Statue bases inscribed on multiple faces: the case of Ephesus 

This paper aims to investigate the cases of statue bases inscribed on different faces in the city of Ephesus, in order to determine the criteria for the use of the monument surfaces and for possible reuse practices. In some instances, the dedication continues across different faces, mainly due to space constraints. However, many bases feature different yet related texts on multiple sides: the distribution across several faces could thus serve to isolate individual documents. In some cases, reuse is evident, when honorary dedications to different individuals are inscribed on different sides of the monument without implying its refunctionalization. Reuse could be driven by the need for visibility, as in the case of monuments located in important spots of the civic epigraphic landscape. In other cases, the base undergoes a refunctionalization, when the reuse does not respect the original function of the monument: in such instances, there is no relationship between the various texts, which often also belong to different documentary typologies. 

Keywords: Statue bases, Ephesus, Inscriptions on more than one face, Reuse, Epigraphic landscape.