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I. LOCATION

i.	Geographical area	Eastern Asia Minor
ii.	Region	Pontus
iii.	Site	Amastris

II. NAME

i.	Full name (original language)	ἱερονεικῶν τὸ ἄμφοδον (Marek, Stadt 56, B l. 1)
ii.	Full name (transliterated)	hieroneikon to amphodon

III. DATE

i.

Date(s)

251 - 258 AD

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii.

Name elements

Status-related:

hieroneikai

iii.

Descriptive terms

ἄμφοδον, amphodon

Note

amphodon: Marek, Stadt 56, B l. 1

V. SOURCES

i.	Source(s)	Marek, Stadt 56 (251 - 258 AD)
	Note	Robert 1980: 151-159 SEG 30: 1449 Marek 1985: no. 20
	Online Resources	Marek, Stadt 56
i.a.	Source type(s)	Epigraphic source(s)
i.b.	Document(s) typology & language/script	Funerary inscription in Greek of Aurelios Tatianos and his wife Valeria Strategis by the hieroneikon to amphodon and the hieranphodeiton platearchai.
i.c.	Physical format(s)	Large limestone plaque with an inscribed panel and five wreaths, two at the left (both inscribed) and three at the right (two with inscriptions).

X. ACTIVITIES

iv.

Honours/Other activities

The first wreath on the left side of the panel on this epitaph bears the inscription ἱερονεικῶν (hieroneikon) and the second the inscription τὸ ἄμφοδον (to amphodon).This suggests the award of crowns by the amphodon either sometimes during the couple’s life or post mortem, perhaps in response to benefactions.

XI. INTERACTION

i.

Local interaction

The amphodon obviously fostered some sort of relations with Aurelios Tatianos and his wife Valeria Strategis, but their exact nature cannot be reconstructed.

XII. NOTES

i.	Comments	As far as the date is concerned Robert (1980: 152) proposes 258 AD, following the Pompeian era but Marek in his editorial comment suggests 251 AD, according to the local era beginning in 70 BC (‘liberation’ of Amastris from the Pontic kingdom). According to Robert (1980: 156) the hieroneikon to amphodon was thus named after the fact that it hosted the meeting-hall of the Amastrian hieroneikai. According to Pont (2013: 133-4) the term amphodon in Aurelios Tatianos’ epitaph may refer to an avenue and not necessarily to a quarter, as Robert (1980: 152-4) and Marek (pp. 93, 95) considered. However, the fact that the second group mentioned in this inscription (see CAPInv 763) had several platearchai, i.e. leaders of avenues (plateiai), indicates that, as far as the terminology is concerned, amphodon should be here understood as a city-quarter consisting of several streets. The cost of the awarded crowns (see under X.iv: Honours/other activities) may be seen as an indirect indication for the existence of a common treasury. But there is no positive evidence for this. If the hieroneikon to amphodon had a common treasury, the members may have been obliged to offer contributions.
iii.	Bibliography	Jones, N.F. (1987), Public Organization in Ancient Greece: A Documentary Study. Philadelphia. Marek, C. (1985), ‘Katalog der Inschriften im Museum von Amasra. Mit Anhang: Die Inschriften von Amastris und die angebliche Pompeianische Ära der Stadt’, EA 6: 133-56 Pont, A.-V. (2013), ‘Les groupes de voisinage dans les villes d’Asie Mineure occidentale à l’époque impériale’ in P. Fröhlich and P. Hamon (eds.), Groupes et associations dans les cités grecques (IIIe siècle av. J.-C. – IIe siècle apr. J.-C.), Genève: 129-56. Robert, L. (1980), A travers l’Asie mineure. Paris Van Nijf, O. (1997), The Civic World of Professional Associations in the Roman East. Amsterdam.

XIII. EVALUATION

i.	Private association	Possible
	Note	Whether amphoda were official administrative subdivisions of the urban population or private associations of residents is not entirely clear. Jones (1987: 303, 336), based on evidence from Smyrna and Stratonikeia, supports the first view. Van Nijf (1997: 182) points out that a safe conclusion is not possible but admits that amphoda may have had an official status. As far as the Amastrian amphoda are concerned, Robert (1980: 159) viewed them as geographical subdivisions of the city comprising several streets (plateiai) but did not explicitly pronounce on their official or private nature. Finally, Pont (2013: 132-8) considered that there is no evidence imposing the conclusion that the Amastrian amphoda were administrative sectors of the city and preferred to view such groups as voluntary private associations.

CAPInv. 762: hieroneikon to amphodon