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Author: Vincent Gabrielsen

CAPInv. 2034: [A]thanaistai strateuomeno[i sysk]anoi

[DRAFT]

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Aegean Islands
ii. Region Rhodes
iii. Site Lindos

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) [Ἀ]θαναϊσταί στρατευομένο[ι συσκ]άνοι
ii. Full name (transliterated) [A]thanaistai strateuomeno[i sysk]anoi

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 10 AD

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Theophoric:Ἀθαναιισταί, Athanaistai - From the doric spelling of Athena (Morrelli, I culti in Rodi [Pisa, 1959] 2-13, 80-89).
Other:στρατευομένοι, strateusamenoi - The element belongs to a military context. For Blinkenberg's view that after 42 BC such associations of strateuomenoi lost entirely their military character, see Gabrielsen 1997, 203 n. 55. For these terms, see under Comments below.

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) Lindos II 392
Online Resources Lindos II 392

AGRW no. 15073
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)

XII. NOTES

i. Comments The elements strateusamenoi and syskanoi in the name of our association occur also in the names of other associations: Poland 1909, 127-8; Launey 1987, 1004-10, 118-22.
The first element sometimes appears as strateuomenoi/ synstrateuomenoi (I.Lindos II, no. 264; IG XI, 1 107, see also CAPInv. 2033), in which case it is believed to refer to a group of persons currently performing military service. At other times it appears as strateusamenoi/synstrateusamenoi (I.Lindos II, no. 303, l. 11; IG XII, 1 43, ll. 19-20), in which case, it is taken to refer to a group formed after the end of a campaign: for the distinction, see Poland 1909, 128; Launey 1987, 108. There are several examples of each of these sets of terms being used for groups that were short-lived or ephemeral (Launey 1987, 1005-10). However, in other cases, such as the one of the present entry, the reference is to an association proper. As regards the Rhodian examples, there are good reasons to accept Blinkenberg's view that strateuomenoi/strateusamenoi mostly refer to naval service (I.Lindos II, cols 796-7). Therefore, the members of such associations formed or had formed warship crews.
The next element of the name of our association, syskanoi (synskenoi), literally means those who share a tent or barracks (Launey 1987, 1003). But in the majority of cases, it is argued, it is a more specific form of hetairoi ('comrades') or philoi ('friends') and describes a group that had created 'la communauté de vie'. Whereas syskanoi emphasizes the group's service in a campaign, syssitoi ('messmates'), which is its synonym, emphasizes commensality: Poland 129; Launey 1987, 1002-3.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Certain
Note The use of theophoric and personal name elements and the dedicatory-honourific context of the attested inscriptions make the private character of the association certain, although a descriptive term is omitted.