This inscription, which was discovered and copied in the 16th century but is now missing, gives a good impression of the rural landscape around a Sicilian town; see the comments of L. Pfuntner, "Urbanism and Empire in Roman Sicily", pp.82-84 ( Google Books ). There is an Italian translation by F. Collura, "Tabulae Halaesinae - Testo e traduzione" ( academia.edu ).
Another part of the list of allotments was discovered in the 19th century, but it is very fragmentary ( Greek text: SEG_4.45 ).
[A] { Column I }
. . .
[Plot 4.] . . . [and down] the river as far as [the stream that marks the border of] plot 2, and going up the stream [towards the road] that leads to the spring of Ipyrra. The [marked] olive trees belong to this plot. [The land . . .] under the aqueduct as far as the spring of Ipyrra must not be worked and the surrounding space must be left free for a total of 70 feet, but the fruit from the trees can be harvested.
10 Plot 5. From the boundary marker that is near the spring of Ipyrra, down the road towards the docked olive tree, which has a boundary marker, and to the olive tree which has a boundary marker, and along the road to the river, and down the river towards the boundary of plot 4, and from there following the boundary of plot 4. The marked olive trees belong to this plot.
Plot 6. From the Xenis road down the road that passes by the shrine of Meilichios towards the stream, and down along the stream towards the junction of the stream, and going up along the stream towards the Xenis road. The water that flows from the spring and from the bathing-place belong to this plot.
20 Plot 7. From the boundary of plot 6 down along the road that leads to the Tapanon towards the ditch that is alongside the Themateitis, and following the ditches along the yard towards the olive tree that has a boundary marker, and towards the olive tree that has a boundary marker, and up along the stream to the road leading to the Tapanon. The marked olive trees belong to this plot.
Plot 8. From the ditch that is alongside the Themateitis towards the brook, and down along the brook towards the wild olive tree which has a boundary marker, and turning towards the olive tree which has a boundary marker, and towards of the olive tree which has a boundary marker, and towards 30 the olive tree which has a boundary marker, and towards the rock which has a boundary marker, and towards the olive tree which has a boundary marker, and towards the ditch, and towards the boundary marker that is near the spring of Ipyrra, and down the road as far as the stream, and up along the stream to the marked olive tree, and from there following the boundaries of plot 7. The marked olive trees there belong to this plot.
Plot 9. From the wild olive tree which has a boundary marker, and down along the brook towards the olive tree which has a boundary marker, and towards the olive tree which has a boundary marker, and then again towards the olive tree with 'City of Halaisa' carved on it, and following the ditches and the stakes down to the hut, 40 and from the hut up along the wall, and following the wall towards the ditch, and following the ditches towards the boundary marker that is above the road, and up along the road towards the boundary marker which is near the spring of Ipyrra, and from there following the boundaries of plot 8. The hut is shared with the tenant of plot 10. The marked olive trees there belong to this plot.
Plot 10. From the hut following the ditches and stakes down towards the wall, and following the wall towards the ditch, and following the ditches towards the river, and down along the river to the road that marks the border of plot 7, and from there 50 following the boundaries of plots 7 and 9.
Plot 11. From the boundary of plot 9 down along the road leading to the Tapanon, towards the upper corner of the surrounding wall of the Tapanon, and from the Tapanon down along the approach road to the shrine of Adranos, towards the olive tree which has a boundary marker, and again towards the pomegranate trees, and towards the olive tree which has a boundary marker, and following the ditches below the boundary marker towards the brook, and up along the brook towards the ditch that is next to the Themateitis, and towards the road that leads to the Tapanon. The marked olive trees there belong to this plot.
Plot 12. From the Tapanon down along the road as far as the brook, and down along the brook 60 as far as the stake that is next to the brook, and following the stakes as far as the boundary of plot 11, and from there following the boundaries of plot 11. It will be necessary to leave an access road of six feet in width to the shrine of Adranos, and overall the land within 20 feet from the temple must be kept clear.
Plot 13. From the ditch that is next to the Opikanos, down along the Opikanos towards the river, and down along the river as far as the boundary marker in the (?) plot, and up along the boundary markers towards the boundary marker that is next to the fig tree below the road, and following the road as far as the boundary of plot 13 of the great forest, and from there following the boundary of plot 13 of the great forest.
The 14th Plot is the oil press. 70 The surrounding area, if it is sacred land, belongs to this plot. The tenants of the oil press shall not use the land for tanning or cooking.
[B] { Column II }
. . .
[Plot 11.] . . . and following the boundary marker and the ditches towards the olive tree [which has a boundary marker, and] towards the boundary of plot 10 and up along the boundary of [plot] 10 as far as the boundary of the land of Pikattos, and from there following the boundaries of the land of Pikattos. 10 The marked olive trees there belong to this plot.
