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Last Updated on 28 Feb 2017

Author: Sophia Zoumbaki

CAPInv. 753: to koinon ton peri ton Dionyson techniton] ton ex Isthmou kai Nemeas tes en Arg[ei synodou

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Peloponnese with Adjacent Islands
ii. Region Argolis
iii. Site Argos

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) τὸ κοινὸν τῶν περὶ τὸν Διόνυσον τεχνιτῶν] τῶν ἐξ Ἰσθμοῦ καὶ Νεμέας τῆς ἐν Ἄργ[ει συνόδου (IG IV 558, ll. 2-3)
ii. Full name (transliterated) to koinon ton peri ton Dionyson techniton] ton ex Isthmou kai Nemeas tes en Arg[ei synodou

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 114 / 113 BC

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

i. Name in other forms οἱ [περὶ τὸν Διόνυσον τε]χνῖται οἱ ἐξ Ἰσθμοῦ καὶ Νεμέας τῆς ἐν Ἄργει συνόδου hoi peri ton Dionyson technitai hoi ex Isthmou kai Nemeas tes en Arg[ei synodou (ll. 29-30)
οἱ τεχνῖται (ll. 9, 10, 12, 17, 28)
ii. Name elements
Cultic:hoi peri ton Dionyson (l. 2)
Geographical:en Argei (l. 3)
ex Isthmou kai Nemeas
Professional:technitai (l. 2)
Status-related:technitai
iii. Descriptive terms σύνοδος, synodos
κοινόν, koinon
Note synodos: IG IV. 558, ll. 3, 5, 8, 11, 13, 14, 15, 23, 30, 34, 40, 41, 42.
koinon: IG IV. 588, ll. 2, 5, 11, 19, 20, 33, 39.

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) IG IV 558 (114/3 BC)
Note See also: Aneziri no. B 9; Le Guen I no. 36.
Online Resources IG IV 558
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Honorary decree in Greek of the Argive branch of the koinon of the dionysiac technitai from Corinth and Nemea for Zenon, son of Hekatodoros, from Argos.
i.c. Physical format(s) A limestone block broken at its right side and at its bottom.

