Stable URL: http://ancientassociations.ku.dk/assoc/1981Download as PDF
Last Updated on 27 Feb 2017

Author: Mario C.D. Paganini

CAPInv. 1981: to koinon ton en tei nesoi tassomenon Kilikon

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Cyprus
ii. Region Cyprus
iii. Site Paphos

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) τὸ κοινὸν τῶν ἐν τῆι νήσωι τασσομένων Κιλίκων (ABSA 56 (1961) 31,83, l. 3)
ii. Full name (transliterated) to koinon ton en tei nesoi tassomenon Kilikon

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 142 - 107 BC

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

i. Name in other forms οἱ ἐν τῇ νήσωι τασσόμενοι Κίλικες, hoi en te nesoi tassomenoi Kilikes (ABSA 56 (1961) 27,71, l. 3)
ii. Name elements
Ethnic:Kilikes: soldiers from Cilicia
Geographical:en tei nesoi
Professional:tassomenoi: soldiers stationed on the island
Status-related:tassomenoi: soldiers stationed on the island
iii. Descriptive terms κοινόν, koinon
Note koinon: ABSA 56 (1961) 31,83, l. 3; ABSA 56 (1961) 34,91, l. 1.

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) ABSA 56 (1961) 31,83 (123-118 BC)
ABSA 56 (1961) 27,71 (142-131 BC)
ABSA 56 (1961) 34,91 (114-107 BC)
Note ABSA 56 (1961) 31,83 = OGIS 157 = CIG 2635 = SEG 13: 578
ABSA 56 (1961) 34,91 = OGIS 148
Online Resources ABSA 56 (1961) 31,83and AGRW ID 20535
ABSA 56 (1961) 27,71 and AGRW ID 20539
ABSA 56 (1961) 34,91 and AGRW ID 20574
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script ABSA 56 (1961) 31,83: Greek statue base for the governor Theodoros, son of Seleukos.
ABSA 56 (1961) 27,71: Greek statue base for the governor Seleukos (?)
ABSA 56 (1961) 34,91: Greek statue base for the governor Helenos
i.c. Physical format(s) Statue bases
ii. Source(s) provenance All three inscriptions were found in the sanctuary of Aphrodite.

VII. ORGANIZATION

iii. Members The members are generically called οἱ ἐν τῇ νήσωι τασσόμενοι Κίλικες, hoi en te nesoi tassomenoi Kilikes (ABSA 56 (1961) 27,71, l. 3)
iv. Officials οἱ ἡγεμόνες, hoi hegemones (ABSA 56 (1961) 27,71, l. 2): the term may refer to the officials of the association or to the officials of the units of the Cilician mercenaries.

IX. MEMBERSHIP

ii. Gender Men
Note Given the military character of the group, the members were men.
iv. Status The members were mercenaries from Cilicia.

X. ACTIVITIES

iv. Honours/Other activities The koinon honoured the Ptolemaic governors of the island, for their benevolence and loyalty to the Ptolemaic rulers and to the koinon.

XII. NOTES

i. Comments On koina of mercenaries on Cyprus see also: Thompson Crawford 1984: 1073-4 and Kruse 2015: 292-6.
iii. Bibliography Kruse, T. (2015), 'Ethnic koina and politeumata in Ptolemaic Egypt'. in V. Gabrielsen and C. A. Thomsen (eds.), Private Associations and the Public Sphere: Proceedings of a Symposium held at the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, 9-11 September 2010. Copenhagen: 270-300.
Thompson Crawford, D. J. (1984), 'The Idumaeans of Memphis and the Ptolemaic Politeumata', in Atti del XVII Congresso Internazionale di Papirologia. vol. 3. Napoli: 1069-75.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Certain
Note The terminology employed (koinon) and the character of the group, together with parallels of other military koina on the island, point to a private association. It is less likely that the koinon was the loose community of mercenaries without a more structured and durable associational organisation.