View

i.

Association with unknown name

U-EGY-019

i.

Date(s)

221 BC

i.	Source(s)	P.Enteux. 20 (12 Tybi = 28 Gorpiaios = 26 February 221 BC)
	Note	AGRW 293
	Online Resources	P.Enteux. 20 TM 2981 AGRW ID 2900
i.a.	Source type(s)	Papyrological source(s)
i.b.	Document(s) typology & language/script	Greek petition to the King by the sister of a deceased member of an association, regarding the non payment of the taphikon by the members of the association.
i.c.	Physical format(s)	Papyrus
ii.	Source(s) provenance	The papyrus was found in mummy cartonnage at Magdola (Ars.). The petitioner states that she is from the village of Alexandrou Nesos (l. 1): the association was obviously also located in the same village, since it is not stated otherwise.

ii.	Leadership	ἀρχιθιασί[της, archithiasites (l. 4): the man was called Philippos.
iii.	Members	Membership of the association is expressed by the verb συνθιασιτεύω synthiasiteuo: τ]οῦ [γὰρ ἐμοῦ ἀδελ]φοῦ Ἀπολλοδότου συνθιασιτεύοντος αὐτοῖς, tou gar emou adelphou Apollodotou synthiasiteuontos autois (l. 2).
iv.	Officials	The association had a ἱερεύς, hiereus (l. 4): his name was Dionysios.
vi.	Laws and rules	The association had a θιασιτικὸς νόμος, thiasitikos nomos (ll. 5, 9). We do not know the details of these regulations, but from the wording in ll. 4-5 (πρὸς τῶι μήτε θάψαι μήτε \| ἐξακολ[ουθῆσαι αὐτῶι κα]τὰ [τὸν θιασι]τικὸν νόμον, pros toi mete thapsai mete exakolouthesai autoi kata ton thiasitikon nomon) we can infer that they at least established that the association would take care of the burial of deceased members and would accompany their funeral. Furthermore, the payment of the taphikon, a burial indemnity, was contemplated.
ix.	Privileges	According to the rules of the association, every members was entitled to a funeral which was to be attended by the other members. A burial indemnity, ταφικόν, taphikon (ll. 5, 7; verso 3) was also granted to members. In certain cases, however, what promised was not kept and the family of the deceased had to take legal action against the association.

i.

Treasury/Funds

The association had to possess funds, given that money for burial indemnity (taphikon) was theoretically being disbursed.

ii.	Gender	Men
	Note	The names of the members of the association are all male. It is nowhere stated that the petitioner, sister of the deceased member, belonged to the association; she most probably did not.
vi.	Proper names and physical features	Φίλιππος ἀρχιθιασί[της Διονύσιος ἱερεύς Ἀπολλόδοτος Κράτεια, sister of Ἀπολλόδοτος

iv.

Honours/Other activities

The members of the association theoretically took part in the funeral rites for their fellow members.

i.	Private association	Certain
	Note	The presence of the verb συνθιασιτεύω synthiasiteuo to indicate membership, a well organised structure with an archithiasites, a hiereus, funds for the taphikon, common funerary ceremonies, and a thiasitikos nomos render certain the fact that this group was a private association.

CAPInv. 754: U-EGY-019