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Last Updated on 12 Jun 2019

Author: Stella Skaltsa

CAPInv. 132: to koinon ton lampadiston ton en Patmoi kai metechonton tou aleimmatos

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Aegean Islands
ii. Region Patmos
iii. Site Patmos

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) τὸ κοινὸν τῶν λαμπαδιστῶν τῶν ἐν Πάτμωι καὶ μετεχόντων τοῦ ἀλείμματος (Syll.3 1068, ll. 1-3)
ii. Full name (transliterated) to koinon ton lampadiston ton en Patmoi kai metechonton tou aleimmatos

III. DATE

i. Date(s) ii BC

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

i. Name in other forms οἱ λαμπαδισταί, hoi lampadistai (l. 11)
οἱ λαμπαδισταὶ καὶ ἀλειφόμενοι, hoi lampadistai kai aleiphomenoi (ll. 18-9)
ii. Name elements
Geographical:en Patmoi
Other:lampadistai: the name derives from the term lampas. It refers to runners in a torch race.
metechontes tou aleimmatos - aleiphomenoi: a group closely related to the world of the gymnasium (literally those who anoint themselves with oil and thus partake in physical exercise)
iii. Descriptive terms κοινόν, koinon
Note ll. 1-2

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) Syll.3, 1068 (ii BC)
Note The decree is dated after Sopolis (l. 1). Although his office is not indicated, he is most likely the stephanephoros of Miletos (Haussoullier 1902: 138; followed by Manganaro). The Milesian stephanephoroi for most of the 2nd c. BC are unknown. Two homonymous stephanephoroi are attested for the years 30/29 BC and 26/5 BC (Milet I 3 no. 126) but our inscription dates probably before Augustan times.

See also Manganaro 1963/64: 331 no. 32; Chankowski 2010: 456 no. 53.

For lines 13-18 see Laum 1914, II no. 53.
Online Resources Syll.3, 1068
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Honorific decree in Greek for Hegemandros son of Menekrates by the koinon of the lampadistai ton en Patmoi kai metechonton tou aleimmatos. Hegemandros held the office of gymnasiarchy for seven times, was lampadarch and victor at the long-distance race. He was also appointed chrysonomos of the lampadistai and promised to set up an Herm and to donate (ἀναθήσειν, anathesein l. 14) 200 drachmas (to the lampadistai). He also promised to finance the sacrifices (to Hermes) at his own expense for the rest of his life and to take over the organization of the Hermaia.
i.c. Physical format(s) Pedimental stele. Broken off below. Wreath in relief depicted in the pediment.
ii. Source(s) provenance Seen by Ross (1834) in the courtyard of the Greek School near the Cave of the Apocalypse on Patmos. Later moved by Sakkelion (1862) to the archaeological collection of the Monastery of Patmos.

VI. BUILT AND VISUAL SPACE

ii. References to buildings/objects - Ἑρμὴς λίθινος, Hermes lithinos, Herm (ll. 13-4)
- χρή̣μ[ατ]α̣, chremata, property (ll. 11-2)
- χρυσὸς στέφανος, chrysos stephanos, golden crown (l. 20)
- εἰκόνα γραπτήν, eikona grapten, painted portrait (l. 21)

VII. ORGANIZATION

iv. Officials - γεγυμνασιαρχηκώς, gegumnasiarchekos (l. 8)
- λελαμπαδαρχηκώς, lelampadarchekos (l. 8)
- χρυσονόμος, chrysonomos (l. 11) - the office of chrysonomos is attested in conjunction with the association of temenitai (see CAP Inv. 998; CAP Inv. 999; CAP Inv. 1000; CAP Inv. 1001; CAP Inv. 1003; CAP Inv. 1020; CAP Inv. 1022). Outside Miletos the office of chrysonomos is found in the island of Leros; there the chrysonomos functions as the treasurer of the Milesian community residing on Leros (Manganaro 1963/64).
Known practice of appointment Hegemandros was appointed chrysonomos: κατασταθεὶς δὲ καὶ χρυσονόμος, katastatheis de kai chrysonomos (ll. 10-11).
The word αἱρέσει, airesei in line 18 refers probably to Hegemandros' conduct of his offices.
ix. Privileges ἡ δὲ ἱερωσύν[η τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ], he de hierosun[e tou Hermou] (ll. 22-23): Hegemandros shall take over the priesthood of Hermes.

VIII. PROPERTY AND POSSESSIONS

i. Treasury/Funds The office of chrysonomos, equivalent to that of tamias, is positive evidence for the existence of a treasury.
ll. 10-12: κατασταθεὶς δ[ὲ] [κ]αὶ χρυσονόμος τῶν λαμπαδιστῶν τά τε χρή̣μ[ατ]α̣ συνφυλάσσει: Hegemandros having been appointed chrysonomos of the lampadistai, he keeps guard of the property along with others (presumably with the president of the association).
iv. Endowments Hegemandros promised to donate 200 drachmas to the lampadistai so that they will be farmed out (ὅπως ἐκδανείσωνται, l. 15)

IX. MEMBERSHIP

ii. Gender Men
Note Given the gymnasion/ athletic context, we can safely assume that members were male.