VI. BUILT AND VISUAL SPACE

ii. References to buildings/objects It arises from the decree that the Argive branch of the koinon of the technitai from Ishtmos and Nemea possessed a temenos in Argos. It is in this temenos that the honorand, Zenon, son of Hekatodoros, took care of several works. These works are not always to be defined with certainty, as the text is at several points fragmentary. The restoration given in IG and the restoration by Vollgraff 1929 which is adopted by Aneziri 2003: 364-366 B 9, display several differences.
Zenon took care for the construction of a topos devoted to the god (i.e. Dionysos) and for the monumental appearance of its entrance which was supplied with a lintel (l. 26: ὑ<πε>ρθυρω[θῆναι τὴν εἴσοδον], hy<pe>rthyro[thenai ten eisodon]). He further took care for the roofing of the topos (ll. 26-27) ἐν ὧι ἔσται θ[υσία τῶι θ]ε[ῶι], en hoi estai th[ysia toi th]e[oi], (IG) or ἐν ὧι ἔσται θέσ[ις ἐλαίου τῇ συνόδῳ], en hoi estai thes[is elaiou tei synodoi], (reading reproduced by Aneziri), it depends on the restoration of the text; in the former case the topos of the god was roofed and it was there that the sacrifice took place, in the latter case we are dealing with a further space in the temenos, which was reserved for θέσις ἐλαίου, thesis elaiou, of the synodos.
In ll. 17-18 some works conducted by Zenon in the temenos are mentioned. The lacunose text does not allow us to restore with certainty Zenon's activity. The reading and restoration of IG is παρακληθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν τεχνιτῶν π[οιήσασθαι] ἐπιμέλειαν το[ύτων πάντων, ἐποιή]σατο τὰς ἐγδόσεις τ[ῶν] ἔργων πάσας [τὰς εἰς τὰ ἱ]ερὰ μετὰ πάσας [σπουδῆς], parakletheis hypo ton techniton p[oiesasthai] epimeleian to[uton panton epoie]sato tas egdoseis t[on] ergon pasas [tas eis ta hi]era meta pasas [spoudes], whilst Aneziri prefers the restoration that Zenon took care of the entemenia hiera, the hiera that are placed in the temenos and paid for the necessary works. A gap in the text (l. 16) prevents our knowledge about a further work conducted by Zenon, ὑπὲρ τοῦ κατασκευωθῆναι π[ρὸ]ς ․․․․․․․σ[ι]ν ἐν τῶι τεμένει̣ [- - -], hyper tou kataskeuothenai p[ro]s . . . . . .s[i]n en toi temenei [- - -], (reading of IG).
Zenon undertook the dedication on the part of the synodos of a statue to Dionysos which is described as akrolithon with a golden garment (ll. 13-14); instead of the text ἐξαπε[ιπούσης δὲ τῆς οὐσίας] τῆς συνόδου ἔδωκεν τὰ διάφορα ἐκ τῶν ἀναπ[ραχθέν]των ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ, exape[ipouses de tes ousias] tes synodou edoken ta diaphora ek ton anap[rachthen]ton hyp’ autou, (ll. 14-15) restored by IG, Aneziri adopts Vollgraff's restoration ἐξάπε[δον, ψηφισαμένης δὲ] τῆς συνόδου, exape[don, psephisamenes de] tes synodou.
Zenon paid further for the bacchic tripods (l. 20). While the text in ll. 22-23 is restored in IG as ἀνεγ[κλήτως αἴτιος ὢ]ν καὶ τῶν [δ]ε φ[ανερῶ]ν τ[ε εὐεργετημάτων ὑπὲρ τῆς σ]υνόδου, aneg[kletos aitios o]n kai ton [d]e ph[anero]n t[e euergetematon hyper tes s]ynodou, Aneziri prefers the restoration ἀνεγ[κλήτως ὢ]ν καὶ τῶν χε[ρνίβων ἐ]ν τῷ [τεμένει προὐνόει ὑπὲρ τῆς σ]υνόδου, aneg[kletos o]n kai ton che[rnibon e]n toi [temenei prounoei hyper tes s]ynodou. He took care for the construction of a bathron for the statue of the benefactor of the synodos King Nikomedes and for the dedication of this statue, whilst he also erected another statue, even more prominent, in the temenos.
For all these benefactions the synodos voted for crowning Zenon with a golden crown and for the erection of a bronze statue of Zenon in the temenos.

VII. ORGANIZATION

iii. Members hoi peri ton Dionyson technitai (l. 2)
iv. Officials ταμίας, tamias. Zenon is defined as the tamias of the synodos εἰς τὸ δεύτερον καὶ τριακ̣[οστὸν ἔτος], eis to deuteron kai triak[oston etos] (l. 7), (32nd year, i.e. counting down from 146 BC), whilst a further tamias, Xenon (l. 35) is mentioned in the decree, who is to take care for the expenses for the statue of Zenon. For the tamias of the Argive synodos see Aneziri 2003: 143-6.
γραμματεύς, grammateus A certain Aristokles is the grammateus (l. 36) who undertakes the supervision of the manufacture of the golden crown which is to be awarded to Zenon; his further responsibilities in the procedure of honouring Zenon are not to be restored with certainty, as the text is lacunose. On the office of the grammateus (secretary) of the associations of dionysiac technitai see Aneziri 2003: 149-150.
ἄρχοντες, archontes. In l. 35 archontes are mentioned but nothing more precise is known about them because of the fragmentary state of the inscription. On the archontes of associations of dionysiac technitai see Aneziri 2003: 147-149.

