| i. | Geographical area | Aegean Islands |
| ii. | Region | Thasos |
| iii. | Site | Ancient city of Thasos |
Stable URL: http://ancientassociations.ku.dk/assoc/1991Download as
Last Updated on 01 Jul 2019
CAPInv. 1991: Poseidoniastai
I. LOCATION
II. NAME
| i. | Full name (original language) | Ποσειδωνιασταί (IG XII.8 Suppl. 366, l. 1) |
| ii. | Full name (transliterated) | Poseidoniastai |
III. DATE
| i. | Date(s) | ii - i BC |
IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY
| i. | Name in other forms | ἡ σύνοδος τῶν Ποσειδωνιαστῶν, he synodos ton Poseidoniaston l. 16 (note that the term synodos is fully restored, though it appears elsewhere in the inscription, l. 14) | ||
| ii. | Name elements |
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| iii. | Descriptive terms | σύνοδος, synodos, ll. 14, 16 |
V. SOURCES
| i. | Source(s) |
IG XII.8 Suppl. 366 (ii/i c. BC) IG XII.8 Suppl. 367 (i c. BC) |
| Online Resources |
IG XII.8 Suppl. 366 IG XII.8 Suppl. 367 |
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| i.a. | Source type(s) | Epigraphic source(s) |
| i.b. | Document(s) typology & language/script |
IG XII.8 Suppl. 366: honorific decree for Pythion, son of Herakleides set up by the association of the Poseidoniastai. IG XII.8 Suppl. 367:honorific decree for unknown benefactors by an association the name of which is not preserved (for the attribution of the decree to the association of the Poseidoniastai see VI.i; cf. Seyrig and Bon 1929: 342). Greek. |
| i.c. | Physical format(s) |
IG XII.8 Suppl. 366: pedimental stele of Thabian marble, broken below, with acroteria in the corners. H. (max.) 37 x W. 31 x Th. 7 cm. IG XII.8 Suppl. 367: two fragments of a stele of Thabian marble. Fragment A: H. 25 x W. 25-26 x Th. 5cm. Fragment B: H. 24 x W. 25 x Th. 5cm. Seyrig and Bon (1é29: 341) attributed the two fragments to the same decree on account of the letterforms ('l'identité absolue des lettres), the way the stele is broken as well as the identical dimensions of the two fragments in terms of width and thickness. |
| ii. | Source(s) provenance | Both inscriptions were found in the sanctuary of Poseidon in the ancient city of Thasos (see VI.i.). |
VI. BUILT AND VISUAL SPACE
| i. | Archaeological remains | The inscriptions were found in a building complex (48.5 x 33m) that has been identified with the sanctuary of Poseidon on account of two fourth-century dedications to the god by Xenophanes, a Thasian citizen (IG XII.8 Suppl. 432.1; 432.2) and the late Hellenistic decree of the Poseidoniastai. This sanctuary is located close to two main gates that lead to the port, not far away from the sanctuary of Dionysos to the east and the Agora to the west. For the sanctuary see Seyrig & Bon 1929. |
| ii. | References to buildings/objects |
toichos, IG XII.8 Suppl. 367 l. 12 stoa, IG XII.8 Suppl. 367 l. 13 The stele of the decree was set up on the wall in the stoa. |
VII. ORGANIZATION
| ii. | Leadership | ἐπώνυμος, eponymos, IG XII.8 Suppl. 366 ll. 1-2; IG XII.8 Suppl. 367 ll. 18-19 |
| Eponymous office |
The Poseidoniastai as the issuing authority name themselves after the year of the eponymous when the decree was passed: IG XII.8 Suppl. 366 ll.1-2, ἔδοξεν τοῖς Ποσειδωνιασταῖς τοῖς μετ’ ἐπω- νύμου Ἀγαθοκλείους τοῦ Ἀγαθοκλείους, edoxen tois Poseidoniastais this met'eponymou Agathokleious tou Agathokleious |
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| iv. | Officials |
ταμίας, tamias, IG XII.8 Suppl. 367 ll. 15, 19 γραμματεύς, grammateus, IG XII.8 Suppl. 367 l. 19 The eponymos, the tamias and the grammateus were responsible for imposing fines in cases of trespasses against the decrees (IG XII.8 Suppl. 367, ll 18-24). |
| Known practice of appointment | The tenure of of the eponymos, the tamias and the grammateus was probably annual: IG XII.8 Suppl. 367 l. 20: τοὺς ἑκάστοτε γινομένους. tous ekastote ginomenous). | |
| v. | Other staff |
