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Last Updated on 21 Feb 2017

Author: Ilias Arnaoutoglou

CAPInv. 284: koinon thiasoton

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Attica with Salamis
ii. Region Attica
iii. Site Athens

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) κοινὸν θιασωτῶν (SEG 56: 203, ll. 3-4)
ii. Full name (transliterated) koinon thiasoton

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 214 / 213 BC

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Cultic:thiasotai
iii. Descriptive terms κοινόν, koinon.
Note koinon: SEG 56: 203, ll. 3-4
The term σύνοδος, synodos, is used in ll. 5, 8-9, 16 but its meaning is much more ambiguous.

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) SEG 56: 203 (214/3 BC)
Note Ed. pr. Tsirigoti-Drakotou 2006, 286.
Cf. AD 50 (1995) [2000] B1, 35 (SEG 48: 130). BE 2003, no. 296.
Online Resources AGRW ID 23360
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Greek honorary decree for Bakchis, daughter of Philtes of Kallatis, epimeletria of Agathe Thea.
i.c. Physical format(s) Pedimental marble stele, measuring 0,41x0.43m. In the pediment a female head in relief.
ii. Source(s) provenance It was found at the intersection of Hiera Odos with Piraeus str. in second use in a funerary enclosure.

VI. BUILT AND VISUAL SPACE

ii. References to buildings/objects A throne (θρόνος, thronos) is mentioned in l. 7, and a sanctuary (ἱερόν, hieron) in l. 14.

VII. ORGANIZATION

ii. Leadership Perhaps the individual bearing the title of chief-eranistes (ἀρχερανιστής, archeranistes, l. 4, 23) played a leading role in the group.
iii. Members Members of the group are designated as θιασῶται (thiasotai, ll. 14, 18).
iv. Officials Stewardess (ἐπιμελήτρια, epimeletria, l. 3).
Priest (ἱερεύς, hiereus, l. 4).
Hieropoios (ἱεροποιός, l. 22).
The stewardess presented an account of her financial administration while in office, ll. 10-11.
Known practice of appointment In ll. 3-4 it is implied that in the appointment of stewardess (ἐπιμελήτρια, epimeletria), the priest and the chief-eranistes had played an important part.

VIII. PROPERTY AND POSSESSIONS

i. Treasury/Funds The association had a treasury designated as κοινόν, koinon in l. 10.
ii. Realty It is not known whether the sanctuary mentioned in l. 14 belonged to the group or it was a public one.

IX. MEMBERSHIP

ii. Gender Men
Women
Note Βακχίς Φίλτου Καλλατιανή, Athenian Onomasticon s.v. (17).
Κτησίας Διονυσίου Σημαχίδης, Athenian Onomasticon s.v. (13).
iii. Age Adults
iv. Status Citizen
Foreigner

X. ACTIVITIES

iii. Worship The stewardess was responsible for setting the throne (of the goddess?) (στρῶσις τοῦ θρόνου, strosis tou thronou), and the tables (either for offerings or banqueting) (ἐπιτραπέζωσις, epitrapezosis, ll. 7-8). She also set up the torch in all the meetings (δᾶιδα ἔστησεν τῆι θεῶι ἐν πάσαις ταῖς συνόδοις, daida estesen tei theoi en pasais tais synodois, ll. 8-9) and sacrificed to the goddess (θ]ύσασα τεῖ θεῶι, th]ysasa tei theoi), ll. 12-13.
Deities worshipped Ἀγαθὴ Θεὰ, Agathe Thea (alias for Artemis?).
Agathe Thea is another name for Artemis Kalliste, Parker 2010.
For the alternative epithet Hagne Thea for Artemis, Ackermann 2010.
iv. Honours/Other activities The stewardess is honoured with a praise (ἐπαινέσαι, epainesai), a crown of olive branches (θαλλοῦ στέφανος, thallou stephanos, ll. 18-19), and a proclamation (ἀναγόρευσις, anangoreusis, ll. 21-23) of the crown, right after the crown of the chief-eranistes.

XI. INTERACTION

i. Local interaction Due to its find spot and the divinity worshipped, it is tempting to associate the koinon thiasoton with other similar groups active in the area, i.e. IG II2 1297 (CAPInv. 268) and IG II2 1298 (CAPInv. 269).

XII. NOTES

i. Comments The inscription is dated in the archonship of Diokles.
iii. Bibliography Ackermann, D. (2010), ‘L'« Hagnè theos » du dème d'Aixônè en Attique : réflexions sur l'anonymat divin dans la religion grecque antique’, ARG 12: 83-118.
Eckhardt, Ε. (2017), ‘Vereins- und Stadtkult im Heiligtum der Artemis Kalliste in Athen’, Athenaeum 105: 31-42.
Knoepfler, D. (2016), ‘Une femme de Callatis à Athènes dans un nouveau décret d'association religieuse au IIIe siècle av. J.-C.’, in A. Robu and I. Bîrzescu (eds.), Mégarika. Nouvelles recherches sur Mégare, les cités de la Propontide et du Pont-Euxin. Archéologie, épigraphie, histoire. Paris: 197-215.
Parker, R. (2010), ‘New problems in Athenian religion: The sacred law of Aixone’, in J. Dijkstra, J. Kroesen, and Y. Kuiper, (eds.), Myths, martyrs and modernity. Studies in the history of religions in honour of J. N. Bremmer. Leiden: 193-208.
Tsirigoti-Drakotou, I. (2006), ‘Timetiko psephisma apo ten Hiera Odo’ in Stampolidis, N. (ed.), Genethlion. Anamnestikos tomos gia ten symplerossi eikosi chronon leitourgias tou Mouseiou Kykladikes Technes. Athena: 285-94.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Certain
Note The association displays all the hallmarks of a private association: distinct name, membership, organization, property and durability.