Some notes on two Greek inscriptions from Montenegro

Abstract

This paper discusses two Greek inscriptions found in the modern-day Montenegro, in the coastal towns of Perast and Ulcinj. Already at the time of their initial publications the inscriptions were recognized as valuable historical documents. In spite of this, their usage as historical sources was limited, because their proper geographical and chronological context was lacking. In this paper we offer updated reading and interpretation of the texts, as well as an alternative dating to those that have been proposed previously. The dedication (?) from Perast was erected by peripoloi (patrolmen) and must have originated from a Greek speaking town along the southern Adriatic. The altar from Ulcinj, dedicated to Artemis Elaphabolos (the Deer Slayer), was made by an association of stone-cutters, who must have come from a Doric speaking settlement. The combined weight of paleographical, linguistic and historical evidence points to the later date for the inscriptions than it was previously assumed, most likely ca. 1st century BC.