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XXXVII. Observations on the Corbridge Altars. By the Hon. Dairies Barrington. In a Letter to the President
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 July 2012
Extract
I shewed you, some time since, Mr. Tyrwhitt's very ingenious reading of the inscription an the Corbridge altar, engraved in the second volume of the Archaeologia; which turns out to be the following regular hexameter.
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page 324 note [a] Viz. PULCHER. Dr. Stukely seems never to have been more unhappy in his conjectures than when he interprets these words in the following manner:
“Marcus Esorast, the son of Acherm, dedicates this altar of Astarte.” Medallic History of Carausius, p. 160.
page 325 note ]b] It was formerly in the possession of the Rev. Mr. Walton, vicar of Corberidge, whose collection of antiquities, after his death, was purchased by the Rev. Mr. Graham, of Netherby. Wallis's Antiquities of Northumberland, p. 127. This altar was claimed by one of the late dukes of Somerset, as being found in his manor of Corbridge: but Mr. Walton would not permit it to be removed, as it was discovered on his glebe.
page 325 note [c] It was removed from Corbridge to Northumberland-house in 1749, having been claimed by the present duke, as being found within his manor of Corbridge. I am authorized to say, that this valuable piece of antiquity will soon be sent by his grace to the British Museum.
page 325 note [d] The society having since obtained his grace's permission for Mr. Basire to make an exact copy of the altar, it is here exhibited in two views in the annexed plate; the pricked lines shew those parts of the characters which are very imperfect.
page 325 note [e] This inscription is most improperly rendered, by Dr. Todd, in the Philosophical Transactions, N° 330, Herculi Tyrio divina dona archi-sacerdotalia, or per summum sacerdotem offerenda; as it clearly imports no more, than that the archpriestess Diodora dedicates the altar to Tyrian Hercules.—Mr. Wallis (if it be not an error of his printer) seems to be still more mistaken in supposing it to be an altar “in honour of Tyrian Hercules, dedicated to Diodora the priestess.” Antiquities of Northumberland, vol. II. p. 127.
page 327 note [f] Dr. Todd, indeed, in the Philosophical Transactions, accounts for the altar being dedicated to Tyrian Hercules in a more satisfactory manner, if he referred to any authority in support of his conjecture: “The altar seems to have been erected “by some of the Asiatic Phoenician auxiliaries, who might be in garrison [at Corbridge] “near the frontier, under Urbicus Lollius, about A. D. 140.” Phil. Trasact. N°330, p. 291. I must own, that I never read of the Romans sending Phoenician auxiliaries to any of their colonies, much less to the Northern parts of England.
page 328 note [g] To (sc. ιρον) . De Dea Syria, in princ.
Then follows, , .
Hiram, king of Tyre, and cotemporary with Solomon, built also two temples, which he dedicated to Astarte and Tyrian Hercules. See Josephus, l. ii. c. I.
page 329 note [h] . Corinthiac.
page 329 note [i] It is well known, that mention of temples occurs almost in every period of Pausanias; and it is believed there is no other instance of a priestess to a male deity throughout his whole description of Greece.
page 329 note [k] N° IV. See also Montfaucon's Pal. Graeca, p. 246. ; and . veau Traité de Diplomatique, t. I. p. 627.
page 329 note [l] See Marmora Oxoniensia, p. 457.
page 330 note [m] In Phil. Transact, for March and April 1702, N° 278.–Ibid. N° 330. In Phil. Transact abridged, Vol. V. Part II. p. 46.;—and, lastly, in Horsley, p. 192. It hath also been printed in Stukeley's Carausius, and Wallis's Antiquities of Northumberland.
page 330 note [n] In his Palaeographia Graeca.
page 330 note [o] See the Ars Critica Lapidaria, L. III. c. I. can. ii.