ruled by a Sarmatian elite caste, or theories that early Croats were Slavicized Sarmatians cannot dismiss the remote Irano-Sarmatian elements or influence on the Croatian ethnogenesis. Still, the secure connection of those three personal names with the Croatian ethnonym, or ethnic identity, is rather difficult without more evidence. Tanais Tablet A Tablet A is the larger and older inscription, dated to 175–211 AD, and which originates from the time when the king Tiberius Julius Sauromates II (175–211 AD) ruled the Bosporan Kingdom. The marble tablet, measuring , probably sustained heavy damage even before the excavation. Thirty-two lines from thirty fragments were saved from the inscription. The public inscription mentions the king, the synod, or devotional assembly, the leadership of the devotional assembly, and its regular members, which were slightly less than forty. The fourth line ends by mentioning the father of the devotional assembly, Horoúathos (Χορούαθος), who is referred to by name in the fifth line, and amongst others, an unknown male who is said to be the son of Horoáthos (Χοροάθου) is also cited. The inscription ends with the date, from which is saved only the appellation of the Greek-Macedonian month, which corresponds to either July or August. Greek original: ΘΕΩι ΥΨΙΣΤΩι. ΆΓΑΘΗι ΤΥΧΗι. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΟΝΤΟΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΤΙΒ(ΕΡΙΟΥ) ΙΟΥΛ(ΙΟΥ) ΣΑΥΡΟΜΑΤΟΥ ΦΙΛΟΚΑΙΣΑΡ[ΟΣ ΚΑ]Ι ΦΙΛΟ[Ρ]ΩΜΑΙΟΥ, ΕΥΣΕΒΟΥΣ, Η ΣΥΝΟΔΟΣ Η ΠΕΡΙ Ι[ΕΡΕΑ ΙΟΥ)ΛΙΟΝ ΡΑΛΧΑΔΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΠΑΤΕΡΑ Σ[Υ]ΝΟΔΟΥ ΧΟΡΟΥΑΘ[ΟΝ]-----Ο — ΚΑΙ ΣΥΝΑΓΩΓΩΝ ΆΡΔΑ[ΡΑ] ΚΟΝ [Σ]ΥΝΕΓΔΗΜ[ΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΦΙΛ]ΑΓ[ΑΘ]ΟΝ ΔΙΑΙ[Ο]Ν ΚΕΡΔΩΝΑΚΟΥ (?) ΚΑΙ [Π]ΑΡΑΦΙΛΑΓΑΘΟ[Ν]------ΙΟΝ ΦΟΡΓΑΒΑΚ[ΟΥ] ΚΑΙ [ΝΕΑ]ΝΙΣ- [Κ]ΑΡΧΗΝ ΔΗΜΗΤ[ΡΙΟΝ ΑΠΟ]ΛΛΩΝΙΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΓΥΜ(Ν]ΑΣΙΑ[ΡΧΗΝ] ΒΑ - [ΣΙ]ΛΕΙΔΗΝ ΘΕΟΝ[ΕΙΚ]Ο[Υ ΚΑΙ Α]ΤΤΑΝ ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙΔΟΥ ΦΙΛΟ[Ν]? ΤΗΣ [ΣΥ]ΝΟΔΟΥ [ΚΑΙ] ΟΙ ΛΟ[ΙΠΟ]Ι [ΘΙΑ]ΣΪΤΑΙ· ΆΡΔΑΡΑΚΟΣ ΖΙΑ---ΟΥ, ΔΗ[ΜΗΤ]ΡΙΟΣ------ΟΥ, ΛΕΙΜΑΝΟΣ ΦΙΔΑ, [ΜΙ]ΔΑΧΟΣ?-------ΑΝΟΥ, Ά[ΣΚ]ΛΗΠΙΑΔΗΣ ΟΥΑΛΕ[Ρ]ΙΟΥ . .Γ?ΟΔΑΝ[Ο]Σ [ΔΗΜΗΤ?]ΡΙΟΥ, [Μ]ΕΝΕΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ ΛΥΚΙΣ [ΚΟ]Υ --------ΙΚΑΧΟ[Υ], ΔΙΟΦΑΝΤ[ΟΣ] ΔΕΙΟΥ, ΠΟΠΛ[ΙΟ]Σ 15-----------ΔΑ, ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙΔ[ΗΣ] ΕΠΙΓΟΝΟΥ, ΊΑΡΔΟ---------------[Δ] ΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΥ, Α[Φ]ΡΟΔΕΙΣΙΟΣ ΧΡΥΣΕ- [ΡΩΤΟΣ, ΦΑΛ]ΔΑ[ΡΑ]ΝΟΣ ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝΙΟΥ, ΦΙΛΙΠ- [ΠΟΣ]------------ΝΟ[Υ], ΚΑΛΟΫΣ ΑΘΗΝΙΟΥ, ΚΟΦΑΡΝΟΣ --------------------------------[Τ]ΡΥΦΩΝ ΑΝΔΡΟΜ[ΕΝ]ΟΥΣ,20 Ο-------------------------ΧΟΡΟΑΘΟΥ, ΘΕΟΤΕΙΜΟΣ ΨΥΧΑ- ΡΙΩΝ[ΟΣ]----------ΔΙΒΑΛΟΣ ΦΑΡ[ΝΑΚΟΥ], ΕΫΙΟΣ 'ΡΟ- ΔΩΝ[ΟΣ, ΗΡΑ]ΚΛΕΙΔΗΣ "ΑΤΤ[Α----------------'ΑΡΙΣ]- ΤΟΔ[ΗΜΟΥ, Σ]ΥΜΜΑΧΟΣ ΣΑ--------------- ΚΟΣ---------------------------- 25 ΦΙΛΟ------------------------------ ΟΡΑΝΣ - - - [ΖΩΡΘΪ? ]ΝΟΣ ΒΕ [ ΛΛΙΚΟΥ?]------ 'ΡΑΔΑΜ[ΕΙΣΤΟΣ?)------ΦΑΔΙΝΑ[ΜΟΥ]------ ΜΥΡ[ΩΝ? ]----------ΜΑΣΤΟΫ------------ ΠΟ------------ΟΣ ΆΡΔΑ[ΡΑΚΟΥ?]------ 50 ΦΙΔ[Α]----------ΝΟΣ ΧΑΡΙ[ΤΩΝ--------:Α]- ΡΑΘΙ-------------------------- ΈΝ Τ[Ωι-----ΕΤΕΙ ΚΑΙ ΜΗ]ΝΙ ΛΩ[Ωι]----- English translation: God the Supreme. May it be with fortune! In the time of the reign of king Tiberius Julius Sauromates, Friend of Caesar and of the people of Rome, Pious. The devotional assembly with the priest Julius, the son of Rhalchades, at the head, and the father of the devotional assembly Horuat[a, the son of ---]o[---], and the gathered devotional assembly, with Ardarak, the son