VIII. PROPERTY AND POSSESSIONS

i. Treasury/Funds The existence of a tamias and the reference to Zenon's reports in the synodos about the missing sums of money and to the fact that the technitai charged Zenon to levy the gambling debts, [ἀπέφηνε] πολλὰ τῶν τῆς συνόδου διαφόρων ἀποστατοῦντα τῶν κεφαλαίων [καὶ πάντας τοὺς τούτων τι] ἐφηλκωμένους ἐξ ἐτῶν καὶ πλειόνων ἐνεφάνισέν τε τῶι πλή[θει τῶν τεχνιτῶν καὶ πα]ρακληθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν τεχνιτῶν ἐποιήσατο τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν τῆς ἀν[απράξεως], [apephene] polla ton tes synodou diaphoron apostatounta ton kephalaion [kai pantas tous touton ti] ephelkomenous ex eton kai pleionon enephanisen te toi ple[thei ton techniton kai pa]rakletheis hypo ton techniton epoiesato ten epimeleian tes an[apraxeos], (ll. 7-10, restoration of IG), show that there was a treasury of the synodos. Zenon further financed several needs of the synodos from his own pocket.
ii. Realty The synodos possessed a temenos (see above VI.ii)

X. ACTIVITIES

i. Assemblies The reference to Zenon's financing the sacrifices that take place every month during the days of the assembly of the synodos, κατὰ μῆνα τοῖς τε[χνίταις ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις] τῆς συνόδου, kata mena tois te[chnitais en tais hemerais] tes synodou, (ll. 12-13), shows that the assemplies of the technitai were conducted every month.
ii. Meetings and events In ll. 11-13, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἀνα]πραχθέντων ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ διαφόρων ἐπετέλεσεν κατὰ μῆνα τοῖς τε[χνίταις ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις] τῆς συνόδου τὰς κατὰ τοὺς νόμους θυσίας, kai ek ton ana]prachthenton hyp’ autou diaphoron epetelesen kata mena tois te[chnitais en tais hemetais] tes synodou tas kata tous nomous thysias, it is mentioned that during the monthly assemblies prescribed sacrifices took place.
iii. Worship The possible reference to hiera (sanctuaries, l. 17 according to the Vollgraff's restoration) in the temenos of the dionysiac technitai, the reference to a topos devoted to the god, to a cultic statue of Dionysos and to prescribed monthly sacrifices (l. 13, perhaps also l. 27) imply that worship was one of the activities of the synodos.
Deities worshipped Dionysos
iv. Honours/Other activities The honorary decree from Argos shows that Zenon, who held the office of tamias of the synodos, was honoured by the technitai as benefactor.

XI. INTERACTION

ii. Interaction abroad For the interconnection of the different branches of the associations of the dionysiac technitai see Aneziri 2003: 305-16.

XII. NOTES

i. Comments It is not clear whether there were more branches of the koinon ton peri ton Dionyson techniton ton ex Isthmou kai Nemeas in the Peloponnese. An indication for the existence of a branch in Messene is perhaps to be found in Plut., Kleomenes 12. 2: ...τοὺς περὶ τὸν Διόνυσον τεχνίτας ἐκ Μεσσήνης διαπορευομένους..., tous peri ton Dionyson technitas ek Messenes diaporeuomenous... although διαπορευόμενοι, diaporeuomenoi, is not to be with certainty equalized with συμπορευόμενοι, symporeuomenoi, of other references to branches of Dionysiac associations; perhaps Messene is merely an intermediate station of the technitai's route, cf. Aneziri 2003: 60 and no. 232 who does not exclude the existence of an Arkadian branch given the engagement of Arcadians with music and theatre.
An inscription from Olympia offers a stronger indication for a Elean branch of the koinon ton peri ton Dionyson techniton ton ex Isthmou kai Nemeas (IvO 405, see CAPInv. 755).
iii. Bibliography Aneziri, S. (2003), Die Vereine der dionysischen Techniten im Kontext der hellenistischen Gesellschaft. Untersuchungen zur Geschichte, Organisation und Wirkung der hellenistischen Technitenvereine. Stuttgart.
Kotsidu, H. (2000), Τιμὴ καὶ δόξα. Ehrungen für hellenistische Herrscher im griechischen Mutterland und in Kleinasien unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der archäologischen Denkmäler. Berlin: 108-11.
Robert, L. (1926), ‘Notes d' épigraphie hellénistique’, BCH 50: 498.
Vollgraff, W. (1929), ‘Novae inscriptiones Argivae’, Mnemosyne 57: 244-50.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Certain
Note The well-known character of the technitai poses no doubts about the fact that they were a private association.