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Last Updated on 13 Jan 2019

Author: Mario C.D. Paganini

CAPInv. 1493: politeuma Harthotou megalou makaritou theas megistes Sachypseos

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Egypt
ii. Nome Arsinoites (00)
iii. Site Theadelpheia

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) πολίτευμα Ἁρθώτου μεγάλου μακαρίτου θεᾶς μεγίστης Σαχύψεως (I.Fayoum II 121, ll. 6-10)
ii. Full name (transliterated) politeuma Harthotou megalou makaritou theas megistes Sachypseos

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 93 AD

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Personal:Harthotes (name of the founder)
Theophoric:Sachypsis, epithet of Isis
iii. Descriptive terms πολίτευμα, politeuma
Note politeuma: I.Fayoum II 121, ll. 6-7

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) I.Fayoum II 121 (12 Pharmouthi = 7 April AD 93)
Note Other editions of the text are: SB I 5793.
Online Resources I.Fayoum II 121
TM 91980
AGRW ID 15251
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Greek inscription commemorating the reconstruction of the topos of the politeuma founded by Harthotes in honour of the goddess Isis Sachypsis, on behalf of the Emperor Domitian.
i.c. Physical format(s) Rectangular stele in limestone.

VI. BUILT AND VISUAL SPACE

ii. References to buildings/objects τόπος, topos: I.Fayoum II 121, l. 6

VII. ORGANIZATION

i. Founder(s) On the basis of the name of the association, it seems that the founder was a certain Harthotes, (long) deceased at the time of the setting up of the present inscription.
Gender Male
ii. Leadership προσ|τάτης, prostates (ll. 15-16): the president was a certain Abdon. It is thanks to the president that the topos of the politeuma was rebuilt.
iv. Officials In the inscription there is the mention that a certain Protarchos wrote the inscription (ll. 16-17): this may indicate that the man was the secretary of the association or the simple carver of the stone.

VIII. PROPERTY AND POSSESSIONS

i. Treasury/Funds If the other members of the politeuma contributed to the expenses for the renovation of the meeting-place, the association must have had a treasury. This however is uncertain.
ii. Realty The association had a meeting-place (τόπος, topos: l. 6) which was made object of care by the officials and members of the politeuma. The reconstruction of the topos recorded in the inscription was carried out thanks to the politeuma's president (ll. 6-16: τόπος πολιτεύ|ματος Ἁρθώτου | μεγάλου μακαρί|του θεᾶς μεγίσ|της Σαχύψεως | ἀνοικοδομήθη | ... | διὰ Ἄβδωνος προσ|τάτου, topos politeumatos Harthotou megalou makaritou theas megistes Sachypseos anoikodomethe ... dia Abdonos prostatou): this may imply that the man had paid for the works entirely from his pockets or that he took care of and superintended the works (also) using common funds.

IX. MEMBERSHIP

ii. Gender Men
Note The founder and president of the politeuma are both men.
iv. Status The president bore a semitic name, Abdon. The founder had an Egyptian name, Harthotes.
vi. Proper names and physical features Ἁρθώτης
Ἄβδων

X. ACTIVITIES

ii. Meetings and events Given the fact that the politeuma had a meeting-place (topos), their regular meetings presumably took place there.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Certain
Note On the basis of the organisation of the group and of its dealings, of the fact that it had realty, officials and a durable and well-established character at local level, it seems certain that this politeuma was a private association. One could wonder whether the group stemmed from Ptolemaic times and had an original military character like other politeumata of Ptolemaic Egypt. If the group had a common ethnic identity, it however lost it over time, as it is here not advertised.