε καὶ χάριν]

[π]επιστευμένος προ[ερεῖν(?) ὁ δεῖνα τοῦ δεῖνος]

[τὰ]ν ἐπιδαμίαν ἀξία̣[ν (e.g.) πάσας ἀποδοχᾶς πεποίηται, παρὰ]

[τοῦ πατ]ρὸς πάντων ἀγα̣[θῶν (e.g.) παραίτιος γίνεσθαι διαδε]-

[ξάμενος], π̣οτὶ καὶ λ[έγειν καὶ πράσσειν τὰ βέλτιστα]

[τᾶι πόλει εὔνου]ν̣ ἑ̣[αυτὸν παρέσχετο — — — — — —]

[— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —]

3. SEG 42:697 / PH339372

βασιλεὺς Πολέμων εὐ-

σεβής, σωτὴρ Χερσονησειτῶν

βουλῆι, δήμωι χαίρειν·

[οἱ ἀπὸ τοῦ Βοσ]πόρου συνι-

[όντες εἰς τὴν ὑμετέραν]

[πόλιν πρέσβεις(?) ἐπαγγέλ]-

[λονται τὴν πρὸς ἡμὰς εὔ]-

[νοιαν (vel sim.) — — —]

Source Colophon

PH184539 is described by PHI as IosPE I² 344 from Chersonesos on the north shore of the Black Sea, ca. 250-200 BCE, cross-referenced to IosPE I 184. PH339373 is described by PHI as SEG 42:698, an honorific decree for an ambassador of Queen Dynamis, a fragment of a white marble plaque from Chersonesos, linked to IosPE I² 354. PH339372 is described by PHI as SEG 42:697, a letter of Polemon I on the upper part of a white marble plaque with pediment and akroteria from Chersonesos, ca. 14-9 BCE, linked to IosPE I² 704.

The Ancient Greek inscription texts were inspected from PHI Greek Inscriptions before translation. PH184549 / IosPE I² 354 and PH184905 / IosPE I² 704 were also captured as linked control records. The ancient source words are presented for verification; modern apparatus and database presentation are not reproduced as the translated body.

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