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I. LOCATION

i.	Geographical area	Aegean Islands
ii.	Region	Delos
iii.	Site	Delos

II. NAME

i.

Association with unknown name

U-AEI-012

III. DATE

i.

Date(s)

l. ii (?) BC

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

iii.	Descriptive terms	σύνοδος, synodos
	Note	I.Délos 1523, ll. 16-17

V. SOURCES

i.	Source(s)	I.Délos 1523 (l. ii BC ?)
	Note	old eds.: Homolle 1884: 121-2 Roussel 1915-16: 205-6, no. 217 see also: Trümper 2011: 78, no. 17
	Online Resources	I.Délos 1523
i.a.	Source type(s)	Epigraphic source(s)
i.b.	Document(s) typology & language/script	fragmentary honorary text
i.c.	Physical format(s)	two fragments forming the left side of the lower part of a stele
ii.	Source(s) provenance	Found in 1874 by Stamatakis, presumably in the area of the Egyptian sanctuaries. Roussel and Launey in I.Délos 1523; cf. Homolle 1884: 122; Roussel 1915-16: 10-11; 206.

VI. BUILT AND VISUAL SPACE

ii.

References to buildings/objects

εἰκών, eikon (I.Délos 1523, l. 6; 21) -- It is not clear whether these two references concern one and the same statue or whether there are two, nor is it clear what the nature of the statue(s) is: honorary or cultic (cf. Baslez 1977: 201). The first reference (l. 6) indicates that a statue was to be anointed and crowned at each new moon. The second reference (l. 21) concerns the inscribing of the honorary decree on a stone stele and its setting up, possibly next to a statue.
[σ]τήλη [λιθί]νη, [s]tele [lithi]ne (I.Délos 1523, l. 20) -- Although the words are (partly) restored, they seem quite certain. The decree is to be inscribed on a stone stele.
[ἱερόν], hieron ? (I.Délos 1523, l. 6; 21) -- This reference to a sanctuary (as the place where the stone stele with the decree was to be set up) depends completely on restoration.

VII. ORGANIZATION

iii.	Members	συνοδίται, synoditai (I.Délos 1523, l. 8)
iv.	Officials	[ἐπιμ]ελῆται, [epim]eletai (I.Délos 1523, l. 3) -- This word is restored and even if the restoration is correct, it is difficult to say whether they were officials of the synodos. ἱε[ροποιοὶ ?], hie[ropoioi ?] (I.Délos 1523, l. 4) -- The mention of hieropoioi also depends on restoration. Homolle (1884: 122; followed by Ziebarth 1896: 43; Roussel 1915-16: 205) instead provides a restoration of ἱε[ρεῖς], hie[reis]. Either way, these were officials who had the task of anointing and crowning a statue at each new moon. [γρα]μματεὺς, [gra]mmateus (I.Délos 1523, l. 18; cf. 1) -- The secretary, together with the honorand, had to inscribe the honorary decree on a stele and set it up.
vi.	Laws and rules	None of the association members (I.Délos 1523, l. 8: synoditai) was allowed to do anything contrary to the prescribed honours. If they did, they would be considered guilty of sacrilege (l. 10: ἱεροσυλία, hierosylia) and had to pay a fine of 500 (?) drachmai (amount restored, ll. 11-12); anyone who wished to do so could take this in pledge.

VIII. PROPERTY AND POSSESSIONS

i.

Treasury/Funds

Association members (I.Délos 1523, l. 8: synoditai) acting against the prescribed honours would be considered guilty of sacrilege (l. 10: ἱεροσυλία, hierosylia) and had to pay a fine 500 (?) drachmai (amount restored, ll. 11-12).

IX. MEMBERSHIP

iv.

Status

Baslez (1977: 201) has pointed out that there are parallels between the unidentified synodos of I.Délos 1523 and cultic associations attached to temples in Egypt. It is quite likely, therefore, that the synodos honoring Dekmos consisted of Egyptians, even if an identification with the synodos of melanephoroi remains uncertain. See below: 'Comments'.

X. ACTIVITIES

iv.

Honours/Other activities

The synodos awarded honours and privileges in perpetuity to a Roman whose name is only partly preserved. He is called Dekmos / Decimus and he is a son (or freedman) of a certain Maarkos / Marcus. Perhaps he can be identified with Δέκμος Αὐίλιος, Dekmos Auilios mentioned in a list of contributors dedicating a theatre to Hagne Aphrodite (ID 2628, col. III, l. 34). It is not clear why the synodos honored Dekmos, and what exactly his honors consisted of. The secretary (l. l. 18: grammateus), together with Dekmos, had to inscribe the honorary decree on a stone stele and set it up.

The synodos wishes everyone to take notice of their gratitude (I.Délos 1523, l. 17: [εὐχαρισ]τία, [eucharis]tia, restored) and magnificence (l. 17: μεγαλομέρεια, megalomereia).

XI. INTERACTION

i.

Local interaction

The synodos honored a Roman, who may have been a member of the Roman / Italian community on Delos. See above: 'Honours/other activities'.

XII. NOTES

i.	Comments	Based on the presumed provenance of the inscription (see above: 'Source(s) provenance'), Homolle (1884: 122; cf. Roussel 1915-16: 206) suggested that the synodos in I.Délos 1523 should be identified with the synodos of melanephoroi (CAPInv. 903; cf. CAPInv. 925; CAPInv. 216). This suggestion rests on little evidence and the identification is by no means certain. Cf. Roussel and Launey in I.Délos 1523; Roussel 1987: 93, n. 6. The Egyptian character of the synodos (see above: 'Status') finds its parallel in another unidentified Egyptian synodos attested on Delos (CAPInv. 895).
ii.	Poland concordance	Poland B 185
iii.	Bibliography	Baslez, M.-F. (1977), Recherches sur les conditions de pénétration et de diffusion des religions orientales à Délos (IIe-Ier s. avant notre ère). Paris. Homolle, T. (1884), 'Les Romains à Délos', BCH 8: 75-158. Roussel, P. (1915-16), Les cultes égyptiens à Délos du IIIe au Ier siècle av. J.-C. Paris. Roussel, P. (1987), Délos: colonie athénienne. rev. ed. Paris. Trümper, M. (2011), ‘Where the non-Delians met in Delos: the meeting-places of foreign associations and ethnic communities in late Hellenistic Delos’, in O.M. van Nijf and R. Alston (eds.) Political culture in the Greek city after the classical age, Leuven: 49-100. Ziebarth, E. (1896), Das griechische Vereinswesen. Leipzig.

XIII. EVALUATION

i.	Private association	Certain
	Note	The descriptive term and the wellknown character and activity of this association guarantees its private status.

CAPInv. 897: U-AEI-012