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Last Updated on 13 Mar 2017

Author: Alexandru Avram

CAPInv. 1264: aristopyleitai

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Black Sea Region
ii. Region North coast of the Black Sea
iii. Site Pantikapaion

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) ἀριστοπυλεῖται (CIRB 36, l. 13)
ii. Full name (transliterated) aristopyleitai

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 275 - 279 AD

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Status-related:aristopyleitai: the word is a hapax. It has been interpreted as meaning 'courtiers' (derived from πύλαι, pylai, here 'royal palace').

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) CIRB 36 (AD 275-279)
Online Resources CIRB 36
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Greek dedication of the ἀριστοπυλεῖται, aristopyleitai, to Zeus Σωτήρ, Soter, Hera Σώτειρα, Soteira, King Teiranos and Queen Ailia, followed by a long list of the members of the association.
i.c. Physical format(s) Marble statue base inscribed on three faces. The base was decorated with a relief depicting two busts.
ii. Source(s) provenance Pantikapaion

VI. BUILT AND VISUAL SPACE

i. Archaeological remains The statue base itself.

VII. ORGANIZATION

ii. Leadership Ioul(ios) Chopha[r]nes Aphrodeisiou ἱερεύς, hiereus, a former λοχαγός, lochagos (ll. A 11-12).
iii. Members Under the heading οἱ λοιποὶ ἀριστοπυλεῖται, hoi loipoi aristopyleitai (l. A 13) at least 91 names (all with patronyms) are more or less completely preserved.
iv. Officials Besides the military or civil officials the inscription mentions:
one γραμματεύς, grammateus (of the association rather than of the royal palace) (ll. B 34-5);
at least 15 ἐπιμη[ν]ι<εύ>σαντες, epime[n]i<eu>santes, i.e. 'former presidents of sessions' (ll. B 43-4): this office invites to postulate regular assemblies.

IX. MEMBERSHIP

i. Number More than 91.
ii. Gender Men
Note The names are male names.
iii. Age Children
Adults
Note At the damaged end of the inscription (ll. B 75-8) were inscribed the names of at least two νεώτεροι, neoteroi.
iv. Status Some of the members are high military or civil officials at the royal court.

X. ACTIVITIES

iii. Worship Given the dedication to Zeus Soter and Hera Soteira, worship by the group may be supposed.
Deities worshipped Zeus Soter and Hera Soteira

XI. INTERACTION

i. Local interaction Since the association is constituted by high rank officials of the Bosporan Kingdom, it is obviously closely connected to the king and the royal court.

XII. NOTES

iii. Bibliography Gajdukevich, V.F. (1971), Das Bosporanische Reich. Berlin, Amsterdam: 471.
Jajlenko, V.P. (2010): Tysjacheletnij Bosporskij Rejkh [A Thousand Year Bosporan Reich (sic)]. Moscow: 403-8.
Ustinova, Yu. (1999), The Supreme Gods of the Bosporan Kingdom. Celestial Aphrodite and the Most High God. Leiden, Boston, Cologne: 8 and 136-7.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Certain
Note The terminology used points to a private association.