Unnumbered pageScan 48 of 142
-4- is used, and alpha is A. The letters are ca. 0.015 high, and of fair workmanship, though badly battered. We have a fragment from the middle, including the top line. It is on marble 0.0330.030 thick (it also seems to be slightly curved, widening toward the beginning of the line. The marble has a golden, perhaps Pentelic colouring where weathered.
I read it as follows: ΕΠΕΙΚΑ.... The initial E of line one ΕΣΤΡΑΤ.... might be a Ξ, and the P of ΤΟΥΒΑΣΙ.... line 4 may be an I. The -ΑΡΑΧΑΙ.... A of line 5 is questionable. ----ΤΑ.... The other letters seem quite certain. The first letter of The is ΣΤΡΑΤ- and line 4 may be a Π. τοῦ βασι- quite intrigue me.
There seems to be a line down the stone before lines 1-3 as preserved, indicating that this is the left hand border of the inscription.
The tombs are nearly finished. The best (since my last letter) so far is the upper burial in tomb 24 (the
65 figures hard to readstruck struck outadded written in above” jug ditto, and what it repeatsword reading not certain