Stable URL: http://ancientassociations.ku.dk/assoc/1365Download as PDF
Last Updated on 05 Jan 2019

Author: Matt Gibbs & Philip F. Venticinque

CAPInv. 1365: plethos siderourgon Hermontheos

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Egypt
ii. Nome Thebes with Peri Thebas (U04b)
iii. Site Hatshepshut temple, Deir el-Bahari, 'Western Thebes'

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) πλῆθος σιδηρουργῶν Ἑρμώνθεως (I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 163 ll. 4-5)
ii. Full name (transliterated) plethos siderourgon Hermontheos

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 283 (?) - 350 (?) AD

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Geographical:Hermontheos
Professional:siderourgon
iii. Descriptive terms πλῆθος plethos
Note plethos: I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 163 l. 4; I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 164: l. 7; I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 168 l. 3; I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 169 l. 3; I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 172 l. 3; I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 173 l. 3.
Cf. generally P.Mich. II 124 recto, col. II, l. 15 n.8-9 (CAPInv. 1274) and San Nicolò, 1972: 101.

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 163 (AD 327)
I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 164 (AD 283)
I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 168 (AD 324)
I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 169 (AD 333)
I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 172 (IV AD)
I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 173 (IV AD)
Note Other publications:
I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 163 = SEG 41: 1614; SB XX 14510
I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 172 = SEG 41: 1615; SB XX 14511
Online Resources SEG 41: 1614 = TM 23754
I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 163: TM 108916
I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 164: TM 107498
I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 168: TM 108917
I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 169: TM 108918
I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 172: TM 34049
I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 173: TM 107503
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script proskynema/dedication in Greek
i.c. Physical format(s) proskynema inscribed on wall
ii. Source(s) provenance Niche D, south wall, West wall of the court, southern part (163).
Niche C, west wall, West wall of the court, southern part (164).
Niche D, south wall, West wall of the court, southern part (168, 169).
Niche D, north wall, West wall of the court, southern part (172, 173).

VII. ORGANIZATION

iii. Members I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 163 l.12: οἱ πάντες hoi pantes
I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 168 l.9: καὶ πάντες kai pantes
I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 169 l.10: οἱ πάντες hoi pantes
iv. Officials I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 163: Leeilos (Leilos), ἀρχι() [likely a form of ἀρχιερεύς archiereus]; Plenis ἀρχι() [l.6: [β] ἀ[ρ]χι (), perhaps second archiereus?]; Τ[---] ἀρχι() [l.7 [γ] ἀ[ρ]χι (), perhaps third archiereus?]; Hatres, son of Horion, son of Theophanes, γρα[μμ]ατεύς grammateus.

I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 164: l.1: Π . . . υ γραμ(ματέως) (l. γραμματεύς) grammateus; ἀρχι() [likely a form of ἀρχιερεύς archiereus]; l.11: [β] ἀ[ρ]χι (), perhaps second archiereus?].

I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 168: l.4: Ποΰμσι Ἀσκοῦ ἀρχι() [likely a form of ἀρχιερεύς archiereus] (Poumsi son of Askos, archi()); l.4: β ἀρχι() Πενᾶς Ἀσκοῦ [perhaps second archiereus?] (second archi() Penas son of Askos; l.5: [γ] ἀρχι() Λούσι[ο]ς (third archi() Lousios); l.7: Ἁτρῆς Ωρίονος Θεοφάνους γραμματεύς (Hatres son of Horion son of Theophanes grammateus)

I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 169: l.4: Χολλῶς Πα[σ]ήμιος ἀρχι() [likely a form of ἀρχιερεύς archiereus] (Chollos son of Pasemis archi()); l.5: β ἀρχι() [- - - - - - - - - - - - - - ] [perhaps second archiereus?]; l.9: Ἁτρῆς Ωρίονος Θεοφάνους γραμματεύς (Hatres son of Horion son of Theophanes grammateus)

I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 172: l.4: [ - - - ] ἀρχι() [likely a form of ἀρχιερεύς archiereus]; l.4: β ἀρχι() Ἁτρῆς Ψ[- - -] [perhaps second archiereus?] (second archi() Hatres son of Ps...); l.8-9: Ἁτρῆς Ωρίονος τ[οῦ] Θεοφάνους γραμματεύς (Hatres son of Horion son of Theophanes grammateus)

I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 173: l.4: Εὐα. . . ἀρχι . . . . () [likely a form of ἀρχιερεύς archiereus]; l.4: β ἀρχι() [perhaps second archiereus?]
v. Other staff I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 168: l.5: Πλ(ῆνις) Πκ[ο]ί(λιος) ζυτοπ(οιός) zutopoios, brewer (Plenis son of Pkylis); l.8: Δίδυμος Σ̣τ̣ρ̣ώτου καὶ Πλῆ(νις) ὀνηλάτης onelates, donkey-keeper (Didymos son of Strotes and Plenis).

IX. MEMBERSHIP

i. Number I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 163: 7 (?)

I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 164: at least 3 (traces of far more names).

I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 168: c.14

I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 169: at least 4 (?)

