The Lindos Chronicle (also known as the Lindian Chronicle) is an ancient Greek inscription from Lindos, Rhodes, dated to 99 BC. It is one of the longest surviving Hellenistic inscriptions.
Description
The chronicle is inscribed on a large marble slab measuring approximately eight by three feet (roughly 2.4 by 0.9 meters), which is now broken into two pieces. It was excavated early in the 20th century by a Danish expedition, which found it reused as a paving block in the Byzantine church of Saint Stephen, near the theatre of Lindos.
Content
The inscription records dedications made in the temple of Athena at Lindos (Athena Lindia) that had been made prior to the destruction of the original temple in 392–391 BC. It contains decrees of the Lindians, as well as a report on previous dedications by rulers and generals to Athena Lindia. The catalogue of dedications contains approximately forty-five entries, though only thirty-seven remain legible. Additionally, the chronicle includes four miracle stories about Athena, of which only one is fully legible and two more survive in fragmentary form.
Scholarly History
The chronicle was first edited and published in 1912 by Danish archaeologist Christian Blinkenberg. The first English translation was published by Carolyn Higbie in 2003 under the title The Lindian Chronicle and the Greek Creation of Their Past. The inscription is notable for its use of source citations, including references to local historians and letters of priests to the Council of Lindos, which served as evidence for the existence of the votive offerings it catalogues.
