A dedication inscription prepared for an athlete, believed to date back to the Roman period, has been found in Anemurium

In the excavations of the ancient city of Anemurium, located in Mersin province in southern Türkiye, a dedication inscription prepared for an athlete, believed to date back to the Roman period, has been found.

The ancient city of Anemurium is dated back to the 4th century BCE.

The athlete inscription was discovered by a team led by Prof. Dr. Mehmet Tekocak from the Department of Archaeology at Selçuk University during excavations in the area referred to as the “port bath.”

The inscription measures 120 centimeters in height and 50 centimeters in width.

Excavation leader Prof. Dr. Mehmet Tekocak stated, “The inscription excites us. We know that inscriptions related to athletes have been found in other cities, but this is the first time we are discovering a solid inscription consisting of 13 lines on an archaeological material that could be described as an altar or a statue base.”

Emphasizing that Anemurium was not only a port city but also a place that trained athletes, Tekocak noted:

“The inscription mentions the person who organized the competition, the recipient of the award, and the category in which the competition was held. A citizen named Flavianus, who lived in the ancient city of Anemurium in the 2nd century AD, organized a competition in his name every five years. From the inscription, we learn that in the second wrestling competition, an athlete named Kaikilianos became the champion in the adult category, and Flavianus awarded him. In addition to the award, an honor statue and inscription were prepared for the athlete. It is highly likely that there was a statue of the athlete on this inscription. The fact that the bath, which was a significant point of social and cultural life in antiquity, is also present indicates that the athlete was a very important figure.”

Experts are continuing their examinations of the inscription.

Cover Photo: Yakup Sağlam/AA