I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 172: c.11

I.Deir el-Bahari Lajtar 173: at least 4 (?)
ii. Gender Men
Note The recorded names are male names.
iii. Age Adults
v. Relations 168: one set of brothers(?): Poümsi and Penas share the same patronymic (Ἀσκοῦ: "son of Askos") and may be brothers.
vi. Proper names and physical features 163: Leeilos (likely a variant of Leilos), Plenis, T[---], Horion, Plenis son of Psenpaeris and P[.] (nothing similar in Trismegistos [NAM]), Hatres son of Horion son of Theophanes

164: Plenis

168: Poümsi son of Askos [- - -]; Penas son of Askos [- - -]; Louisos [- - -]; Plenis son of Plenis; Chollos son of Pasemis; Tyrannos son of Besas; Pesouris son of Phthoi; Plenis son of Pkylis son of Chollos; Kouel(); Plenis son of Pekysis son of Pkylis; Pesouris son of Lolous; Hatres son of Horion son of Theophanes; Didymos son of Strotes; Plenis

169: Chollos son of Pasemis; Pesouris son of Lolous; Plenis son of Pkylis; Hatres son of Horion son of Theophanes.

172: Hatres son of Ps[- - - ]; Horion son of Horion the elder; Plenis the younger son of P[. .]t[.]s; Tyrannos son of Kouel(); Pamonthes son of Tyrannos; Plenis son of Psais son of Pabotes; [- - -] son of [- - -]asimos; Monkores son of [- - -]; [- - -] son of Peleas; Hatres son of Horion son of Theophanes

173: Eya . . . ; Pasemis; Turannos (?); Didymos son of Strotes

X. ACTIVITIES

iii. Worship 163: Came to this place, offering a donkey as a sacrifice (ll. 3-4: γενόμεθα ἐνταῦθα λητητης θυσια ονον); made proskynema (ll. 12-13: οἱ παντές τὸ προσκύνημα ἐποίησαν).

168: made proskynema (l.9: τὸ προσκύνημα ἐποί[ησα]ν.); slaughtered a donkey presumably as a sacrifice (l.8: αὐτὸς [Plenis] ἔσφαξεν τὸν ὄνον).

169: made proskynema (l.10: τὸ προσκύνημ[α] [ . . . . ἐποίησαν (?)]).

172: l.2: offering/sacrifice of a donkey (θυσίας ὄνον).

173: The appearance of ἐγενόμεθα ἐναταῦθα in l.2 of the text suggests that the format was similar to other proskyema left by this association (e.g. I.Deir el-Bahari 172, 169, 168, 163). If this is correct, then it is likely that an offering of a donkey was made, and this proskyema was inscribed.
Deities worshipped Unnamed in these particular texts, although cf. I.Deir el-Bahari 161, which does not belong to this association, found in the same area: it names Amenothes and Asklepios. So therefore perhaps the ironworkers were worshipping Amenhotep and Asklepios (the Greek syncretic form of the Egyptian Imhotep). The appearance of the designation theos magas almost certainly refers to Amenhotep, who for centuries was one of the main deities worshipped at Deir el-Bahari, whereas Imhotep was apparently considered the son of Ptah, the divine smith and patron god of smiths (Łajtar 2006: 101).

XI. INTERACTION

i. Local interaction Hermonthis is several hours from the Temple of Hatshepshut. That this association made the journey to this temple is significant in itself; was it because of the relationship between the deity or deities noted by Łajtar (2006: 100-1), namely Amenhotep and Asklepios (the Greek syncretic form of the Egyptian Imhotep). The appearance of the designation theos magas almost certainly refers to Amenhotep, who for centuries was one of the main deities worshipped at Deir el-Bahari; Imhotep was considered the son of Ptah, the divine smith and patron god of smiths.

XII. NOTES

i. Comments 164: This is the earliest piece of evidence for the corporation of ironworkers from Hermonthis visiting Deir el-Bahari. The scribe here (according to the hand) is not the same as in I.Deir el-Bahari 163, 168, 169, 172, or 173, which are like the work of Hatres son of Horion son of Theophanes; this scribe, however, appears to have come from the same scribal tradition (Łajtar 2006: 250).

172, 173: These are probably the latest proskynemata left by this association. They are not, however, securely dated: 169 (AD 333/334?) may in fact be the latest.
iii. Bibliography Carrié, J.-M. (1999) 'Review of Łajtar's Deir el-Bahari in the Hellenistic and Roman Periods,' Ant. Tard. 7: 349.
D. Frankfurter (1998) Religion in Roman Egypt: assimilation and resistance. Princeton: 25, 64.
Gibbs, M. (forthcoming) 'Artisans and their gods: religionin the trade associations of Roman Egypt', in A. Cazemier and S. Skaltsa (eds.), Associations in Context: Rethinking Associations and Religion in the Post-Classical Polis.
Łajtar, A. (2006) Deir el-Bahari in the Hellenistic and Roman periods: a study of an Egyptian temple based on Greek sources, Warsaw.
San Nicolò, M. (1972) Ägyptisches Vereinswesen zur Zeit Ptolemäer und Römer, 2nd edn. 2 vols. Munich.
Renberg, G. H. (2008) 'Review of Łajtar's Deir el-Bahari in the Hellenistic and Roman Periods,' BMCR
available here
Zimmerman, C. (2002) Handwerkervereine im griechischen Osten des Imperium Romanum. Mainz: 34, n. 253.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Certain
Note The use of the term plethos, taken alongside the activities of the association in question here makes it certain that it was a private association.