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Last Updated on 28 Feb 2017

Author: Sophia Zoumbaki

CAPInv. 511: Agrippiastai

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Peloponnese with Adjacent Islands
ii. Region Laconia
iii. Site Sparta

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) Ἀγριππιασταί (IG V.1 374, l. 8)
ii. Full name (transliterated) Agrippiastai

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 16 BC

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Personal:The name of the association is derived from the cognomen of the consul Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, the close friend of Augustus.

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) IG V.1 374 (16 BC)
Note See also: CIL III 494
Online Resources IG V.1 374
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script A bilingual honorary inscription in Greek and Latin erected by the Agrippiastai for Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa.
i.c. Physical format(s) Statue base
ii. Source(s) provenance Sparta. Formerly it was in the garden of the church of Hagios Michael in the town but now the stone is lost.

VII. ORGANIZATION

i. Founder(s) Cartledge and Spawforth 1989: 99, no. 11, suggest that C. Iulius Eurycles, the Spartan dynast who was a friend of Augustus and of the imperial family, founded the association of the Agrippiastai on the occasion of Agrippa's visit to Sparta (16 BC). Touloumakos 1995: 97, no. 40a, does not exclude the possibility that C. Iulius Deximachos was the founder of the association, although he finds Cartledge and Spawforth's suggestion plausible. Touloumakos suggests that the erection of a monument in honour of Agrippa could have taken place as act of celebration in the context of the foundation of the association.
ii. Leadership Caius Iulius Deximachos, son of Pratolaos, was apparently the leader of the association. His exact title is not preserved in either languages of the text: (ll. 4-5) [et prince]ps C(aius) Iulius [- - - Dexi]machus Pratola[i f(ilius)] and (ll. 9-10) [καὶ πρ(έσβυς). Γ]ά̣ϊος Ἰούλιος [- - - Δε]ξίμαχος Πρα[τολάου], [kai pr(esbys). G]aios Ioulios [- - - De]ximachos Pra[tolaou].

IX. MEMBERSHIP

iv. Status The leader (?) of the association Caius Iulius Deximachos, son of Pratolaos belongs to a prominent Spartan family and held several civic offices (cf. Rizakis, Zoumbaki and Lepenioti 2004: 275-7, no. LAC 456). His name indicates some kinship with the Spartan dynast C. Iulius Eurycles, who himself had a son named Caius Iulius Deximachos (see Rizakis, Zoumbaki and Lepenioti 2004: 274-5, no. LAC 455). The Agrippiastai formed apparently a group connected with Agrippa. Their status within the local community should have been thus relatively elevated.

X. ACTIVITIES

iii. Worship According to Hanslik 1961: 1260, s.v. M. Vipsanius Agrippa the Agrippiastai offered a sort of cultic honour to Agrippa as similar honours paid to further Roman magistrates in other places in the East. He regards indeed Agrippiastai a "Priesterkollegium", the head of which was C. Iulius Deximachos. On the contrary Roddaz 1984: 422, ns. 155-6, does not regards Agrippiastai as a cultic association but rather as responsible for the honours granted by Sparta to Agrippa in return to his benefactions.
Deities worshipped Perhaps M. Vipsanius Agrippa received some sort of cult in the long tradition of the cult of sovereigns in the East.
iv. Honours/Other activities The association votes honours for Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa.

XI. INTERACTION

i. Local interaction Since the leader of Agrippiastai was a prominent member of the local society, the impact of the association on the local community should have been considerable.

XII. NOTES

i. Comments The date of the inscription is based on Agrippa's titles, cf. Roddaz 1984: 422, ns. 12-13. The foundation of the association and the erection of the monument in honour of Agrippa are thus to be dated to 16 BC or shortly afterwards. Agrippa presumably visited Laconia in 16 BC, see Halfmann 1986: 163-5. In commemoration of this visit the Spartan dynast C. Iulius Eurycles issued coins bearing Agrippa's portrait, cf. Grunauer-von Hoerschelmann 1978: 70-1, 169, pl. 21. For further monuments in Laconia in honour of Agrippa see Rizakis, Zoumbaki and Lepenioti 2004: 466-7, no. LAC 721.
Since the central task of the association was the honour of M. Vipsanius Agrippa, it certainly aimed at a resonance beyond Sparta.
ii. Poland concordance Poland B 18
iii. Bibliography Cartledge, P., and Spawforth, A. (1989), Hellenistic and Roman Spara. A tale of two cities. London, New York: 99.
Hanslik, R. (1961), ‘M. Vipsanius Agrippa’, RE2 9.A.1: 1226-75, esp. 1260.
Roddaz, J.-M. (1984), Marcus Agrippa. Rome: 422.
Rizakis, A.D., Zoumbaki, S., and Lepenioti, Cl. (2004), Roman Peloponnese II. Roman personal names in their social context (Laconia and Messenia). Athens: 275-7, no. LAC 456 and 466-7, no. LAC 721.
Touloumakos, J. (1995), ‘Bilingue [griechisch-lateinische] Weihinschriften der römischen Zeit’, Tekmeria 1: 96-7.
Waltzing, J.P. (1899), Etude historique sur les corporations professionelles chez les Romains depuis les origines jusqu' à la chute de l' Empire d' Occident. vol. 3. Louvain: 67, no. 184.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Certain
Note The association's name and their dealings point to a private association.