A remarkable 2,100-year-old inscription has emerged from Turkey, bearing the phrase attributed to Antiochus of Commagene: a call for people to obey and respect the law. The find was reported by Arkeonews, signaling a significant addition to the understanding of ancient governance in the region.
In 2023, local villagers uncovered the relief sculptures and promptly alerted a local museum. Scholars from two renowned institutions, Oxford University and the University of Pisa, were invited to study the artifacts. The terrain surrounding the site is rugged, with steep slopes and rocky outcrops, which complicated the retrieval process. To transport the unearthed pieces to Perret, specialists relied on military helicopters and rope systems, underscoring the challenges of modern excavation in difficult landscapes.
Among the inscriptions are the words of King Antiochus I, who urged the population to adhere to the law and to respect its authority. A relief on the reverse side depicts Antiochus I alongside Mithridates I, offering a visual narrative that complements the textual message and enriches our picture of the era’s political imagery.
Antiochus I ruled the kingdom of Commagene from 69 to 34 BCE. He came from the Armenian Yervandid dynasty and claimed descent from a lineage that included Darius I. Commagene was a small but culturally rich kingdom that existed from 163 BCE until it was incorporated into the Roman province of Syria around 72 CE. The king’s tomb sits atop Mount Nemrut, a site that has long captured the imagination of historians and visitors for its monumental statues and panoramic views.
Scholars believe that this inscription will illuminate the history of Commagene and offer new insights into governance, law, and public messaging during a pivotal period in the ancient Near East. The discovery contributes to a broader picture of how rulers coupled legal principles with monumental art to convey legitimacy and authority to their subjects.
In the broader context of ancient Egypt and the Mediterranean world, finds such as this one echo a long-standing tradition of linking law, memory, and landscape. The recent excavation mirrors the late antique practice of integrating textual decrees with sculptural reliefs to reinforce the ruler’s role and expectations for the governed. The Perret collection now gains a new, compelling chapter that scholars will study to trace continuities and shifts in how legal normativity was imagined and projected across diverse cultures.
As researchers continue their examination, the team will compare the inscriptions against known royal edicts from the region, seeking correlations with other law-centered inscriptions and iconography. The integration of text and imagery in Commagene’s royal programs points to a sophisticated approach to governance, where public law and ceremonial art reinforced a sovereign’s legitimacy and the social contract with his people. The current findings are expected to deepen the understanding of legal culture in ancient kingdoms and to place Antiochus I within a broader network of political and cultural exchange across the Hellenistic world.
Ultimately, the discovery promises to broaden the narrative of human history by linking law, memory, and monumental art in a region that bridged civilizations. The excavation team emphasizes that further study will refine these initial interpretations, offering a clearer window into the life and rule of a kingdom that once stood at the crossroads of empires.