X. ACTIVITIES

ii. Meetings and events Hermaia (1. 17): the gymnasion contest in honour of Hermes, the patron deity of the gymnasion, that marked the end of the 'gymnasion' year.
iii. Worship - priesthood of Hermes (ll. 22-3)
- celebration of the Hermaia (gymnasion contests in honour of Hermes) (l. 17)
- the Hermaia were preceded by sacrifices (θυσίας, thysias, l. 16), financed at Hegemandros' own expense for the rest of his life (ll. 15-6: ἐπήνγελται δὲ κ̣αὶ̣ ἕω̣[ς ἄ]ν ζῃ ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων τάς τε θυσίας ἐπιτ̣ελέσα[ι])
Deities worshipped Hermes
iv. Honours/Other activities The decree enumerates Hegemandros' past and present benevolence, not confined to members of the association alone:
- piety towards the gods (l. 4)
- kindness towards the syggeneis (relatives) and politas (citizens) (ll. 5-6)
- readily providing services from a young age to everybody in private and in public (ll. 6-7)
- office-holder of the gymnasiarchy seven times (l. 8)
- office-holder of the lampadarchy (l. 8)
- victor at the long distance race (l. 9)
- while being chrysonomos of the lampadistai, he kept guard of the property and took care of everything (ll. 10-13)
- promise to set up an Herm (ll. 13-4)
- promise to donate 200 drachmas (l. 14)
- promise to perform the sacrifices at his own expense for life (ll. 15-6)
- promise to organise the contest of Hermaia (l. 17)
Hegemandros was praised for his appointment (ll. 17-8).

Hegemandros was bestowed the following honors by the lampadistai and aleiphomenoi (ll. 19-23):
- crowned with golden crown worth of 5 golden Alexandrian drachmas
- painted portrait
- foundation of festival in his honour (day bearing his name; see BE 1966 no. 321)
- priesthood of Hermes

XII. NOTES

i. Comments Haussoullier (1902: 138-40) and Ziebarth (1913: 94-5) thought that the koinon consisted of two age groups; hoi lampadistai and hoi metechontes tou aleimmatos, also called aleiphomenoi in the text. They assumed that the lampadarch was the official of the lampadistai, whereas the aleiphomenoi were presided by the gymnasiarch. Hegemandros took on both offices.
Chankowski (2010: 456-7 no. 53), due to the absence of the definitive article before aleiphomenoi and metechontes tou aleimmatos (ll. 2, 19), put forward that these two terms probably refer to the lampadistai.
However, lampadistai and aleiphomenoi are not used interchangeably in the inscription; they clearly designate two different groups, (i) the runners in the torch race and (ii) gymnasion users. Whereas the aleiphomenoi could encompass the lampadistai in the sense that the latter were also training in the gymnasion, participation in specialized athletic events (lampas) sets the lampadistai apart from the aleiphomenoi. Lampadistai could be aleiphomenoi, but not all aleiphomenoi were lampadistai. These two groups acted collectively in conferring honours to Hegemandros.
Although lampadistai are well attested in the epigraphic record, the inscription from Patmos is the only attestation (to my knowledge) of a formally organized group of lampadistai (i.e. with their own official). Both the lampadistai and the aleiphomenoi centrered in the gymnasion.

Patmos was in the sphere of influence of Miletos. Patmos was part of the deme of Leros. This seems to have an impact on the structure of the association, at least in the terminology used for the officials (i.e. chrysonomos; see above VII.iv).
ii. Poland concordance Poland N 49
iii. Bibliography Chankowski, A.S. (2010), L'éphébie hellénistique. Étude d'une institution civique dans les cités grecques des îles de la mer Égée et de l'Asie Mineure. Paris.
Haussoullier, B. (1902), 'Les îles milésiennes', RPh 26: 125-43.
Manganaro, G. (1963/64), 'Le iscrizioni delle isole milesie', ASAtene 41/2: 293-349.
Ross, L. (1834), Inscriptiones Graecae ineditae. I.. Naupliae.
Sakkelion, I. (1862), 'Ελληνικαί Επιγραφαί. A. νησιωτικαί', AEph: 257-68.
Ziebarth, E. (1913), Aus der antiken Schule, Sammlung griechischer Texte auf Papyrus, Holzafeln, Ostraka. Bonn.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Certain
Note The term koinon, the presence of an official (chrysonomos) and the decision-making process (decree) are positive evidence for a private association centered in the gymnasion.