ἐπιμήνιος, epimenios, IG XII.8 Suppl. 366l. 6 To indicate the year of Pythion's appointment as epimenios the association uses the Thasian year (IG XII.8 Suppl. 366 ll. 6-7: ἐν τῶι ἐν<ι>αυ- τῶι τῶι ἐπὶ Ἀγασιφῶντος, en toi eniautoi toi épi Agasiphontos). Expenses related to the office of epimenia could be defrayed by the common treasury: IG XII.8 Suppl. 367 ll. 3-4: ὅ[ταν] ἐπιμηνιεύηιτ[αι] ἐκ τοῦ κοινοῦ, hotan epimeneueitai ek tou koinou |
| Known practice of appointment |
αἱρεθεὶς ἐπιμήνιος, hairetheis epimenios, IG XII.8 Suppl. 366 l. 6 |
VIII. PROPERTY AND POSSESSIONS
| i. | Treasury/Funds |
κοιναὶ πρόσοδοι, koinai prosodoi, IG XII.8 Suppl. 366 ll. 10-11 ἐκ τοῦ κοινοῦ, ek tou koinou, IG XII.8 Suppl. 367 l. 4 Expenses related to the office of the epimenios could be defrayed by the common funds. ἐκ τοῦ πόρου τοῦ ταμικοῦ, ek tou porou tou tamikou, IG XII.8 Suppl. 367 l. 14 From these revenues the expenditure of the stele was to be defrayed. |
| iii. | Income |
A penalty of 6 drachmai, a rather small amount (Seyrig and Bon 1929: 342 for comparisons with other fines), is imposed to anyone who acts against the prescriptions included in the honours (IG XII.8 Suppl. ll. 21-24: καὶ ζημιοῦν ἄχρι δραχμῶν ἓξ τὸν [ἀπει]- θοῦντα περὶ τῶν γεγραμμένων ἐν [ταῖς] τιμαῖς, kai zemioun achri drachmas hex ton apeithounta peri ton gegrammenon en tais timais). |
IX. MEMBERSHIP
| ii. | Gender | Men |
| Note | The names of the officials and the honorands are all male. | |
| iii. | Age | Adults |
| iv. | Status |
The officials were citizens, as personal names are followed by patronymics. The honorand and epimenios of IG XII.8 Suppl. 366, Pythion son of Herakleides, is attested in the list of theoroi, i.e. civic officials of the city of Thasos (IG XII.8 306). The tamias in IG XII.8 Suppl. 367 is called Amphitryon, an otherwise unattested name in the Greek world, with one attestation only in Pompeii (CIL IV 4514, 11). Given the mythical connotations of the name, it can be proposed that the name Amphitryon acts as a nickname in the circles of the association. |
X. ACTIVITIES
| i. | Assemblies | The association passed decrees for officials who acted in a magnanimous way. |
| ii. | Meetings and events |
The association held meetings where proclamations of honours were announced, see below X.iv. The association performed sacrifices, see below X.iv. Commemoration of deceased benefactors, see below X.iv. |
| iv. | Honours/Other activities |
The honours passed for Pythion, the epimenios of the association, included the stele of the decree. The stele is broken just after the resolution formula and as a result it is not known what kind of honours the association conferred to Pythion. However, Pythion was honoured on account of his ancestors' virtue (ll. 3-5) and because he took over the expenses related to the office of the epimenios. The honorands in IG XII.8 Suppl. 367 were granted the following honours: - proclamation of honours: l. 2: ἀναγορευέτω καθ’ ἕνα ἕκαστ[ον, anagoreueto kath'hena hekaston - perquisite of double portion in the sacrifices: l. 3 διμοιρία, dimoiria - a gold crown of half a stater would be deposited on the funerary bed if the honorand passed away: ll. 4-7, στεφαν[οῦσ]-|θαι δὲ αὐτοὺς καὶ εἴ τι περί τινα αὐτῶν ἀν-|θρώπινον γένοιτο πρὸ τῆς ἐκκομιδ[ῆς] | στεφάνωι χρυσῶι [ἐ]ξ ἡμιχρύσου. |
XI. INTERACTION
| i. | Local interaction | The cult of Poseidon was one of the official cults of Thasos and the sanctuary is taken for a public sanctuary of Poseidon in the literature. |
XII. NOTES
| i. | Comments |
In Thasos the eponymia is also attested in the association of the Sarapiastai, see CAPInv. 17. The Thasian eponym, Agasiphon, may be identified with Agasiphon son of Olympiodoros, a theoros in Thasos in the 1st c. BC (IG XII.8 205 l. 15; Seyrig and Bon 1929: 342). |
| iii. | Bibliography | Seyrig, H. and Bon, A. 1929: 'Le sanctuaire de Poseidon à Thasos', BCH 53: 317-50. |
XIII. EVALUATION
| i. | Private association | Certain |
| Note | The internal structure of the associations, the existence of funds and the system of imposing penalties point towards a private association. |
