Base di statua da Rodi con citazione di Aristofane

The statue base, found in Rhodes and belonging to the second/first century BC, preserves verses 454-9 of Aristophanes’ Frogs headed by the name of the author in the genitive: it is the only known epigraphic example of a classical text introduced by its author’s name. The inscribed text is also significant for the textual tradition of the Frogs, since it confirms the reading of some ancient medieval manuscripts. The inscription was found near the ancient gymnasium, where a library has recently been identified: it suggests that the text belonged to an educational context. At the same time, the religious aspect is evident both in the inscribed verses and in the comparison with a dedica- tion from the Rhodian Peraea made by gymnasiarchs to Helios. Hence, the inscription contributes to our knowledge of the cultural, educational and religious environment of the late Hellenistic age Rhodes