Three New Inscriptions from Phaselis: An Imperial Dedication, an Honorific Inscription for Aurelia Apphia, and Christian Dipinto

This study presents three inscriptions from Phaselis. The first, a fragmentary limestone statue base discovered west of Hadrianus’s Gate during the 2017 excavation season, is tentatively attributed to Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Although the imperial titulature is only partially preserved, paleographic analysis points to similarities to a securely dated dedication to Lucius Verus discovered in proximate context, suggesting a possible attribution to the period of joint rule (166-169 CE). The second inscription, documented in 2012 near the acropolis gateway, preserves two chronologically distinct epigraphic phases. Phase A comprises an original eighteen-line carved honorific text for Aurelia Apphia, a member of the Phaselite civic elite who served as priestess of the Roman Imperial Cult and endowed the Palladeios Agon and associated prize competition (themis). The dedicator is restored as Apion, whose precise relation­ship to Apphia remains uncertain. Phase B consists of painted inscription (dipinto) preserved in five lines executed over plaster and fresco decoration, identified as a biblical citation from the Gospel of John (1:1, 1:3), reflecting Christian appropriation during Late Antiquity. The monument’s tertiary incorporation into the acropolis fortification walls attests to profound urban transformations at Phaselis during the Late Antique Period, providing critical evidence for civic benefaction, religious change, and spatial reconfiguration.