The inscription, according to Hiller, would have been located on a rock near the paved level of the perimeter area, to the west of the temple of Apollo Carneo. However, it is now untraceable and likely lost.
Letters of the archaic alphabet of Thera: Aspiration: represented as a closed rectangular with orizontal crossbar. Iota: with three strokes, featuring rounded corners. Omicron: smaller than the other letters, used for omega. Rho: with a rigid circular eye.
Encoded following the latest EpiDoc guidelines
Taxonomies for ThERA controlled values
ThERA anthroponyms authority list
ThERA theonyms authority list
Julian Calendar
The inscription, based on Hiller’s reading, was inscribed in retrograde and featured the name Chiron, written in the nominative case without the name of the dedicator. The lack of further details prevents a full reconstruction of the content, but it is believed to have been linked to the cult of the centaur Chiron. This inscription is the only explicit reference to the name of the centaur Chiron on the island. Hiller proposed that there may have been a sanctuary dedicated to Chiron near the gymnasium of the ephebes or within a cave, oriented towards the walls enclosing the sacred area around the temple of Apollo Carneo. This hypothesis was later revisited by other scholars (see Inglese 2008, p. 161-162). Chiron, in mythological tradition, is known as a centaur educator, linked to figures such as Achilles, Asclepius, Jason, and Actaeon. His presence in this inscription likely reflects his role in mentorship. In some traditions, Chiron’s teachings are tied to the transition from youth to adulthood, symbolizing the passage between two stages of life. This makes his appearance in Thera and in the Agora of the Gods particularly interesting, as it might suggest a connection between local cult practices and broader mythological traditions concerning rites of passage and mentorship.