Miscellanea Curiosa, Vol. 3 · Royal Society
FOOTNOTES:
3. _Pag. 101._ ΚΑΙ ΟΥΚΟΝΙΣΩΝΑ ΦΕΙΔΗΣΑΝΤΑ ΧΡΗΜΑΤΩΝ. I submit it to the Judgment of the Criticks, whether this faulty Place may not be amended by reading it ΟΥΚ ΟΙΚΕΙΩΝ ΑΦΕΙΔΗΣΑΝΤΑ, _&c._ as likewise whether ΔΙΣΜΑΛΚΟΥ in the same Inscription may not be instead of ΜΑΛΛΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΜΑΛΚΟΥ, which is the Ingenious Conjecture of that excellent Grammarian Mr. _William Baxter_. 4. _Pag. 102._ _Septimium Vorodem Procuratorem Ducenarium Augusti &_ ΑΡΟΑΠΕΤΗΝ. This Word, if _Greek_, is faultily transcribed; and in one Copy I have seen, the Ο is very small, as I suppose it on the Stone, which might occasion the transcribing thereof without it in the former Voyage (_Pag. 130._) So that 'tis most probable that 'tis the remains of some other Letter almost worn out. I conjecture it to have been ΑΡΤΑΓΕΤΗΝ, Π being taken for Γ, and that this _Septimius_ was _Præfectus Annonæ_, having the Care to see that the City were sufficiently provided with Bread; which was a most necessary Officer in a Place that must needs be furnish'd with Corn from Abroad. And this same _Septimius_, (in the Inscription, _Pag. 105._) is stiled .... ΕΟΔΟΤΗΝ ΤΗΣ ΜΗΤΡΟΚΟΛΩΝΕΙΑΣ. _lege_ ΚΡΕΟΔΟΤΗΝ, which should signifie that he was the Distributor of the Emperor's Munificence in Flesh to the People. These Inscriptions bear Date in _April_, _Anno Dom._ 267. not long before the Death of _Odænathus_, who is herein stiled ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΣ: and 'tis not improbable but he might institute such a Custom, as at the Publick Charge, to give the People a Largess in Flesh on particular Days, to reconcile them to the Dominion of their Fellow-Citizen. This is certain, that _Aurelian_ first instituted such a Custom of giving Flesh at _Rome_: The Words of _Vopiscus_ are, _Idem Aurelianus & porcinam carnem populo Romano distribuit, quæ hodieque dividitur_; which Custom continued till the time of _Constantine_, when (according to _Zosimus_) one _Lucian_, who had this Office of distributing Swines Flesh at _Rome_, had Interest enough among the People to set up _Maxentius_ for Emperor; and _Salmasius_ assures us, that it was not discontinued till the time of _Heraclius_. It will not therefore seem strange, if I suppose _Aurelian_ might find that Custom at _Palmyra_, and at his return from thence institute the like at _Rome_.
I am inclined to believe, that not only those two Inscriptions, _Pag. 102_, and the last of _Pag. 103_, but also that of _Pag. 106_, were in Honour of the same _Septimius Vorodes_ who seems to have been a great Favourite of _Odænathus_, and was without doubt respected by the _Romans_ on that account, whom I conclude to have effaced all the Memorials of _Zenobia_ and _Waballathus_, insomuch that no one appears, among those many taken, that was set up during the six Years they reigned. The Name _Vorodes_ seems the same with _Orodes_, which was the Name of the King of the _Parthians_ that slew _Crassus_: and the _Persians_ having, about forty Years before, expelled the Race of the _Arsacidæ_, 'tis not improbable but the Remains of that Royal Family might fly for Succour to _Palmyra_, and this _Vorodes_ might be one of them. 5. In two other Copies of these Inscriptions; the first of _pag. 104._ is read, Σεπτίμιον Αἰράνην Ὀδαινάθου, and not Ὀδαινόθου as in the first Copy, and perhaps ought rather to be Ὀδαίναθον, as being the Inscription under a Statue of the same _Odænathus_, who is here, as well as on his Tomb, stiled _Illustrissimus Patricius_, but without a Date.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.