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Last Updated on 02 Mar 2017

Author: Paschalis Paschidis

CAPInv. 814: U-MAC-012

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Macedonia
ii. Region Mygdonia
iii. Site Thessalonike

II. NAME

i. Association with unknown name U-MAC-012

III. DATE

i. Date(s) ii AD

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) IG X.2.1 299 (ii AD)
Online Resources IG X.2.1 299 and TM 127773
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Funerary epigram in Greek
i.c. Physical format(s) Stele with relief depicting Aphrodite (in the Fréjus statue type, very popular in Thessalonike; see Voutiras 1999: 1330 with earlier literature).
ii. Source(s) provenance Western Thessalonike

VII. ORGANIZATION

iii. Members If IG X.2.1 299 refers to an association (see under XIII.ii: Historical authenticity, below), its members were called θρησκευταί, threskeutai (ll. 6-7). On the term, which appears to be a Macedonian particularity, see Foschia 2004.
v. Other staff In Voutiras' interpretation of the epigram, the deceased was a priestess of Aphrodite Nymphia.

XII. NOTES

i. Comments The epigram was usually interpreted as referring to a Thessalonican courtesan (see ll. 1-2: πολλ<ά>κι νυφευθῖσ’ ἀγ<ά>μοις ἐν ἐμοῖς θαλάμοισι, poll<a>ki nypheuthis' ag<a>mois en emois thalamoisi, "many times betrothed in my unwed chambers"), Kleonike, also named Kyrilla (see the bibliography in the IG X.2.1 299, to which add Düll 1975: 121 and Wrede 1981: 62), whose funerary monument was erected διὰ θρησκευτῶν φιλότητα, dia threskeuton philoteta, "out of the love of her admirers" in Robert's interpretation (1946: 133 n. 5).

Voutiras 2001: 111-3, however (followed by Nigdelis 2010: 17), interpreted ll. 1-2 as a reference to the ritual of ἱερογαμία, hierogamia, the reenactment of the sacred marriage of Aphrodite Nymphia; in this interpretation, the threskeutai who erected the monument were the members of a cult association of Aphrodite Nymphia.
iii. Bibliography Düll, S. (1975), ‘Götter auf makedonischen Grabstelen’ in Essays in memory of Basil Laourdas. Thessaloniki: 115-35, esp. 121.
Foschia, L. (2004), ‘Le nom du culte, θρησκεία, et ses dérivés à l’époque impériale” in S. Follet (ed.), L’hellénisme d’époque romaine. Nouveaux documents, nouvelles approches (Ier s.a.C.-IIIe s. p.C.). Actes du colloque international à la mémoire de Louis Robert, Paris, 7-8 juillet 2000, Paris 15-35.
Nigdelis, P.M. (2010), ‘Voluntary Associations in Roman Thessalonike: in Search of Identity and Support in a Cosmpolitan Society’, in L. Nasrallah, Ch. Bakirtzis and S. Friesen (eds.), From Roman to Early Christian Thessalonike: Studies in Religion and Archaeology. Cambridge Mass., London: 13-47, esp. 17 and no 28.
Robert, L. (1946), Hellenica. Recueil d'épigraphie, de numismatique et d'antiquités grecques. vol. 2. Paris: 123-41, esp. 133.
Voutiras, E. (1999), ‘Η λατρεία της Αφροδίτης στην περιοχή τοῦ Θερμαίου κόλπου’ in Ancient Macedonia VI. Papers read at the Sixth International Symposium held in Thessaloniki, October 15-19, 1996. Thessaloniki: 1329-43, esp. 1330.
Voutiras, E. (2001), ‘Aphrodite Nymphia’ in Chr. Reusser (ed.), Griechenland in der Kaiserzeit: neue Funde und Forschungen zu Skulptur, Architektur und Topographie. Kolloquium zum sechzigen Geburtstag von Prof. Dietrich Willers, Bern, 12-13 Juni 1998. Bern: 107-23.
Wrede, Η. (1981), Consecratio in formam deorum: vergöttlichte Privatpersonen in der Römischen Kaiserzeit. Mainz: 54-5, 62 and no 325.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Possible
Note If one accepts Voutiras' religious interpretation of the epigram, there is no doubt that the threskeutai mentioned are members of a private religious association. If one does not accept Voutiras' interpretation of the epigram, this is obviously not a source for any association.