Author: L. Mastropietro

Download article as .pdf: Π]ροτανίο ἐμὶ ὀβελός γα: uno “scambio” per il responso di Apollo allo Ptoion?

A new interpretation is proposed for the inscription engraved on a small bronze base, datable to the first half of the 6th century BCE, discovered in the oracle sanctuary of Apollo Ptoios in Boeotia. The inscription, in metrical form, reads: [Π]ροτανίο ἐμὶ ὀβελός γα· Τασσιάδας ποίεσε. The most distinctive element is the term ὀβελός, used to designate the dedicated object, which constitutes a unique occurrence among archaic votive inscriptions. By drawing comparisons with Delphi and analysing a decree concerning the extraction of water from a well of the deme of Lamptrai, it is suggested that the object should not be interpreted as a mere votive offering but rather as a payment made in exchange for drawing water and consulting the oracle.