Stable URL: http://ancientassociations.ku.dk/assoc/1623Download as PDF
Last Updated on 20 May 2019

Author: Benedikt Eckhardt

CAPInv. 1623: mystai

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Western Asia Minor
ii. Region Ionia
iii. Site Ephesos

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) μύσται (I.Eph(esos) 1506, l. 2)
ii. Full name (transliterated) mystai

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 50 (?) - 300 (?) AD

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Cultic:mystai

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) I.Eph(esos) 1506 (50 (?) - 300 (?) AD)
Online Resources I.Eph(esos) 1506
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Dedicatory inscription, Greek
i.c. Physical format(s) Altar
ii. Source(s) provenance Unclear

VII. ORGANIZATION

iv. Officials The heavily restored inscription mentions several offices, but all of them belong to the civic context (γραμματεὺς τῆς βουλῆς, grammateus tes boules (l. 3), ἀργυροταμίας, argyrotamias (l. 7), κῆρυξ, keryx (l. 9)).

X. ACTIVITIES

Deities worshipped The only deities mentioned in the dedication are the Theoi Sebastoi.

XII. NOTES

i. Comments There is other evidence for the connection of imperial cult and mysteries in Ephesos, but there is no way to know whether or not this dedication was set up by a member of one of the other known groups of mystai.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Possible
Note The status of mystai-groups is not quite clear; most of probably served both the private interests of their members and the needs of civic religion.
ii. Historical authenticity Certain