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Last Updated on 11 Jun 2019

Author: Stella Skaltsa

CAPInv. 16: [to koinon] ton Bakchiston

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Aegean Islands
ii. Region Thera
iii. Site Ancient Thera

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) [τὸ κοινὸν] τῶν Βακχιστῶν (IG XII.3 1296, ll. 1-2)
ii. Full name (transliterated) [to koinon] ton Bakchiston

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 160 (?) - 146 (?) BC

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

i. Name in other forms Βακχισταί, Bakchistai (l. 6)
ii. Name elements
Theophoric:Bakchos (Dionysos)
iii. Descriptive terms κοινόν, koinon
Note koinon (l. 1: restored, l. 19)

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) IG XII.3 1296 (probably in the reign of Ptolemy VI Philometor, 160-146 BC)
Note OGIS 735
BE 1974: no. 41
Jaccottet 2003: no. 169.
Online Resources IG XII.3 1296
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Honorific decree in Greek of the koinon for Ladamos, son of Dionysodoros, [Alexandreus] (the ethnic is fully restored).
i.c. Physical format(s) Stele.
ii. Source(s) provenance The stele was found in the church of Aghios Stephanos located in the NE part of the ancient city.

VII. ORGANIZATION

iii. Members θιασῖται, thiasitai (ll. 23, 24)

IX. MEMBERSHIP

ii. Gender Men
Women
Note Membership to the koinon was extended to Ladamos' wife (l. 22).
iii. Age Children
Adults
Note Membership to the koinon was extended to Ladamos' descendants (ἐνγόνοις, l. 22).
iv. Status Members of the koinon were in all likelihood affiliated to the Ptolemaic garrison stationed in Thera (Hiller von Gaertrigen 1903). This can be deduced from lines 12-16, where Ladamos is said to have been appointed commander of the city (ἐπὶ τῆς πόλεως, (epi tes poleos l. 12) and ἡμῶν, hemon (l. 12), the latter probably referring to the soldiers of the garrison. Furthermore, in line 15, the members of the koinon set themselves apart from all the others (τοὺς ἅλλους ἅπαντας, tous allows hapantas), a phrase that probably stands for the entire citizen body as well as the members of the garrison.

Ladamos was a Ptolemaic official, in the close circle of the king (ll. 4-5). He bears the title τῶν περὶ αὐλὴν δια[δόχων] and he was the commander of the Ptolemaic garrison, probably in the reign of Ptolemy VI Philometor (ὁ τεταγμέ]νος ὑπὸ τῶν βασιλέω[ν ἐπὶ Θήρας]) (see van't Dack 1973: 77-80; Bagnall 1976: 126-7).
v. Relations Ladamos, son of Dionysophanes, [Alexandreus] (the ethnic is fully restored by Hiller von Gaertringen but challenged by Fraser: 1972, 150 n. 211), was the Ptolemaic commander in Thera. The names of Ladamos and Dionysophanes are also attested in the letter of Ptolemy Philometor to Apollonios, the commander of Thera: IG XII.3 327, l. 20, 290. Ladamos was among the soldiers to whom Philometor granted revenues from some lands to subsidize the expenses of sacrifices and oil supply. Dionysophanes' name is included among the names of soldiers contributing to the repair of the gymnasium.

X. ACTIVITIES

i. Assemblies [νομαίαι συνόδωι], [nomaiai synodoi] (IG XII.3 1296, l. 2)
iv. Honours/Other activities The koinon honoured Ladamos, son of Dionysophanes. It seems that a festival may have been founded in his honour, but the fragmentary nature of this part of the text (ll. 25-32) does not allow further comments.

XI. INTERACTION

i. Local interaction Members of the koinon were affiliated to the Ptolemaic garrison (ll. 12, 15).

XII. NOTES

i. Comments The inscription dates probably to Philometor's reign (164-146 BC). Hiller dated this inscription to the end of Philometor's reign (Hiller von Gaertringen 1903:), but according to Bagnall (1976: 127) the exact date should remain open to question. Van't Dack (1973) prefers a date during the joint reign of Ptolemy VI and Ptolemy VII (170-164 BC) but see criticism by Bagnall 1976.
ii. Poland concordance B 225
iii. Bibliography Bagnall, R. (1976), The administration of the Ptolemaic possessions outside Egypt. Leiden.
Fraser, P.M. (1972), Ptolemaic Alexandria. vol. 2. Oxford.
Hiller von Gaertringen, F. (1903), 'Der Verein der Bakchisten und die Ptolemäerherrschaft in Thera', in Festschrift zu Otto Hirschfelds Sechzigstem Geburtstage. Berlin: 87-99.
Thera III: Hiller von Gaertringen, F. (1904), Thera: Stadtgeschichte von Thera. Volume III. Berlin: 111-2.
Van't Dack, (1973), Ancient Society 4: 71-90.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Certain
Note The formal elements of the name (koinon + theophoric name) and the decision-making process suggest an organised private association.