Epigraphia Indica Vol 34

Author(s): D C Sircar
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

Page 19

2
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
[VoL. XXXIV
in a non-Greek epigraph, the language of none of them is Greek. The new inscription of Asoke is the first complete record in the Greek language from Afghanistan, and its language is pure and fine Greek. Both the author of the Greek text and its engraver were fully acquainted with the Greek tradition. The latter's ability, in the opinion of Prof. Robert, was quite similar to that of the best stoneworkers of Greece in the 3rd century B.C.
The Aramaic part of the document is even more precious. Inscriptions in this language and script are few in number and they are mostly damaged; but this one is complete and its interpretation receives help from the parallel Greek text. Apart from its historical importance, the epigraph is highly interesting from the philological point of view.
GREEK TEXT
1 Δέκα ἐτῶν πληρη[θέντ]ων βασιλεὺς 2 Πιοδάσσης εὐσέβεια[ν] ἔδειξεν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου εὐσεβεστέρους 4 τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐποίησεν καὶ πάντα 5 εὐθηνεῖ κατὰ πᾶσαν γῆν, καὶ ἀπέχεται ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν ἐμψύχων καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ δὲ 7 ἄνθρωποι καὶ ὅσοι θηρευταὶ ἢ ἀλιεῖς
S
ε βασιλέως πέπαυνται θηρεύοντες, καὶ 9 εἴ τινες ἀκρατεῖς, πέπαυνται τῆς ἀκρα1ο σίας κατὰ δύναμιν, καὶ ἐνήκοοι πατρὶ 11 καὶ μητρὶ καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων παρὰ 12 τὰ πρότερον, καὶ τοῦ λοιποῦ λωϊον 13 καὶ ἄμεινον κατὰ πάντα ταῦτα 14 ποιοῦντες διάξουσιν.
1 déka e'tin plörö[thent]ön basileùs
2 Piodás
eu'sebeia[n] e"deixen tois a'n
1 Raou! Curiel, 'Les inscriptions de Surkh Kotal' in Journ. Ac., 1984, 2, pp. 189-205; W.B. Henning, 'Surkh Kotal' in BSOAS, Vol. XVIII, 1956, No. 2, pp. 366-67.
• From Prof. Schlumberger's transcript.