Plot 12. From the boundary marker that is under the Aspis towards the flattened (?) rock on which there is the boundary marker, and towards the olive tree which has a boundary marker, and towards the ditch, and following the ditches towards the olive tree which has a boundary marker, and towards the road that leads from the Tapanon, and up along the road as far as the boundary of plot 7, and from there following the boundaries of plot 7 towards the boundary marker, and following the boundary marker to near the flattened (?) rock. The marked olive trees there belong to this plot.
Plot 13. From the boundary of plot 11 down along the Opikanos towards the ditch that is alongside the Opikanos, 20 and following the ditches that are below the boundary marker towards the road leading to the Tapanon, and up along the road as far as the boundary of plot 12 and from there following the boundaries of plot 12.
[C] There are [7] allotments for those by the Halaisos stream :
Plot 1. From the Halaisos stream towards the boundary marker on the rock by the troughs, and going up along the ridge towards the rock which has a boundary marker, and towards the road, and up along the road towards the stream, and up along the stream to the ditch that is below the boundary marker, and following the boundary marker that is above the ditch as far as the yard, and on the upper side of the yard following the boundary marker that is above the ditch, and towards the ditch that is by the olive tree, and above the olive tree 30 following the track and the ditches towards the olive tree with 'City of Halaisa' carved on it, and from the olive tree following the boundary marker that is above the olive tree towards the ditch, and up towards the thorn bushes {rhamnoi}, and following the thorn bushes around the boundary marker, and towards the ditch, and up towards the boundary marker that is carved on the stone, and following the boundary marker on the lower side of the yard, and towards the boundary marker that is on the tower, and below the tower towards the stream that is below the (?) culvert in the tower, where there is a boundary marker, and down along the stream towards the Halaisos stream, and up along the Halaisos towards the beginning of the perimeter. The property of Agrios is in the area of this plot.
Plot 2. From the (?) culvert in the tower where there is a boundary marker below the tower as far as the boundary marker that is on the tower, 40 and from the boundary marker following the ditches down towards the wild pear tree with 'City of Halaisa' carved on it, and following the ditches towards the olive tree with 'City of Halaisa' carved on it, and towards the fig tree with 'City of Halaisa' carved on it, and following the ditches as far as the boundary marker, and then following the boundary marker towards the stream, and down along the stream towards the Halaisos stream, and up along the Halaisos towards the boundary of plot 1. The property of Elapheus is in the area of this plot.
Plot 3. From the boundary marker on the tower, which marks the border of plot 2, as far as the stream that flows out of the gap below the tower, and down along the stream towards the confluence with the brook, and up along the brook 50 towards the boundary marker, and from there following the boundaries of plot 2. The property of Elapheus is in the area of this plot.
Plot 4. From the stream that flows out of the gap below the tower, as far as the stream that flows from the (?) culvert beside the sanctuary, where there are bronze (?) caldrons, next to the kitchen, and down along the stream as far as the boundary marker where there is a ditch, and following the boundary marker to the stream that flows out of the gap, which marks the border of plot 3.
Plot 5. From the boundary marker where there is a ditch, down along the stream towards the ditch, and following the ditches towards the Halaisos stream, and up along the Halaisos 60 as far as the stream that marks the border of plot 2, and then up along the stream as far as the boundary marker that markets the border of plot 4.
Plot 6. From the (?) culvert beside the sanctuary of Apollo, beside the bronze (?) caldrons next to the kitchen below the tower, up to the (?) culvert that is nearest to the turret, and down along the ridge following the ditches towards the yard, and towards the boundary marker, and then following the ditches down to the boundary marker, and following the boundary marker and the ditches to stream 2, and down along the stream towards the Halaisos stream, and up along the Halaisos as far as the border 70 of plot 5.
Plot 7. From the tower down the deep stream towards the Halaisos stream, and up along the Halaisos as far as stream 1, and up along the stream as far as the tower. The properties of Heracleidas son of Apollonios and Philoxenos son of Meniskos are in the area of this plot.
[D] There are .. allotments for the Skyreōnoi :
Plot 1. From the (?) culvert below the tower as far as the (?) culvert next to turret 2, and from the (?) culvert down along the brook as far as the boundary marker, and following the boundary marker on the upper side of the yard, and up along the ridge following the ditches towards the (?) culvert. 80 The properties of Histieios son of Theston and Pelagios are in the area of this plot.
Plot 2. From the boundary marker down along the stream as far as the boundary marker, where there is a the ditch, and with (?) the boundary marker as far as the brook that flows up between the embankments, and up along the brook as far as the boundary marker, and following the boundary marker to the brook.
Plot 3. From the boundary marker down along the brook that flows between the embankments, as far as the boundary marker where is a ditch, and following the boundary marker and the ditches up along the ridge towards the boundary marker, and along the upper side of the yard, and towards the boundary marker, and following the boundary marker as far as the stream.
Attalus' home page | 20.05.20 | Any comments?