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I. LOCATION

i.	Geographical area	Peloponnese with Adjacent Islands
ii.	Region	Corinthia
iii.	Site	(most likely) Kenchreai

II. NAME

i.	Full name (original language)	ἀκον[ηταί] (Corinth 8.1 245, l. 1)
ii.	Full name (transliterated)	akon[etai]

III. DATE

i.

Date(s)

iv - vi AD

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii.

Name elements

Professional:

Bees 1941: 10 no. 2A restores the first line of the inscription as [τ]οξό[τα]ι καὶ ἀκον[τισταί], [t]oxo[ta]i kai akon[tistai], following the restoration suggsted by Woodward 1932: 144. However, Robert 1960: 37-39 restores it as [λιθ]οξό[ο]ι καὶ ἀκον[ηταί], [lith]oxo[o]i kai akon[etai], on the basis of the mention of marmararioi in l. 2 and of the ancient quarries that have been located in the region of Kenchreai where (according to an information recorded by Bees) the inscription was found.
If the word is correctly restored, it is the equivalent of the Latin samiator or samiarius or acu(tia)tor, the polisher of stone or metal objects, whereas more groups engaged in stone processing are mentioned as well, [λιθ]οξό[ο]ι, [lith]oxo[o]i [], and [μαρ]μαράριοι, [mar]mararioi.

V. SOURCES

i.	Source(s)	Corinth 8.1 245 (IV-VI AD)
	Online Resources	Corinth 8.1 245
i.a.	Source type(s)	Epigraphic source(s)
i.b.	Document(s) typology & language/script	If the Greek text is correctly restored, it is an acclamation for a certain Theodosios, perhaps the emperor or a civic functionary, for the renovation of the town.
i.c.	Physical format(s)	Seven joining fragments of a slab of grayish blue marble and a further non joining fragment which bears the depiction of a part of a bird. Two facing birds on either side of a cross should have crowned the inscription, as a fragment of the slab bears a bird looking at the left, part of the right stroke of a cross (see drawing of the slab by Bees 1941: 10 no. 2A) and part of the first line of the inscription.
ii.	Source(s) provenance	Meritt wrote in Corinth 8.1, 245 "Exact place and date of finding not recorded". However, Bees 1941: 9 no. 2A records a reliable personal information concerning the provenance of the inscription from the region of Kenchreai. Robert 1960: 22-23 finds this information very interesting and inclines to accept its accuracy, as it is known that there were ancient quarries in the region of Kenchreai (p. 23, n. 1 for references to the quarries) and this is in accordance with the mention in the text of professional groups working at several stages of stone processing, such as marmararioi.

VI. BUILT AND VISUAL SPACE

i.

Archaeological remains

Although there are no archaeological remains directly connected to the inscription, it is noteworthy that there were ancient quarries in the region of Kenchreai (Robert 1960: 23 n. 1). If the restoration of the inscription is correct, it may refer to several professional groups working at several stages of stone processing, such as marmararioi.

IX. MEMBERSHIP

ii.	Gender	Men
	Note	If the restoration of the word as akonetai is correct, the members of the group are men.

X. ACTIVITIES

iv.

Honours/Other activities

The group honours a certain Theodosios for the renovation or restoration of their town, cf. l. 5 [ἀ]νανεωτὰ πό[λεως], [a]naneota po[leos]. Robert 1960: 23-28 refers to several similar encomia for emperors or civic functionaries who are honoured a restorators of towns. Woodward 1932: 144 inclines rather to an identification with Emperor Theodosios. Bees 1941: 10 no. 2A dates the text to the 6th c. AD, under Justinian, and cosequently identifies Theodosios with a civic functionary who supported the reconstruction of Corinth after the earthquake of AD 551.

XII. NOTES

iii.

Bibliography

Bees, N. (1941), Corpus der griechisch christlichen Inschriften von Hellas. Inschriften von Peloponnes. Band 1. Isthmos-Korinthos. Athen: 9-10, no. 2A.
Robert, L. (1960), Hellenica, Recueil d'épigraphie, de numismatique et d'antiquités grecques. Vol. 11-12. Paris: 21-52, esp. 21-39.
Woodward, A.M. (1932), ‘Review of Corinth, VIII.1, Greek Inscriptions, 1896-1927, by D.B. Meritt’, JHS 52: 143-144.

XIII. EVALUATION

i.	Private association	Possible
	Note	As several professional groups, the ἀκον[ηταί], akon[etai], the [λιθ]οξό[ο]ι, [lith]oxo[o]i (CAPInv. 492), and [μαρ]μαράριοι, [mar]mararioi (CAPInv. 501), co-operate for an acclamation of the renovator of the town, it is possible that they formed professional associations, as we know them from other cases. However, it is difficult to verify it on the basis of this one and only fragmentary attestation.

CAPInv. 499: akon[etai]