Stable URL: http://ancientassociations.ku.dk/assoc/747Download as PDF
Last Updated on 23 Mar 2017

Author: Paschalis Paschidis

CAPInv. 747: hoi Eriphiastai

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Macedonia
ii. Region Mygdonia
iii. Site Thessalonike

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) οἱ Ἐριφιασταί (Nigdelis 2010: 39 no 14, ll. 6 and 30)
ii. Full name (transliterated) hoi Eriphiastai

III. DATE

i. Date(s) ii - iii AD

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Theophoric:eriphiastai: The name perhaps stems from a cult of Dionysos Eriphios (so Nigdelis 2010: 15-16), although this is far from certain.
iii. Descriptive terms συνήθεια, synetheia (?)
Note synetheia: IG X.2.1 261, l. 20 in fine (?).
Both the reading and the reference to the association are doubtful.

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) Nigdelis 2010: 39 no 14 (II-III AD)
Note See also: IG X.2.1 261; SEG 60: 662
Online Resources IG X.2.1 261 (without the corrections by Nigdelis 2010: 39 no 14).
AGRW ID 24293 (with corrections by Nigdelis)
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Regulatory Greek decree (?)
i.c. Physical format(s) Plaque, broken on all sides exept the left.

VI. BUILT AND VISUAL SPACE

ii. References to buildings/objects The οἶκος, oikos (the clubhouse of the association) is repeatedly mentioned in the regulations (ll. 16, 19, 20, 25). A second floor (l. ὑπερῷον, hyperoion, l. 19) is mentioned too, but it is unclear if this belonged to the association as well.

VII. ORGANIZATION

v. Other staff Σωφρονισταί, sophronistai are mentioned (l. 26). They were obviously responsible for maintaining order within the οἶκος, oikos of the association.
vi. Laws and rules IG X.2.1 261 appears to be a list of regulations. The very poor state of preservation of the text does not allow much insight to the exact provisions, which seem, however, to deal mostly with who had access to the association's clubhouse, and the proper conduct of members when inside the oikos.
viii. Obligations See VII.vi: Laws and rules, above.

VIII. PROPERTY AND POSSESSIONS

ii. Realty The ownerhsip status of the oikos repeatedly referred to (ll. 16, 19, 20, 25) is unclear.

IX. MEMBERSHIP

i. Number At least ten members are mentioned.
ii. Gender Men
Note All members referred to by name are men.

X. ACTIVITIES

iii. Worship The cult of Dionysos Eriphios, which may be tentatively inferred by the association's name is nowhere referred to in the surviving text.
Deities worshipped Dionysos (?)

XII. NOTES

iii. Bibliography Nigdelis, P. M. (2010), ‘Voluntary Associations in Roman Thessalonike: in Search of Identity and Support in a Cosmpolitan Society’, in L. Nasrallah, Ch. Bakirtzis and S. Friesen (eds.), From Roman to Early Christian Thessalonike: Studies in Religion and Archaeology. Cambridge Mass., London: 13-47, esp. 15, 26.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Possible
Note The nature of the association (?) cannot be identified definitively by this very poorly preserved text. The reference to the tribe Dionysias (ll. 7-8 and 9), may even point to a collective of a formal and civic rather than associative nature.